Originally Posted by Brattflyer
UA fares BDL- IAD have gone wild since flyI pulled out. Tonight I tried booking a flight two weeks out and got a fare of $860. I booked a non-codeshare fare on US BDL-DCA for $350 for about the same times. DCA is slightly out of my way, but not $500 out of my way.
I am a weekly commuter. Last week I got my 2 UA segments for flying US and will continue to do this as long as the price discrepancies remain so high.
At this rate I may make 1K again with most of my flights on US.
Who else has made UA status by flying US? I feel bad about not giving UA the revenue, but if they can work their system against me with high fares, I guess I can do the same. I heard a rumor that US wants to end the partnershp but until then I will milk the system for all its worth. Is anyone doing the same thing?
In the BDL-IAD market there is a V fare (base) for 228, a Q fare for 328, a U fare for 388, a U fare for 458 and a E fare for 628. Clearly it is not UA's fault that fares are high for you, but rather other travelers buying all of the cheap seats before you can get to them. If US is cheaper and it works for you, go for it. However, don't blame UA for selling out of the cheap fares before you book.
FlyI kept prices artifically low at IAD. With oil prices on the rise, I doubt fares will drop to the levels we saw last year.