CO.com Specials -- So Wrong
 

After publicizing the fact that they can't get aircraft in to CUN and CZM to evacuate the vacationers who decided to endure the hurricane, CO decided to list CUN as a special from EWR this weekend. $268 (338ish inc. taxes) gets you a R/T to CUN this weekend. Of course, the airport isn't open and no one knows when it will be.

Is this some computer algorithm gone awry or just CO Revenue Management displaying a sick sense of humor??

I saw that too. I suspect it is computer generated, without human imput.

I would assume that anyone who tries to take advantage of this fare already has accomodations secured ... or is a member of Red Cross!

The "Revenue Management" program saw the flights were empty, so posted it as a special? Oops.

A lot of times, the IT guys are just too lazy (or don't care) to change out or delete stuff. On labor day weekend, I flew through SLC on DL. The gate adjacent to mine was showing "New Orleans, DLxxxx, xx:xx On Time", all the way until the past that time, and then it changed to something else. No plane ever came to the gate during that time period for any flight.

Revenue management's algorithms seem to lead to a high probability of specials being offered to disaster areas. Suppose all that is taken into account are passenger loads, and the flight schedule is taken as operating for granted. If loads are unusually light (say, due to a hurricane leading to few people wanting to go there and those previously booked canceling or rescheduling), then it will look to the computers like this is a good weekend to post a special.

There is a pattern here - there were specials IAH-Gulfport over the weekend Katrina hit, and NYC-IAH when Rita was in town. Having EWR-CUN now seems right in line with that pattern.

I wonder if you'd be elligible for Denied Boarding compensation on these? :D