Branded Fares; AC changes booking classes/fare classes for Tango & Flex
 

I have not seen any mention here of branded fares.

Branded fares are mentioned in the Investor Day document from AC earlier this week. From what I understand it's some sort of a way to back off from the unbundling disaster. Allow people who care about the real overall price to include "ancillaries" in the ticket price, perhaps at some discount compared with lower fare + equivalent various surcharges.

I can see that AC does not really like the unbundling business, but feels they have no real choice in the world of search engines and paying the absolute rock bottom price (before all the BS surcharges) is a bit of a national sport. Plus, people who indulge in this will continue going for what they see as lowest price, so there is no real motivation for offering them any kind of custoer service.

However there is your typical FTer, people who actually fly as part of their job, and working for an inconsiderate employer who only cares for lowest price, and who are mighty unhappy with being relegated in the same category as the occasional flyer above.

So, offering people who have a better sense of the business "branded fares" seems to be a win-win situation. Customers pay a bit less, or the same, but they don't feel nickel and dimed with all the crap.

AC apparently expects

You are very correct. You are the first to talk about this here. ;)

Get ready for "Tango" and "Tango Flex"! :o

Booking codes G and W were transferred from Flex to Tango this past Tuesday for 18 domestic routes.

FL Fare Family to TG Fare Family. ;)

Why does the name "Tango" still exist? That so-called airline died long ago.

What is a "Tango"? Will I be so happy with this Tango fare that I'll dance the Tango?

Time to come up with a new name. My suggestion is "Petty" class.

It appears it's ULCC (probably not the final name), then Tango, then Flex, then Comfort, then Latitude.

There is even a mention of "roller carry on," seems they might no longer allow them on lowest fares, which might be a blessing? :D

No ULCC stuff here. I didn't make up what I wrote... I was serious!

I was referring to the names mentioned on p. 54 of the report. They mention ULCC as the lowest bin. Below Tango. Race to the bottom never ends. To the great satisfaction of the bulk of the customers...

Ok right.

I'm only referring to the existing changes that are live, and under the radar for most of us. I think that diagram on the left of the slide is the overall end game, but I assure you that at the moment there is something called Tango and Tango Flex. :p

Wait! What?

1) which routes?

2) did they apply it retroactively for existing bookings too?

3) will a previously booked W/G fare on that route now only earn 25% AQM?

Oh for the days of Robert Milton's plan to streamline and reduce the number of fare categories and buckets!

New bookings as if this past Tuesday.
Anything booked before that is not affected.

I can see that on EF, searching YVR-YYC on October 8th, there are W and G fares in both Tango and Flex, but YVR-YYZ the same day there are only flex fares for W/G

That is correct.

For those who book on the Air Canada website, it won't mean too much of a change since it's sorted by fare "type" anyway (tango vs flex) but those searching ITA or other engines will have to double check for sure that they are getting a Flex W/G and not a Tango W/G, assuming they keep those fare buckets in both fare type categories.

This is only the beginning. It will get a bit more convoluted in the interim before everything normalizes.