dzflyer

Is it just me or are ticket prices in general very expensive this fall. Even short hop midcons for a ticket in Y are pricing out anywhere from 500 to 700 dollars when just this spring the prices were half of that on the same routes. I do not live in a hub. Anybody experiencing these same data points on routes you normally take that are now ridiculously expensive?

publicmsu

Yup, same experience. Flights are 2-4x what they were running last year this time.

KDCAflyer

How long have you been looking? I've seen temporary pricing anomalies like this before. Prices suddenly jump up for a few days, then fall back down.

dzflyer

Ive been looking the past few weeks trying to alter months days etc.Im also looking from Sept to Nov time period. Prices are double and its just shocking.

KDCAflyer

I guess that's what Ed meant when he said that DL would provide a premium product that people would PAY for.

Are you looking at routes that only DL flies, or ones with some competition?

jrl767

ime weekend searches tend to generate higher-priced results than midweek searches, but that could be related to the routes (mainly WAS<-->LAX/SEA) and travel days that I'm searching; as far as year-to-year and/or month-to-month price comparisons, I've seen some fluctuations

one example that comes immediately to mind is an FCM fare, BWI-SEA on a Thurs morning: Oct 2014 $601 (booked ~T-72, lowest available all day), Oct 2015 $492 (booked over MSP at T-24, immediately SDCd to the 36J 763 over ATL; T-12 for that flight, which was selling at $1400+), Sep 2016 $624 (booked a couple days ago; various sub-$500 options were available, but I'm not going to mess around with SDC for the 744)

dzflyer

Routes with competition. Most of the routes im looking at are 500 to 1000 mile midwestern routes with a hub connection in msp dtw or atl. I can almost fly to Europe for the cost of some of these domestic flights. Maybe they are willing to not have full loads if the price is in delta's favor.

dzflyer

That is kind if what i was thinking. Delta keeps it expensive, hits their number and then everything else is gravy when they lower their price closer in. But that kind of strategy can be a gamble for the customer because we dont know when or if they will drop price.

KDCAflyer

I can't imagine that would be the case. If such a pattern developed, DL would have the DOT and some senators asking questions.

I would give it a few weeks and see if prices drop. What the fare classes you're seeing? If they're expensive V/X fares, then I'd probably we worried.

jrl767

again based on my limited travel pattern over the past 4-5 years, I think there's a substantial element of truth to this ... I have scored the Sun night (Mon morning) SEA-MSP-WAS a few times for ~$350 at T-72, and SDCd to a noon flight (or the more desirable JFK/ATL redeye)

KDCAflyer

I got BWI-DTW-LAX RT in FC for $400 last December (took it to qualify for PM). Of course, I did a SDC to BWI-JFK-LAX.

flyerCO

Why would DOT or senators care? Airfare hasn't been regulated for many decades. If DL decides it's better to not drop below a certain price even if it means an empty plane they can do so. I also think most passenger would prefer a partially empty plane to a full one. However, I highly doubt DL is going to fly a plane empty, instead they'll downsize and/or reduce/eliminate service.

KDCAflyer

It's the optics of doing such a thing. Someone notices a pattern, then some news outlet picks it up, then some senator or congressman from an affected state takes notice, then it's a very public story that makes DL look bad. The federal government may not regulate airfare anymore, but the sort of thing that I've just described has happened before in situations like this.

Again, that's why I highly doubt that DL is doing what OP suggested.

flyerCO

I guess I just don't see how it would be viewed as a bad thing. Most people would prefer flying a plane that's not as full. I also highly doubt there would be any hearings. Unless they're willing to re-institute the CAB and regulate airfare again (which would also bring issues with Open Skies Treaties) there's nothing that Congress/DOT can do. Not saying Congress doesn't waste a lot of time on pointless subjects. However in this case I don't see either party willing to go back to regulated airfare pricing/routes. Normally there's at least the risk of Congress doing something when they hold a hearing, even if they don't do anything most times.

KDCAflyer

It doesn't even take a hearing, just a few members standing in front of a camera and talking about the subject. The airlines are an easy target, since they aren't popular with much of the American public, and going after them is an easy way for members (particularly those in the minority) to score political points. If I was currently employed on the Hill, that's what I would advise my member to do (assuming they weren't receiving donations from the passenger aviation industry).

I think most people would be outraged to hear that one of the main airlines in the US was intentionally letting flights go empty by choosing to charge excessive fares. It doesn't matter whether it's legitimate anger or not.