Originally Posted by
Stranger
Not really peak season for business, but for leisure travel, sure, Which should not affect the J cabin all that much. However, for rewards it's definitely peak season, so surely the regular reward inventory is long gone. Including in J, which people will grab when Y rewards disappear, often for less miles than "priority." Or because they assign zero value to their miles.
Peak period for seasonal travel......usually airlines ramp up the fares and play hardball during this period. They know there is a large captive market of people wanting to head home or be on vacation
Gets worse once the college/university Fall exam schedule comes out...... Fares instantly rise within the week, when lower fare buckets are snapped up with less lower inventories.
Having worked in revenue management before for a carrier - from a business standpoint - if I have the ability and certainty to fill the plane with revenue and premium revenue customers, why would i sell it at a lower cost as fixed rate rewards? Even with a few high Y fares + op up, I might be better off than honoring for fixed reward redemption. Variable doesnt matter because I can charge a higher premium to reflect the market value of the ticket.