Pricing BOS-SAN? BOS-LAX? Yikes!
Mar 24, 2003, 1:05 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 188
Pricing BOS-SAN? BOS-LAX? Yikes!
So I love AS. But pricing BOS-LAX for a random 7-day trip in June gives me around $720. (About 2.5-3x other carriers.)
It's actually cheaper to fly to BOS-ANC. ($598)
I don't think the BOS fares outside of SEA/PDX have really been set very well. Maybe AS doesn't want to be a hub and spoke out of SEA? (Or maybe with the seasonal addition of the extra BOS-SEA flight, the fares haven't been tweaked?)
Thoughts?
It's actually cheaper to fly to BOS-ANC. ($598)
I don't think the BOS fares outside of SEA/PDX have really been set very well. Maybe AS doesn't want to be a hub and spoke out of SEA? (Or maybe with the seasonal addition of the extra BOS-SEA flight, the fares haven't been tweaked?)
Thoughts?
Mar 24, 2003, 2:02 am
#2
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AS doesnt publish a fare from LAX to BOS so you're essentially paying for two trips. LAX-SEA and SEA-BOS. AA's partner service has the So-CAl to East coast service covered, so most of the hub and spoke service comes out of the pacific NW and Alaska.
Mar 24, 2003, 2:55 pm
#3
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sea-Tac, WA
Posts: 854
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by missydarlin:
AS doesnt publish a fare from LAX to BOS so you're essentially paying for two trips. LAX-SEA and SEA-BOS. AA's partner service has the So-CAl to East coast service covered, so most of the hub and spoke service comes out of the pacific NW and Alaska.</font>
AS doesnt publish a fare from LAX to BOS so you're essentially paying for two trips. LAX-SEA and SEA-BOS. AA's partner service has the So-CAl to East coast service covered, so most of the hub and spoke service comes out of the pacific NW and Alaska.</font>
Mar 24, 2003, 3:02 pm
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 188
Hmmm. I see. Well, I'd love to see AS experiment with (perhaps slightly higher priced) BOS-LAX; While not annoying AA may be a concern, there is a market of folks who would make the connection in SEA.
Especially if it allowed a stopover in SEA.
Especially if it allowed a stopover in SEA.
Mar 24, 2003, 3:33 pm
#5
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You are talking about a very long trip (at least 9 or 10 hours with the stopover in SEA) on a very short airplane (737-700). Focusing on the capacity issue, and taking into account that Southern California is a Southwest stronghold, and because of that, they tend to dictate pricing, to be competitive AS would have to lower fares. This, in turn, would fill their limited number of seats with cheap fares, and preclude the sale of higher fares on the routes that were actually meant to be served in the first place. Chalk it up to the nutty pricing model of the air transport system where you can often fly from Seattle to Rome for less than a ticket to Billings.
Mar 25, 2003, 10:22 am
#7
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In October, 2002, I bought several BUR-IAD tickets (connecting in SEA) for $161.50, including all taxes, fees and other charges.
Of course, it was a web-only T fare (available on AS website and Orbitz).
AS does indeed sometimes sell transcons for cheap.
[Edited to correct early-morning itn. error.]
[This message has been edited by FWAAA (edited 03-25-2003).]
Of course, it was a web-only T fare (available on AS website and Orbitz).
AS does indeed sometimes sell transcons for cheap.
[Edited to correct early-morning itn. error.]
[This message has been edited by FWAAA (edited 03-25-2003).]
Mar 25, 2003, 1:57 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sea-Tac, WA
Posts: 854
[QUOTE]Originally posted by deelmakur:
You are talking about a very long trip (at least 9 or 10 hours with the stopover in SEA) on a very short airplane (737-700). Focusing on the capacity issue, and taking into account that Southern California is a Southwest stronghold, and because of that, they tend to dictate pricing, to be competitive AS would have to lower fares. This, in turn, would fill their limited number of seats with cheap fares, and preclude the sale of higher fares on the routes that were actually meant to be served in the first place. Chalk it up to the nutty pricing model of the air transport system where you can often fly from Seattle to Rome for less than a ticket to Billings.[/QUOTE
The revenue is truly incremental. With double daily service to BOS starting in Apr, the fares in connecting CA markets, although far reaching, just help to fill in excess demand.
