SNA_Flyer

The MD80 can't fly that far nonstop! It's not used on this route!

Neal

I was looking at LAS-MIA, (via LAX,) schedules. The MD-80 I saw apparently was a LAS-LAX flight and I thought it was a LAX-MIA flight. I didn't think even AA would use such a small plane on a transcon. Thanks for the correction.

MAH4546

Not only that, but when the April 2005 schedule comes out, MD80 flying out of MIA will be virtually non-existant as about half of domestic flying out of MIA will become 738s.

WingNaPrayer

What all this is adding up to is that AMR will have to invest heavily in paper for all the vouchers they'll end up issuing for all the overbooking, now at 20% per flight - my guess is that will now go to at least 30%. A little bit of sanity in the fares which will translate into more security/police calls to the gates.

Waaaaaaaaay to go AA! ^

SAT Lawyer

This looks good on paper, at least. A simplified fare structure, with substantially lower prices at the top end is appealing. I assume South Florida is the test market for potentially the rest of the domestic network.

With that all said, I'm trying to figure out the new fare structure impacts all of us outside the three promoted hubs and three non-hub major markets. My very cursory search of SAT fares didn't turn up anything especially encouraging when it comes to the non-refunable walk-up fares. Are we left out in the cold?

WingNaPrayer

Actually not, I believe both JFK and LGA have had their own fare structures for some time.

venk

Huh???

That is a bit of a stretch even for you. There are legitimate grouses against AA without diluting by hyperbole.

Sam - DFW

I think this was done DFW-LAX almost a year ago. Living in Dallas at the time and traveling frequently to LA, I remember an almost identical marketing campaign.

WingNaPrayer

No hyperbole intended. I've seen first hand the near riots that can ensue at gates because of oversales - especially on any flight to Haiti! I've even seen agents get punched and knocked to the floor because of oversales and passengers being denied boarding. This fare structure WILL generate more ill will than good . . . for a while. Yes, the seats may be cheaper, or more reasonably priced but even though AA expects reservations to go up, they said nothing about increasing capacity to atone for it. This always equates to pissed of passengers, its just that now with this fare structure, there will be more of them.

^ for taking a shot at simplifying the fare structures.
for not taking into account the agent abuse that will result from it.

MIKESILV

An accurate summary of this post would be the single word "hogwash"
If you think the new fare structure out of MIA which in my opinion somewhat better than AA's say 14 day fares in many instance is going to generate
" riots" at the gate because of overbooking you are really going off the deep end.
Who are these new pax now flying to ORD and NYC? the rioting Haitians you referenced above. I bet the Cubans you despise are exstatic you gave them a pass, at least temporarily.

mike

venk

I assume your point is that AA would need to bump more passengers to accommodate walk-up fares who have higher margins and they need to overbook because they cannot guarantee walk-up fare customers until last minute.

Just adding more flights would not help because the same "problem" would happen in all unless they fly some of them empty just for the overflow. Adding capacity is not the solution but deciding when the plane is full is.

I don't see much of a change in their overbooking policy as they gather statistics for the walk-in customers. While each individual customer is unpredictable, the number of walk-ins will stabilize and become reasonably predictable. With at least some higher-margin customers, they can afford to over-estimate a bit. There is no reason why that should result in higher number of DBs, just higher number of people not being able to get a reservation at bargain prices.

So the only difference (at least in AA's mind) will be that they will trade-off some deep discount travelers with some higher-margin customers. They are not trying for increasing the number of passengers.

This is not to excuse the current conditions at MIA, the "armpit" of airports.

d00t

intersting..

MIKESILV

I wish I could say the same for your last 3 posts on this board I guess we should be thankful at least ONE of them was more than two words.

mike

WingNaPrayer

Good gawd who pissed in your cheerios? You need to get laid or something? With an attitude like that it wouldn't be any wonder!

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, let them have it and stay out of it. You post way too many smartassed responses just looking to provoke an argument.

You're now on my ignore list . . .but you're in good company!

askworldtraveler

How about it everyone.... and please let's not go personal. Thanks in advance!