Originally Posted by
cerealmarketer
Check transcon like JFK-LAX nonstop.
BE fares widely offered by Delta outside ULCC territory.
The key difference was UA offering them against all fare buckets which I wonder if it was a systems limitation at the outset.
I did, looking at one way:
SFO-NYC
Monday, Sept 25 UA is $149 BE (7 flight), AA is $149 BE (1 flight, 10:30 pm red eye), Delta (8 flights)/B6 (5 flights) /VX (2 flights) is $149
in Regular economy. UA is matching BE to regular Y on OALs....
LAX-NYC:
Monday Sept 25 UA (10 flights) AA (3 flights) are $149 in BE, DL (8 flights)/VX/AS (6 flights) /B6 (7 flights) are $149 in Y.
UA is demanding $205 for BE for the 10:15 am and 12:25p departures; with AA having BE at the same price point.
United has the most restrictive, most punitive BE fares, and they are matching AA in when they offer them. Delta/VX/AS/WN/B6 are not doing what UA (and now AA) are doing....
Originally Posted by
LAXOGG
I hate to admit it, but as one of UA's most loyal customers over the past 5 years (3 MM BIS during that time period), where I would never consider another carrier, I have been flying SWA for all of my Inter California flights since the implementation of BE. Two reasons: Pricing on SWA has been better for the most part and annoyance that I am now being charged a "fee" for the E+ seating benefit that was previously free. But UA doesn't care.....I'm a population of 1.
people don't like getting ripped off, or feel like they are getting ripped off. And your response is not atypical. United just admitted that net (extra revenue from a $15+ o/w fare increase on domestic tickets - lost business) basis the "elite tax" has cost them $90M this quarter in revenue. Given that the BE fare increase should have added in the range of $200M in extra revenue, the book away has to be very large to get to a net loss of $90M in revenue.
And I might add that I called out this exact problem back in November 2016:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/27488739-post352.html Everything that has happened to United was easy to predict, you just have to know something about consumer behavior. United's management might make it in a commodities business, say selling wood pulp, but dealing with actual consumers they are a frightful failure. The only partial savings grace for them is that Doug Parker is equally clueless.