Originally Posted by Catbert10
I hope I'm not dragging this thread too far off-topic, but there is another difference between a Z fare and a Y fare to CO. A Z fare is non-refundable, meaning that CO can take that $$ to the bank. A Y fare is refundable, so CO will end up refunding a certain amount of that money. So while a Z fare may price out less than a Y fare, to CO a sure thing is worth more than a percentage of a higher amount. I'm sure that the yield management models take this into account and price accordingly.
Lots of talk about Y vs. Z fares. But this week I flew transcon on a D fare, refundable, at about $200 LESS than full Y (and only $300 more than restricted Y tickets selling 2 days ahead). Screwy, yes, but I'm certainly not going to complain. If you're flying on refundable Y fares (maybe for business requirements?) always check after ticketing for a cheaper refundable F fare to 'downgrade' to.
Robin