babsjvd

I know there are no hard rules when delta determines fares, when to drop them etc. heading to Tucson in feb. So far good airfares flying from Green Bay thru Atlanta . Hubby really would rather fly thru msp. But that route has consistently been a couple of hundred higher. My thought process is when this Atalanta route begins to fill up , we will see the msp route drop. Last year I was able to get a fare thru msp, reasonably but not without having to be patient. Any opinions?

I know hard to tell...

Thanks babs

javabytes

Maybe. Or you might just see the Atlanta routing increase in price to match the MSP price. Based on what you're seeing, DL is intentionally holding back seats on the MSP routing to try to incentivize people to go through ATL. The only way you'll see the MSP routing drop in price is if Delta decides its planes on those routes are emptier than it would like at the time.

babsjvd

Thanks, I was afraid of that. I booked my trip thru Atlanta for a Sunday, with return thru msp on Saturday. The fare was $400 , a decent price. The delima is wait for hubby's flight purchase for msp, and possibly not get the same return flight home together. Or route thru Atlanta. Gosh it should really be easier ! I need a crystal ball!

javabytes

Well you're doing better than I'm seeing. Cheapest I see for a GRB-TUS, Sunday to Saturday, via any airport, is $613.

babsjvd

Route out of Appleton return Green Bay .multi city is always cheaper from here. The fares for this had been all lover the place. And husband wants to fly out on a Wednesday ...

Profchemnerd

I'm becoming more and more convinced that the delta website is a random number generator :P

kop84

Snowbirds and Spring Breakers would be the most likely reason for the price difference. Lots of origination demand for Tucson from MSP or from airports only serviced by MSP (INL/GFK) So for cities that have both MSP/ATL Service it makes some sense for DL to try an route you through ATL.

xliioper

Maybe they are flying out of ATW? I see ATW-TUS for $484.20 for last week in February.

Nevermind, I see they are flying out of ATW from response above.

babsjvd

We did purchase our tickets routing from appleton thru Atlanta to Tucson. I have been watching for a routing thru MSP, to track info for next year. Wanted to see when to buy. What I have found is that there seems to be no flight into Tucson from MSP, now routes thru Salt lake. Not cool.. I noticed an advertisement on TV the other day, Delta promoting their nonstop from ATW to Atlanta . The airfare thru msp, Salt lake, Tucson is still very high. Very surprised. Glad I purchased thru Atlanta when I did. Just stinks to fly east to go west. hope delta brings it back...I like flying thru Msp , but not for two stops.

Thanks
Babs

javabytes

Especially when you're not getting the extra miles for doing so.

xliioper

MSP-TUS non-stop is loaded through June 10th with a break in early Dec and a few off days in Jan/Feb (mostly Wed and Sat). It's really way too early to tell if they will bring it back or not in Feb 2016. I wouldn't make too much out of the current schedule.

hazelrah

It's been this way for years, ever since the Delta merger. They've been trying to stuff a lot of traffic from MSP to TUS thru SLC. Of course for those of us that connect through Minnie this means a double-connect (which I ,like you, loathe). Last time I had business in AZ in 2009 i connected thru DTW to PHX and drove to TUS.

Part of the issue too is also on the far side. Airports like TUS and Colorado Springs (COS) have been devastated by traffic bleed to their larger cousins, DEN for COS, and PHX for TUS. It's a vicious cycle, higher fares and less convenience means people hop in their cars and drive to the larger airport, which leads to less demand, and fewer flights locally and higher prices and the cycle starts again.