Originally Posted by moman (Post 20635491)

I'll take that wager, Herb. Phoenix has very little business activity for the size of the city and flights. What it does have is a doubling of the metro area in the winter months with fairly wealthy retirees and leisure travel, such that it mimics MCO.

Originally Posted by azcoyote (Post 20644273)

In regards to PHX-DFW-PHX, between the first of April and now, I'm 4 for 6 on UGs - and the 2 times I didn't get i, I've died #1 on the list, and that's as a PLT. These are all either the first or second flight out in the morning - during the business week, and the flights are either full or nearly full.

Originally Posted by Often1 (Post 20627429)

1. Capacity cuts affect F more than Y (because of the proportion of F to Y seats).
2. Improved economy means more paid F
3. AA wised up to F pricing. They used to price domestic F as though it was still the old days of real F service.

I wouldn't look at any one flight on any one day, but the fact is that economic viability is about finding the right price point. In the past, AA and others had way too much capacity and they cut their fares and handed out F freebie as a means of generating business. That didn't work. Now, they cut capacity to a profit point and it shows on their books.

Originally Posted by QueenOfCoach (Post 20630107)

There's always the possibility that the fact that this one particular flight has sold out F is due to some one-off issue.

Large family going to a wedding, deep-pocketed generous Grandma bought everyone F tickets.

Corporate muckety-mucks all going to the same meeting, all flying F.

Some movie star put his whole entourage in F.

Originally Posted by AA_EXP09 (Post 20642155)

More golfing at PHX than MCO, though, and MCO is more of a family destination than PHX.

Originally Posted by Upgraded! (Post 20645801)

Surprisingly enough, I agree with everything in your post :), in particular point #3. All I'd add to that particular point, as a slightly different take on the same idea, is that AA finally applied its coach RM strategies to F, hence more levels of discounting based on its closely held algorithms because of a realization that the differences between F and Y are shrinking.



Not surprisingly, I agree with none of this.

If you look at multiple days for that route on EF, you will see several patterns emerge, such as early morning flights having significantly more F capacity than later flights, weekend flights being booked more fully in F than weekday and many of the flights which are full (or nearly full) in F also have less availability in Y (indicating general booking/travel patterns for the route).

The "muckety-mucks" you speak of (which I take to be an insult to anyone whose company pays for F and sends executives on the same flight as one another) probably aren't responsible for the sell-out because such mid-day, eastbound flights are at the worst possible time for business travelers. They are essentially cut off from work from lunch on. If they're important enough to fly F they're probably important enough to be needed during those times.

And what movie star, traveling with an entourage, is traveling between PHX and ORD?!?!

OP: if it's not too expensive, consider rerouting to ORD via LAX. I'm seeing lots of "7s" the afternoon of the 29th, because presumably there are more business travelers relegated to Y vs. leisure travelers buying discounted F.

Originally Posted by AA_EXP09 (Post 20648198)

Not to be more insulting, but I think it is a bit warranted.
Domestic F is a waste of money unless the difference is maybe $50 from Y and international F is barely needed-even someone making 6 figures can save more money just by taking one (paid) day off of work.
(Well, I lied-I would LOVE international F but only so I can burn my AV/CX/AA/UA/AC miles.)

Originally Posted by Upgraded! (Post 20645801)

The "muckety-mucks" you speak of (which I take to be an insult to anyone whose company pays for F and sends executives on the same flight as one another)