SCEflyer

You are absolutely right, after all it is what the free enterprise system is all about. If we don't like it we are all free to take our business elsewhere.

There are also two sides to this coin. In my case I traveled on a R/T transcontinental routing from GSP during 3Q '12 for a total of $198.00. This had to be close to a losing proposition for DL, because after all taxes and fees were deducted, along with the fuel surcharge, there couldn't have been much left over to cover any other costs.

In short sometimes we win, as in the instance that I cited, and other times we may wind feeling that we got gouged. I personally believe that it comes out even in the end.

AA_EXP09

Changeable fares are too expensive.
Anything higher than L is usually expensive.

StayingHomeIsBetter

It is fun to pontificate and be supercilious.

javabytes

You're right Bubba. You know those oxygen masks for emergency use? As a stockholder, I'd like to see them cut off all oxygen to the cabin, and just have passengers use those masks... with one small modification. Put a credit card reader in the overhead panel that is required for you to get your mask out. Then your mask is metered and you are billed based on how much air you desire. That'll stop those gamers. You can also pay extra for ham sandwich scent if you want.

yohanson

My company's policy is to buy tickets at least 2 weeks out. I can't remember the last time I did that. It's also company policy to buy the lowest logical fare. I usually fly in "emergency situations" and can never tell ahead of time exactly how long I need to be somewhere. So, when I SDC, it's because I need more time or because I want to leave earlier. I also normally give up my upgrade when I do this. Call me a gamer if you want but if I didn't "game" the system a bit, Delta would be out many thousands of dollars to other airlines from me alone.

yohanson

I don't think it comes out in the end. I pay very high fares most of the time including a $950 fare last year MSP-OMA-MSP. I've purchased $600+ fares MSP-RAP-MSP this year. I rarely spend less that $500 on a flight (domestic).

mapsgl

I'm sure whomever he reports to has instructed him to not communicate while they think of more slogans.

Loyalty is a two way street (with DL driving a bulldozer in the wrong lane)
We have your back (with a knife inserted)

Can't wait to see how this enhancement is wrapped up in mutual respect and integrity.

I do have some news for DLCorpGuy. I announced our new travel policy. Two of my employees just status are enjoying a big global airline... They status matched to AA and on there way to Asia later this month. Not a SDC issue just a data point....

StayingHomeIsBetter

Yes. WOBO. ^^^

But only those PAX with a K fare or higher get the option for the oxygen mask. Those sLUT flyers are all just gamers that don't deserve oxygen. They are just a drain on the airline.

Why, I heard a group of them one time in the Sky Club. There were making a MR to IST and they were talking about how they were going to buddy breathe off of one oxygen mask and cheat the airline out of the revenue that it deserved.

We'll show them. Yesiree...

WestSideBilly

This change has zero effect on me since I have never had a real reason to SDC, but it seems like a change that is going to impact the highest value customers. I get cheapening the Y cabin experience, the lowest-fare shoppers did that; I get the MQD, it ultimately makes more sense than MQM anyway (though they should just get rid of MQS and MQM altogether, having all 3 is dumb). But why go after your GM+ customers who are spending $5k+ and are inherently loyal?

This seems like using a baseball bat to kill an ant, then.

How often is this really happening? Doesn't alienating a few dozen high rev customers outweigh the miniscule cost difference to Delta (this might be $500 in "lost" revenue). Of course, it also means there was an empty seat on the direct flight, which is also lost revenue, so the cost ends up minimal.

This seems like a solution to the gaming "problem" without resorting to the baseball bat, although it wouldn't necessarily "fix" the above "problem".

This has been tried... SkyBus comes to mind. Delta's strength (and now UA/CO and AA/US) is that you can basically get to anywhere from anywhere, at least domestically, on one airline. It would be hard to replicate that to sufficient extent that it would capture the high revenue passengers (e.g. the people that DL seem intent on screwing over).

Fighting over the Kayak whatever's cheapest crowd does not seem to be a winning proposition.

jamesteroh

You beat me to it

jamesteroh

Your company's travel policy must be a lot more generous than most of the posters on here and your clients must be very generous as well.

Our firms travel policy would never allow someone to spend that much money on a fully changable fare in most cases seeing the price difference and none of my clients would reimburse me for a fully refundable fare.

davetravels

Ya, I guess, since DL is cashless, they couldn't do what RyanAir did (joking), and install coin slots on the oxygen masks!

Sez_Who

Thanks SHIB, you just gave bubba an idea to present at the DL stockholders meeting.

WOBO. Love it.

TheMadBrewer

My clients would probably pay for refundable/BE/etc if I asked them nicely. But they all are small businesses with limited budgets so there would be no money left to pay me I travel cheaply so there is money in my pocket rather than it all going to airlines and hotels.

bubbashow

Ft is full of stories of sdc for better upgrade chances.

It isnt dls job to supplement your company's bad travel policies. Be angry at them, not dl