DL Pricing
#16
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: LAX/BUR, RDU
Programs: DL SM, AAdvantage, SPG
Posts: 1,360
I'd venture a guess that very, very few of us have the high-performance computing power necessary to aggregate and analyze fare data for hundreds of thousands of origin/destination pairs on hundreds of days.
And back to OP's original statement, yes, I do find it annoying when my "preferred" carrier is so much more expensive on a non-stop route shared by a competitor. But I either wait for the price to fall (which it sometimes does), or I just book the other airline. Loyalty isn't worth it for 50-80% cost savings.
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
Programs: DL PM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond
Posts: 20,889
#20
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,620
IME, I often see on most routes out of MCO DL match UA and AA regular MC fares as BE fares and charge $30-$45 more OW for MC on DL (These are on routes where none of the big 3 fly non-stop typically). I often even see this on higher fares like L and K fares, not just cheap U/T/X/V fares.
#21
Suspended
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
Posts: 2,341
I want to thank roughly 80% of the responses here, they are quite helpful, and give me a different perspective to look at.
If anyone has the proprietary info of multi billion dollar airlines about how they price their flights please forward it to me and I am happy to process the numbers.
I am pretty smart though so if I had all the info I wouldnt be asking here and would be figuring it out for myself, contrary to some peoples belief I am not.... :P
If anyone has the proprietary info of multi billion dollar airlines about how they price their flights please forward it to me and I am happy to process the numbers.
I am pretty smart though so if I had all the info I wouldnt be asking here and would be figuring it out for myself, contrary to some peoples belief I am not.... :P
#22
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Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Platinum, etc etc etc
Posts: 2,341
FlyerTalk is so predictable sometimes. Instead of offering the OP some helpful thoughts, way too many people are quick to criticize how he hasn't processed prices for thousands of routes yet, so he needs to just shut up and leave.
Where's the humanity y'all? Not everyone here is an expert flyer and it doesn't help to just criticize what you might consider a dumb question.
#HelpNotHate
Where's the humanity y'all? Not everyone here is an expert flyer and it doesn't help to just criticize what you might consider a dumb question.
#HelpNotHate
#23
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
I want to thank roughly 80% of the responses here, they are quite helpful, and give me a different perspective to look at.
If anyone has the proprietary info of multi billion dollar airlines about how they price their flights please forward it to me and I am happy to process the numbers.
I am pretty smart though so if I had all the info I wouldnt be asking here and would be figuring it out for myself, contrary to some peoples belief I am not.... :P
If anyone has the proprietary info of multi billion dollar airlines about how they price their flights please forward it to me and I am happy to process the numbers.
I am pretty smart though so if I had all the info I wouldnt be asking here and would be figuring it out for myself, contrary to some peoples belief I am not.... :P
Finally, there's more to revenue pricing than scheduled travel time. On time flights, corporate conteacts, IRROP recovery, etc all play into what Delta prices.
#24
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
FlyerTalk is so predictable sometimes. Instead of offering the OP some helpful thoughts, way too many people are quick to criticize how he hasn't processed prices for thousands of routes yet, so he needs to just shut up and leave.
Where's the humanity y'all? Not everyone here is an expert flyer and it doesn't help to just criticize what you might consider a dumb question.
#HelpNotHate
Where's the humanity y'all? Not everyone here is an expert flyer and it doesn't help to just criticize what you might consider a dumb question.
#HelpNotHate
I'm showing up a day late and a dollar short, but have to say I found most of the posts between OP and yours pretty informative. RM sounds like a very complicated system but I got some good insights here. I never thought about wanting to keep traffic into a hub available for international connections, for example.
#25
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: DL DM, UA Gold, Alaska MVP, Bonvoy (lol) Ambassador
Posts: 2,994
The better operating statistics probably don't hurt though.
#26
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL PM, Hilton Gold
Posts: 122
Most analysts believe that Delta's revenue premium is primarily a consequence of the structure of Delta's route network and less with their better operating statistics. On average, Delta faces less competition in their routes leading to more pricing power.
The better operating statistics probably don't hurt though.
The better operating statistics probably don't hurt though.
#27
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
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#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,057
OP specifically said markets where DL competes with other legacies on. The reality is that ATL is unique in DL's structure and the other hubs don't have near the level of dominance in markets where it competes with other legacies. Out of DTW, I find DL fares to be generally in-line with AA/UA fares on non-stop routes where they compete. ATL is certainly DL's largest hub, but it's not DL's only hub. So let's not overgeneralize to DL's other hubs.
#29
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 863
Most analysts believe that Delta's revenue premium is primarily a consequence of the structure of Delta's route network and less with their better operating statistics. On average, Delta faces less competition in their routes leading to more pricing power.
The better operating statistics probably don't hurt though.
The better operating statistics probably don't hurt though.
#30
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: RDU
Programs: DL DM+(segs)/MM, UA Ag, Hilton DM, Marriott Ti (life Pt), TSA Opt-out Platinum
Posts: 3,227
It's still a ton of data and would would require significant work to determine one-off anecdotes vs. normal pricing.
https://www.bts.gov/