Price Difference: any recourse?
Mar 9, 2007 | 7:22 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Mar 9, 2007 | 7:26 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 1,052
In the old days (when Continental and others would reimburse the difference in fares with a voucher for a small or no fee) I would always purchase tickets way in advance - knowing that if the fare went down I'd be protected. I don't do this anymore. Now I wait and wait and when I find what I think is a low fare I jump on it - many times on a different airline. So Continental loses my business.
Mar 9, 2007 | 7:40 am
#18
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 1,955
How do you get "yes reward, you have given them cash to operate for a service that actually takes place in the future. How many businesses have that operating model". While I agree they have the cash in advance, they also have the commitment to provide the passenger with a seat at the price agreed upon, even if they end up oversold and must pay compensation for a volunteer that might exceed the price paid.
You seem to miss the concept - the airline pricing models evaluate load factors and determine how many seats to sell at what price and time. The consumer decides how much he is willing to pay, how important the timing is and decides to make a purchase at what THEY decide is the maximum benefit. BOTH parties make imperfect decisions - why should only the seller have to stick with the contract?
You seem to miss the concept - the airline pricing models evaluate load factors and determine how many seats to sell at what price and time. The consumer decides how much he is willing to pay, how important the timing is and decides to make a purchase at what THEY decide is the maximum benefit. BOTH parties make imperfect decisions - why should only the seller have to stick with the contract?
I totally get the ariline pricing model. I just don't agree that its logical and it is certainly far from consistent or transparent to consumers. Everyone knows that once a plane takes off with an empty seat no revenue from that seat can ever be realized for that flight. In maby businesses the closer it gets to that revenue producing item going unused the cheaper it gets, In airlines it gets more expensive. What makes a last minute fare really more expensive? In fact, if airlines were doing great job they would have no seats available on short notice. But they actually hold seats hoping someone will come along and pay more.
Mar 9, 2007 | 7:50 am
#19
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WN is a totally different can of worms. They also don't allow standby on discount tickets. A colleague of mine who kept touting WN's "no change fee" policy was recently burned by a $150 upfare to come home just a few hours early from a meeting. The same change would've cost $25 on any major carrier, or $0 if you play the standby game.
So the next trip, they pay WN extra to get a refundable/changeable ticket so as to avoid this issue again.
I'm thinking that when you combine the high fares that WN typically has (they're seldom the cheapest), the upfares for standby or going home early, and now people paying extra on the off chance they'll want to change and come home early, the occasional $100 change fee a traditional carrier hits you with balances out in the end.
So the next trip, they pay WN extra to get a refundable/changeable ticket so as to avoid this issue again.
I'm thinking that when you combine the high fares that WN typically has (they're seldom the cheapest), the upfares for standby or going home early, and now people paying extra on the off chance they'll want to change and come home early, the occasional $100 change fee a traditional carrier hits you with balances out in the end.
Mar 9, 2007 | 8:31 am
#20
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