The checked baggage fees post needs to be updated

Dynamic Pricing
 

Please say something about Dynamic Pricing. I can't find anything using search.

Specific question is, does CO.com make all available seats visible when searching flights?

I just noticed that when you click Fare code, you get essentially a fare bucket listing inventory. Often (at least for me), there is availability in lower fare buckets than is being offerred to me for purchase. Are they trying to sell the higher priced fares (e.g. First, Intnl. Bus.) before admitting that there are in fact lower classes available? As a Gold Elite, chances are I would be upgraded anyway. So are we singled out for higher priced seats because of status?

You are likely seeing an issue where the dates or other limitations of the itinerary you are searching for preclude the lower fares from being offered, not the company penalizing you for status or anything else. Just because there is T or S inventory available doesn't mean there is a fare published that meets your travel cities or dates.

If there are T or S fares available, what would preclude OP from choosing those seats? Isn't that the point of available inventory?

As sbm12 pointed out, not all inventory is available. Depends on the number of days out, city pairs, connecting flights, etc. For example, "X" might not be available EWR-SFO, but is available EWR-SFO-SMF.

As a frequent user of ZFV (based on your posts), you should be able to see that on those flights.

I'm flying ZFV-EWR-SFO-EUG (stuck in the PC as we speak due to ATC). All of my tickets were the same class...

I did not realize that was why the ZFV flights were cheaper. I didn't realize they were different fare classes entirely. I never checked. I just assumed it's cheaper. So for my upcoming TLV-EWR flight, there's no S inventory, but if I do TLV-EWR-ZFV, there IS S inventory (in theory)? (Obviously, there may not be, but I'm asking if that's a possibility)

Good luck with the flight! Where you stuck in the UC (there is no PC anymore ;))? EWR?

You've not been to the big PC near exit 74. It's a ho-hum effort at rebranding.

I'm not entirely sure that is why ZFV is cheaper, but just an example of where you can pick up a fare class that is otherwise not available, like your TLV one.

If there is a published fare in that fare class AND the travel dates meet the fare rules AND the inventory is available then you can buy seats in that class.

If any of those three conditions are not met then you cannot buy that fare.

When buying a ticket it isn't generally common that you'll find the different segments in different buckets. If you need to fly 4 segments to get where you're going and one doesn't have the lower fare then all of them price at the higher fare. The main exception to this is if there is a fare break along the way (i.e. buying FLL-FRA can price either as FLL-EWR + EWR-FRA or as FLL-FRA) but that is much less common an experience.


A somewhat different situation. More common is that TLV-EWR has a higher minimum fare requirement than TLV-PHL/ZFV (though that isn't actually the case right now) so even with the lower inventory available that inventory cannot be used because there is no fare at that basis.

There is also the phenomenon known as married segments where inventory is only available with a connection but not a non-stop but that's a whole different beast.

Does the "Continental's Fare Buckets (B.5)" post need to be updated to reflect what I understand were some recent changes to CO's structure of buckets for upgrades, etc. For example, A class is now back?

Express flights using EWR Terminal C?
 

In FAQ post #37, "Continental Express all operate out of Terminal A." It appears that some use Terminal C, for example CO 4411 on 10/21/11 from MCI "Operated by ExpressJet Airlines Inc."; isn't that an Express flight?

I'm researching this for a trip a month away, and will check more dates before I ask about my tight connection. Before I'm chided for starting a new topic, is there a collective thread on EWR connections?

"All" is probably a misnomer there but the VAST majority operate out of A.

checked bag fee waived with reward ticket?
 

I have a continental one pass credit card. I booked a reward flight, so technically I didn't "purchase" the ticket with my card. The reward was booked on continental.com but the flight was United. When I went to the UA counter to check in, they wouldn't waive the baggage fee, even after showing them my credit card. I think they didn't abide by their own rules, and I should not have paid the baggage fee.

First of all, welcome to FT!

Second, this specific thread is not the best place to post, as you won't get too many responses.

Third, the issue of waiving the bag fee for OnePass Plus/Explorer and Presidential Plus card-holders on reward tickets is discussed in numerous places here. Some have had success when paying the taxes/fees with the card; others by swiping the card to pull up the reservation; others by simply showing the card; and still yet others have had the fee automatically waived. All that has been with CO-operated flights. It's harder with UA-operated flights as it's a different system, and therefore possible it simply didn't show up.
Try speaking to UA now, post-flight, and request a refund.

FAQ Thread Post #24
 

Add to the list:

CLT Yes
GEG No
JFK Yes
SMF No