High price, many seats
Mar 27, 2021, 6:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 2
High price, many seats
Looking to book ATL-ABQ Memorial Day weekend. There are two non stops per day. The morning flights has reasonable fare and award miles. The afternoon flight so almost all seats available, both fare and award miles are twice as much as morning flight both Thursday and Friday. Any ideas why this might be? Are they trying force folks to morning flight so they can drop evening flight?
Award at 97,000 miles and just about all main cabin seats available.
Award at 97,000 miles and just about all main cabin seats available.
Mar 27, 2021, 6:56 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: IAH / HOU
Programs: UA GS, DL-Plat, Hilton Gold, IHG Platinum, Hyatt Somethingist, Marriott Titanium Lifetime
Posts: 2,853
It is also possible they are considering dropping the flight OR have sold a bunch of tickets that don’t allow advance seat selection. But it’s probably just good revenue management as SFO 777 suggests.
Mar 27, 2021, 7:03 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
The seat map does not mean much about the actual passenger load.
If indeed those seats are not sold and DL cannot sell them closer in, it will open lower fare buckets. But, no reason to do that yet. People booking this far out are generally set on their dates and will thus pay the higher price.
If indeed those seats are not sold and DL cannot sell them closer in, it will open lower fare buckets. But, no reason to do that yet. People booking this far out are generally set on their dates and will thus pay the higher price.
Mar 27, 2021, 7:22 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
Adding to what everyone else has said, there's been an _immense_ amount of interest in new bookings over the last week or so as it becomes apparent ample vaccine supplies will be available for all. That's had a direct impact on airline pricing, as people are ready to spend their vouchers whatever-the-cost and airlines are reaping the revenue as a result.
I think this situation will probably be the 'new normal' through the summer... possibly through the rest of 2021. We'll see lots of last minute deals as airlines try to fill unsold seats and encourage business travelers back on the road, but not a lot of advance sales, especially to leisure destinations.
I think this situation will probably be the 'new normal' through the summer... possibly through the rest of 2021. We'll see lots of last minute deals as airlines try to fill unsold seats and encourage business travelers back on the road, but not a lot of advance sales, especially to leisure destinations.
Mar 27, 2021, 7:38 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Delta, Hyatt-Plat, Priority Club-Plat, Hilton-Gold
Posts: 1,271
I’m guessing the afternoon flight was just loaded today (schedules are updated on Saturdays). With new flights, they seem to initially load with only the top few inventory classes available, thereby making it very pricey.
Give it a few days and check back again.
Give it a few days and check back again.
Mar 27, 2021, 8:02 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,051
This. Looks to be an addition to the May schedule which starts May 5th. There's only Y bucket currently open for every single flight in May (it's not unique to Memorial Day weekend). Give it a few days for lower fare buckets to open up.
Mar 27, 2021, 8:34 pm
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Diamond 1.7MM, Starlux Insighter, Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Gold, Hertz PC
Posts: 3,947
Good call, I didn't even think about this possibility. Yes, if you see everything booking into Y, B or M class, this is likely the explanation. The new BGR flights they added a week ago took about a week to settle down before they were bookable at normal pricing.
Mar 28, 2021, 5:30 am
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,051
That won't help with ATL-ABQ as DL doesn't have any fares which allow connections through ABQ. At any rate, a quick google flights search shows that they have now opened inventory in the lower fare buckets on this flight as had been predicted in earlier posts. Problem solved.
Mar 29, 2021, 8:15 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 1,380
All carriers have been loading their full schedule with usual pricing when they initially post their schedules, then appear to be adjusting the actual schedules (and pricing) about 45 days out to match the actual conditions at the time. (Each carrier is handling this slightly differently, but that's the general trend.)
So, you're seeing a Memorial Day weekend load from way back that's yet to be "COVID-adjusted".
I wouldn't book anything for Memorial Day (unless you don't mind booking now and getting a credit if the fare drops) until about April 15.
So, you're seeing a Memorial Day weekend load from way back that's yet to be "COVID-adjusted".
I wouldn't book anything for Memorial Day (unless you don't mind booking now and getting a credit if the fare drops) until about April 15.