Massive spreads between Basic Economy and Main Cabin
Mar 2, 20, 12:58 pm
#1
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Massive spreads between Basic Economy and Main Cabin
Starting to see some massive spreads between BE and Main cabin....
Example: One-way ATL-SJC 7/3: BE: $232, Main: $358. ($126 surcharge for main cabin!)
Interesting revenue management in play here.
Example: One-way ATL-SJC 7/3: BE: $232, Main: $358. ($126 surcharge for main cabin!)
Interesting revenue management in play here.
Mar 2, 20, 1:49 pm
#4
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The gap is only there with one-way fares. For roundtrip fares (yes, DL has numerous roundtrip fare filings on this route), the fare gap is the regular $35/each way. There's a one-way XAVKA0BQ fare, but no corresponding one-way XAVKA0ML main cabin fare to go with it. The cheapest one-way main cabin is a UAVNA0ML fare. You see this frequently with AA/UA as they will often have heavily discounted BE fares to compete with ULCC's. It's less common to see these gaps in fare filings with DL.
Mar 2, 20, 2:00 pm
#6
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Originally Posted by ajggiant
I hope this isn't a new trend. Something looks a bit fishy with the fare rules here. EF is showing XAVKA0BQ, which is a basic economy fare, but there's no corresponding X main cabin fare. Cheapest main cabin on 7/3 is UAVNA0ML. There's a corresponding basic economy fare that's the standard $35 less. I wonder if the basic economy XAVKA0BQ fare is a mistake and the rules are missing the seasonal/holiday blackouts that the main cabin X fare has.
Mar 2, 20, 2:07 pm
#7
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I've noticed on EF that DL tends to keep basic economy inventory open even when only high main cabin fare classes are available. Given that BE fares tend to have advanced purchase requirements, this doesn't seem to make much sense in the examples I've noticed unless it's to enable agents to do IROPs bookings of BE passengers into BE so that they can't pick seats etc. by accident. Given other DL trends, I'm surprised that BE fares aren't dual inventory.
Mar 2, 20, 2:26 pm
#8
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
I've noticed on EF that DL tends to keep basic economy inventory open even when only high main cabin fare classes are available. Given that BE fares tend to have advanced purchase requirements, this doesn't seem to make much sense in the examples I've noticed unless it's to enable agents to do IROPs bookings of BE passengers into BE so that they can't pick seats etc. by accident. Given other DL trends, I'm surprised that BE fares aren't dual inventory.
Last edited by xliioper; Mar 2, 20 at 2:40 pm
Mar 2, 20, 3:40 pm
#10
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Originally Posted by spongenotbob
Seeing extremely similar pricing on ATL-SFO for 7/3 as well. But not any other markets. Wonder if this is an experiment of a new pricing model....
ATL-SFO one-way fares
ATL-SFO roundtrip fare filings with $35 each way difference between fares -- VFUNA5BG/VFUNA5MF == $196/$266.
Last edited by xliioper; Mar 2, 20 at 3:50 pm
Mar 2, 20, 10:15 pm
#11
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Originally Posted by xliioper
All DL BE fares have a coach class fare basis and employ dual-inventory checks. The various restrictions (advance purchase, minimum stay for roundtrip fares, etc.) are generally always mirrored between the BE, main cabin, C+ fare filings for corresponding fares. The lowest one-way BE fare in this instance is unusual in that it doesn't have corresponding one-way main cabin and C+ fares to go with it. This is why there is the big step-up to the lowest cost one-way main cabin fare. The XAVKA0BQ fare basis means there must be both X bucket and E bucket open to purchase it. Simply having E inventory open is not sufficient. So having E inventory open all the time really doesn't mean much as the availability of particular BE fares is going to be controlled by the coach fare bucket availability with the dual inventory checking. The BE fare filings only go as high as L class on this route. So if there is no bucket inventory availability in L or lower, there will be no BE fares available for purchase even if there is E bucket still open.
Mar 3, 20, 3:56 am
#13
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Originally Posted by ajggiant
So in the example OP is seeing, there’s no corresponding X fare basis, but there is X inventory and the dual inventory check is satisfied?
Mar 3, 20, 10:49 am
#14
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This has been a really informative thread - thank you all for this. At the end of the day, OAK is really inconvenient for this trip, I won't book BE, and the price premium over WN to SJC just didn't make sense, so WN it is. ($187 WN vs $358 DL Main). No change fees / no cancel fees on WN just sweetens the pot.
Mar 3, 20, 11:13 am
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Originally Posted by spongenotbob
This has been a really informative thread - thank you all for this. At the end of the day, OAK is really inconvenient for this trip, I won't book BE, and the price premium over WN to SJC just didn't make sense, so WN it is. ($187 WN vs $358 DL Main). No change fees / no cancel fees on WN just sweetens the pot.
