I've been seeing EXTREMELY high loads on CO lately in a few markets. For peak days on EWR-SFO, flights can even booked up over a week in advance.

For example:

On Sunday 10/24 (10 days from now), there are four (4) EWR-SFO flights on CO, and among those four there is a cumulative A1 and Y1 available for sale that entire day. That's a grand total of two (2) seats for sale that entire day on CO's non-stops EWR-SFO (both are on the morning flights -- 1 each). That includes coach and first class. Even the EWR-SJC is packed (A1 Y1) on that day.

The UA flights on the same day all have 9+ seats for sale in Y, and some open F.

I've seen this quite a bit with CO flights as of late, especially into SFO.

Question: What are business travellers doing who can't plan their trips that far out? I mean, we're 10 days out on this and you can't fly non-stop to SFO from CO's EWR hub on CO! If this were the day of or the day before, I'd understand, but this far out seems a bit much for a non-holiday.

Are CO flyers moving to UA or other carriers? Or connecting?

Is CO losing out on potential revenue (i.e., should they bring back the late 7:45 p.m. flight)? Or are they better off flying as is and turning away the pax who presumably have to book elsewhere?

The west coast-IAH-west coast flights seem to be fairly full most of the time. Just an observation of a few flights, not tracking all the flights everyday or anything like that

Most of the time, FC is full, and a few seats left in the back. A good number of the time, there were stand-bys waiting for seats.

Oh how I miss those widebody BF transcons - and how sad that the loss may very well be mutual!

I think most businesses and especially airlines would like to be in a position to turn people away. Its economics 101: once demand outstrips supply prices start to rise and we all know that's what airlines need/want. So if they can fully fill four flights and partially fill five flights to the same destination they will stick with four.

they're still around. you just gotta get lucky. i think they go mainly to LAX-EWR runs.

One other thing to remember is that CO just doesn't have that many wide-bodied aircraft to begin with, unlike UA or AA. CO would rather put their wide-bodies on more profitable/lucrative routes: international ones. Even so, CO still can't run a non-stop IAH-FRA, when LH has been making butt-loads of cash off that route, since no-one else competes with them. CO just has a "direct" flight, stopping in EWR, with a AC change! Only the flight number stays the same. I've flown CO 51, and the plane I was on was going to Spain or Portugal, NOT continuing onto FRA.

A related question: How are the loads on UA's widebody transcons?

Not only a change of plane but a change of equipment type. The 777 that flies IAH-EWR goes onto MAD, AMS or LGW or maybe even CDG.

CO has changed the LIS flight to a 752.

The EWR-FRA segment is on a 764.

-RM

As we have discussed, and witnessed, not only are there high loads, but CO load management is pretty darned good. They are very skilled at balancing oversolds against no shows, mis-connects etc. There have been multiple occassions upon which I have counted my VDB voucher chickens before hatching. Then, after watching the last stand by pax board the aircraft, being given a CO Curreny Coupon along with, "Thank you, but we will not be needing your seat tonight.".

It is somewhat interesting that the voucher amount [at least over past few day] has been $300.00. This is up from the $250.00 which we saw during spring and summer.

Isn't that a pretty good deal in the middle of a 10 segment $118 round trip?

Damn good. Nice to see you again, my friend. Please refer to PM for more details.

It's a good deal, but it still sucks when you don't get upgraded.

Right you are, vulcher. Welcome aboard to FT.

Welcome to FT Vulcher!

I was booked on EWR-OSL on Fri night and due to horrible traffic conditions from Manhattan to EWR I arrived THREE MINUTES late for check-in and was not allowed to check in. The lady at the check-in counter called the gate and asked: "I can't check in anybody else on the flight now, right?" I couldn't believe it. I asked a couple of the "red jackets' to help as well, but their responses were pretty much "I'm busy now.", "I'm about to get off so I can't help you.", "That's not anything I can help you with."

I was made to come back at 8 AM the next day to go standby on the same flight, which was oversold. I was lucky since the number of VDBs allowed me the last seat on the plane (in a middle seat next to an overweight guy with a kid on his lap!!!). Obviously this kind of thing happens often with CO as the staff all seemed to think it was normal and fine for me not to get on the original flight since I was late to check-in and told me that it was pretty much my problem, not theirs. I tried calling their 800-number a few times as well, but didn't receive any more assistance there. This whole situation caused me to miss out on my 25th high school reunion which was the purpose of the whole trip. Although I realize that the CO staff don't really care about that, in a situation like this it would have been nice to hear "I'm sorry" in a tone that could lead me to believe they cared at least 10%. Needless to say, I'm forever done with CO. I have never been this poorly treated on any other airline by so many different employees in a row.

I also have to say that UA and AA beat CO hands down in all aspects of the actual flying experience as well (food, servie, seat comfort, IFE, etc.). Now I'm sitting at SK lounge in OSL waiting for my connection, but in the meantime enjoying being treated as if my business is appreciated. Just a note to all you CO flyers: You don't have to put up with it. There are better airlines out there! OK, I'm off my soap box for now. I just hope someone from CO reads this and does something to correct the way their staff handles customer concerns.

When you say 3 mins late, what do you mean?