You are talking about a very long trip (at least 9 or 10 hours with the stopover in SEA) on a very short airplane (737-700). Focusing on the capacity issue, and taking into account that Southern California is a Southwest stronghold, and because of that, they tend to dictate pricing, to be competitive AS would have to lower fares. This, in turn, would fill their limited number of seats with cheap fares, and preclude the sale of higher fares on the routes that were actually meant to be served in the first place. Chalk it up to the nutty pricing model of the air transport system where you can often fly from Seattle to Rome for less than a ticket to Billings.[/QUOTE
The revenue is truly incremental. With double daily service to BOS starting in Apr, the fares in connecting CA markets, although far reaching, just help to fill in excess demand.
Mar 26, 2003, 4:51 am
#9
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I noticed a press release yeaterday, where Alaska had purchased software to help weed out duplicate
bookings. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030325/255011_1.html It has been my observation that the yield managmement systems used by AS may not be quite as thorough as those of some of the other trunk carriers. As an example, I have been using the Miami service since its inception. On several occcasions, significant numbers of first class passengers have come off, proceeded directly to the podium, and checked back in. Mileage runners do not typically buy high fare tickets. Secondly, if they are grabbing a lot of the premium inventory, it works against the company's attempt to build patrongage for the product in unfamiliar markets. The IT system should have seen that, and priced the inventory to regulate it. I suspect the company knows its weaknesses, and purposely doesn't file competitive tariffs from So. California. I should think that a flight which normally takes 5 to 6 hours on a direct routing, but via SEA would be closer to 10 hours, on 737's, would mostly appeal to mileage runners as well. AS has to know that. Nothing wrong with mileage runs, but in this instance, I would think it works against what they are trying to build.
[This message has been edited by deelmakur (edited 03-26-2003).]
bookings. http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/030325/255011_1.html It has been my observation that the yield managmement systems used by AS may not be quite as thorough as those of some of the other trunk carriers. As an example, I have been using the Miami service since its inception. On several occcasions, significant numbers of first class passengers have come off, proceeded directly to the podium, and checked back in. Mileage runners do not typically buy high fare tickets. Secondly, if they are grabbing a lot of the premium inventory, it works against the company's attempt to build patrongage for the product in unfamiliar markets. The IT system should have seen that, and priced the inventory to regulate it. I suspect the company knows its weaknesses, and purposely doesn't file competitive tariffs from So. California. I should think that a flight which normally takes 5 to 6 hours on a direct routing, but via SEA would be closer to 10 hours, on 737's, would mostly appeal to mileage runners as well. AS has to know that. Nothing wrong with mileage runs, but in this instance, I would think it works against what they are trying to build.
[This message has been edited by deelmakur (edited 03-26-2003).]
Mar 26, 2003, 11:34 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LHR
Posts: 396
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Milesjamie:
So I love AS. But pricing BOS-LAX for a random 7-day trip in June gives me around $720. (About 2.5-3x other carriers.)
It's actually cheaper to fly to BOS-ANC. ($598)
I don't think the BOS fares outside of SEA/PDX have really been set very well. Maybe AS doesn't want to be a hub and spoke out of SEA? (Or maybe with the seasonal addition of the extra BOS-SEA flight, the fares haven't been tweaked?)
Thoughts?</font>
So I love AS. But pricing BOS-LAX for a random 7-day trip in June gives me around $720. (About 2.5-3x other carriers.)
It's actually cheaper to fly to BOS-ANC. ($598)
I don't think the BOS fares outside of SEA/PDX have really been set very well. Maybe AS doesn't want to be a hub and spoke out of SEA? (Or maybe with the seasonal addition of the extra BOS-SEA flight, the fares haven't been tweaked?)
Thoughts?</font>
Hence the high fares.
Mar 26, 2003, 11:35 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LHR
Posts: 396
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pk45cu:
Given than AS has a single BOS-SEA flight a day (and a few seats on the AA code-share), they'd rather have that filled with SEA O/D travellers than connecting pax.
Hence the high fares.</font>
Given than AS has a single BOS-SEA flight a day (and a few seats on the AA code-share), they'd rather have that filled with SEA O/D travellers than connecting pax.
Hence the high fares.</font>
Mar 26, 2003, 1:58 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sea-Tac, WA
Posts: 854
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by pk45cu:
Given than AS has a single BOS-SEA flight a day (and a few seats on the AA code-share), they'd rather have that filled with SEA O/D travellers rather than connecting pax.
Hence the high fares.</font>
Given than AS has a single BOS-SEA flight a day (and a few seats on the AA code-share), they'd rather have that filled with SEA O/D travellers rather than connecting pax.
Hence the high fares.</font>
Fares are available to BOS from LAX/RNO/SAN/SFO/SJC/SMF and OAK. Most of these fares are restricted to AS metal, so if you are looking at travel, look after 4/26. You'll find connections and published fares.