Originally Posted by
pushmyredbutton
Likely the case here. As an example, UA294 today SFO-DFW is showing a $61 BE fare with a massive $444 upcharge. They aren't really matching a ULCC, though, but it does make sense to capture the last minute non-biz travelers I suppose.
As a frequent last-minute non-business traveler who values E+/F (and, to a lesser extent, PQD), I assure you, this wouldn't capture me.
But I can't argue that much with the strategy; it's certainly a better one than their initial strategy of trying to sell Y-BN fares. I'm also not familiar with that route, so I don't know if it used to be common to get the $61 fare as a last-minute traveler or if $505 was the usual price.
ETA: upon re-reading, I should point out that I also normally have a great deal of destination flexibility. I haven't been offered a $400 BE difference on a flight that I actually needed to take.
I don't want it to sound like I'd pay the extra $400; I'd simply decide, "well, SFO-DFW is out..."