BE Fares Not in Every Market?
May 24, 2018, 1:07 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: Delta SkyMiles Silver Medallion
Posts: 38
BE Fares Not in Every Market?
Seems like Delta had been placing BE fares on pretty much every route. However, I recently noticed (thanks to a Google Flights alert on a price change) that MSP-OMA no longer has any BE fares filed between now and September, and probably beyond then. I haven't been able to find any other markets out of MSP that lack BE fares after I played around in Google Flights for a little while. For the quick hop between MSP and OMA on a 2x2 RJ, I would be more than willing to deal with a BE fare if available. Through-fares, like LAX-MSP-OMA still offer BE.
DL simultaneously hiked the fare on this no-competition route and took out BE availability. Other upper-Midwest routes lacking competition (e.g. INL, CID, DSM, BIS) still have BE fares available. Any idea what's up or if they might return?
DL simultaneously hiked the fare on this no-competition route and took out BE availability. Other upper-Midwest routes lacking competition (e.g. INL, CID, DSM, BIS) still have BE fares available. Any idea what's up or if they might return?
May 24, 2018, 2:18 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,227
They seemed to have dialed them back a bit. I had been seeing them for Q and K fares in most domestic markets, but now most markets only seem to have them for L or lower fares. This was based on ExpertFlyer search of fare filings (not a simple booking search where there may or may not be bucket availability). I've searched the fare filings in about a dozen different markets out of DTW and have only found E fares with a Q and K fare basis on DTW-MCO/TPA so far.
Last edited by xliioper; May 24, 2018 at 2:51 pm
May 24, 2018, 2:33 pm
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
BE fares are simply one of many fare buckets. There may or may not be availability on any given flight on any given day. When you look, it may also be that the available BE seats have been sold and there may or may not be additional BE inventory downstream. That is what RM/IM do for a living (or more particularly, the software).
If DL can sell every seat on an aircraft for full Y / F, it would do that. Those are the only two buckets which would be available. But, most won't pay that, so it doesn't.
With the economy on screech, the lower-end fare buckets may go faster because there are fewer seats allocated.
If DL can sell every seat on an aircraft for full Y / F, it would do that. Those are the only two buckets which would be available. But, most won't pay that, so it doesn't.
With the economy on screech, the lower-end fare buckets may go faster because there are fewer seats allocated.