Delta Pricing Lost Its Mind
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: Delta Sky Miles DM
Posts: 89
Delta Pricing Lost Its Mind
Just looking at last minute pricing for DTW-PVG and RT business is pricing out at $17,833. How can they with a straight face have a price like this. This is over $500 an hour of flight time.....how can they do this??
#2
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Planet Earth(most days)
Programs: Hilton Honors, SPG, Marriott
Posts: 1,544
I believe you answered your own question by stating its last minute pricing.
If it makes you feel any better, I priced out a few days from DTW-PVG starting today and UA is $20k-$28k on avg with only 1 segment in F (everything else in J or domestic F).
Any airline can mark up the price. If someone needs to get there, it will happen, regardless of airline.
If it makes you feel any better, I priced out a few days from DTW-PVG starting today and UA is $20k-$28k on avg with only 1 segment in F (everything else in J or domestic F).
Any airline can mark up the price. If someone needs to get there, it will happen, regardless of airline.
#3
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,559
Last minute pricing for intl business class is often crazy, and this is hardly limited to DL. Last minute US-China/or HKG in F is often over $20,000 USD on UA or CX.
The airlines know that someone booking a US-PVG flight in biz for tomorrow pretty much has to be there and can either expense it or bill it out (ie not price sensitive).
Seems insane to pay $17k for a plane ticket, but can be a small cost relative to a multi-million dollar deal or the cost of not bringing an idled facility back on line etc etc.
The airlines know that someone booking a US-PVG flight in biz for tomorrow pretty much has to be there and can either expense it or bill it out (ie not price sensitive).
Seems insane to pay $17k for a plane ticket, but can be a small cost relative to a multi-million dollar deal or the cost of not bringing an idled facility back on line etc etc.
#4
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: ATL
Programs: 4MM/DM, Marriott Lifetime PM, Hilton Diamond, SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,370
Pricing has been weird. Bought a ticket on Friday $600+. Canceled Saturday. Repurchased Sunday (exact same itinary) for $450+. Even booked the exact same seats.
#5
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: BDU
Programs: DL:MM, Marriott:LTT
Posts: 8,779
If you think $500/hour of flight time is obscene, then you haven't priced an LUT ATL-DFW since FL/WN pulled the route!
#6
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
Also, worth noting that a LOT of last-minute J/F travel is corporate, on corporate discounts. Took a quick look, and my company's price for a departure on that route tomorrow is ~25% off what Kayak's showing me.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: BA/AA/AS/B6/WN/ UA/HH/MR and more like 'em but most felicitously & importantly MUCCI
Posts: 19,714
#9
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: BER, SAT, AUS
Programs: Feels like FO (AA EXP)
Posts: 1,611
Second that. Booked and travelled on a last minute TATL last week. BE over the pond was wide open but they wanted $8k+ for a crappy recliner between DTW and AMS (763). Y was $780 a/i r/t from TX to Germany. In flight, only around 10 BE seats were occupied. But with that difference in price, unfortunately there is no reasonable way how I can justify buying BE.
#10
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Rocky MOuntain High
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion, Marriott Gold, Hilton, Hertz
Posts: 461
Current pricing is absolutely crazy! As I mentioned last week I'm being forced to use other options that are on the same routes but that are 30-40% less expensive.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Dallas TX (DFW/DAL)
Programs: American Gold, Hyatt Diamond, Starwood Gold
Posts: 312
Last minute pricing for intl business class is often crazy, and this is hardly limited to DL. Last minute US-China/or HKG in F is often over $20,000 USD on UA or CX.
The airlines know that someone booking a US-PVG flight in biz for tomorrow pretty much has to be there and can either expense it or bill it out (ie not price sensitive).
Seems insane to pay $17k for a plane ticket, but can be a small cost relative to a multi-million dollar deal or the cost of not bringing an idled facility back on line etc etc.
The airlines know that someone booking a US-PVG flight in biz for tomorrow pretty much has to be there and can either expense it or bill it out (ie not price sensitive).
Seems insane to pay $17k for a plane ticket, but can be a small cost relative to a multi-million dollar deal or the cost of not bringing an idled facility back on line etc etc.
It's an understanding of typically who's buying what at the last minute.
#13
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: Hilton, United, Gold DL
Posts: 993
#14
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL PM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,337
IMHO - The airlines are shooting themselves in the foot with this kind of pricing. First it just pisses people off to be treated like suckers and idiots. Second, you get enough of this kind of idiocy, and it changes your travel philosophy. You get people resigned to flying in Y, or not traveling, or traveling somewhere else, or traveling on another carrier with more transparent pricing.
And BTW - corporate travel policies that allow this kind of irresponsible pricing are mostly to blame. If I were a shareholder and found out someone was buying a $17k air ticket on a commercial carrier, I'd have them fired.... regardless of the circumstances.
And BTW - corporate travel policies that allow this kind of irresponsible pricing are mostly to blame. If I were a shareholder and found out someone was buying a $17k air ticket on a commercial carrier, I'd have them fired.... regardless of the circumstances.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Rocky MOuntain High
Programs: Delta Gold Medallion, Marriott Gold, Hilton, Hertz
Posts: 461