Delta's Sky High Fares
Feb 17, 06, 7:00 am
#16
Used to be "PortalGuy"
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: BTV, RUT,YUL, DAY
Programs: BEA, Piedmont, ValuJet, Braniff, People Express, JetsGo, Capitol, TWA, Eastern, Allegheny, Ozark
Posts: 238
A lot of companies are cracking down on their employees flying habits, by paying a pencil-pusher to examine each flight and see if there is something a bit cheaper... then forcing one to fly the cheapest available. They call this 'Having a Process'.
Even if the process sticks you with an unnecessary three-hour layover on the way home and don't see your family. They don't care if you burn out --- you can be replaced with someone more tractible.
I can get an 'executive override' which involves bothering some manager over the weekend. But only if it's to get a fare that gets me into a client site early Monday morning instead of Monday late morning.
The Process: micromanage at the level at which people are productive, and avert eyes at the level at which the top folks are manipulating stock prices by massaging earnings, delaying expense reimbursements and outright lying.
Since the new crackdown, my colleagues and I are actually flying more expensive flights
This has involved some fancy footwork to figure out their system, using ITA, and stumping the chumps.
Even if the process sticks you with an unnecessary three-hour layover on the way home and don't see your family. They don't care if you burn out --- you can be replaced with someone more tractible.
I can get an 'executive override' which involves bothering some manager over the weekend. But only if it's to get a fare that gets me into a client site early Monday morning instead of Monday late morning.
The Process: micromanage at the level at which people are productive, and avert eyes at the level at which the top folks are manipulating stock prices by massaging earnings, delaying expense reimbursements and outright lying.
Since the new crackdown, my colleagues and I are actually flying more expensive flights
This has involved some fancy footwork to figure out their system, using ITA, and stumping the chumps.
Feb 17, 06, 8:40 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: SEA
Posts: 12,485
Originally Posted by TTT
Delta fares don't require a Saturday night stay. The T fares only require 3 night stay.
Feb 17, 06, 10:46 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
Programs: DL DM & 2MM™, Lifetime HHonors Diamond, Cholula General Member
Posts: 20,279
Originally Posted by PortalGuy
Even if the process sticks you with an unnecessary three-hour layover on the way home and don't see your family. They don't care if you burn out --- you can be replaced with someone more tractible.
Originally Posted by Recreation
So why did I book Delta? Two reasons. The main one is because they offered direct flights at convenient times whereas the others had layovers. When a guy is making $100-200 an hour, it doesn't make economic sense to book a flight that is inconvenient or that has a layover because that ends up being non-productive time. Nor does it make my managers, who devote hundreds of hours of their personal time on an airplane, happy to make them sit and wait in an airport.
The second reason I book Delta is because my managers are all frequent flyers. They have status on Delta because Cincinnati is a Delta hub. Status = privileges and perks. They have a better chance of getting bumped to first class, etc., and the airlines will bend over backwards to make them happy if their flight is bumped, etc. Even though Delta routinely robs us blind, I will usually book through them if possible, because it makes sense to keep the work horses of the company happy.
Feb 17, 06, 11:23 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM MM - IHG Spire
Posts: 3,883
Originally Posted by indufan
The percentage of flyers making "$100-200 an hour" are so LOW that Delta would be a fool in factoring that in.
Feb 17, 06, 11:26 am
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Originally Posted by ecaarch
You haven't hired an attorney recently.
Feb 17, 06, 11:40 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LHR / BHX / MAN / ATL
Programs: DL DM MM - IHG Spire
Posts: 3,883
Originally Posted by indufan
About 99.9% of cases are tried on a local basis with a local attorney.
The reality is that at some point, "saving" a few dollars actually costs more. This is especially true regarding time and professionals that are billable by the hour.
Feb 17, 06, 11:43 am
#22
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: ATL, LAX
Programs: DL GM, HH Diamond
Posts: 35
I happen to be in that $100/hour category, but I usually bill about 50-75% of that when I travel.
Luckly my company is far-sighted enough that I get a great deal of latitude on my choice of travel. Even when AirTran services many of the destinations that I travel to on a regular basis.
If travel is part of my job and I start to get micromanaged, I'll be looking elsewhere very quickly
Luckly my company is far-sighted enough that I get a great deal of latitude on my choice of travel. Even when AirTran services many of the destinations that I travel to on a regular basis.
If travel is part of my job and I start to get micromanaged, I'll be looking elsewhere very quickly
Feb 17, 06, 1:07 pm
#23
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southwest CT
Programs: DL Diamond and Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 7,618
Dovster just started another thread related to this. His claim is that DL is now forgoing domestic and concentrating on international travel. That means exhorbitantly high domestic fares, and they don't care. 
Feb 17, 06, 1:45 pm
#24
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: RDU, Delta PM, Hilton Diamond (for now), Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 3,438
Originally Posted by ecaarch
You haven't hired an attorney recently.
Or a consultant.. My company bills me out higher than that range usually..
Feb 17, 06, 4:10 pm
#25
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: SkyMiles MM, HHonors Gold, Avis, Hertz
Posts: 521
My rates are in the $100-200/hr, too, but I don't bill my clients for travel time, and I would be very upset if my clients billed me for travel time.
Am I unique?
Am I unique?
Feb 17, 06, 4:15 pm
#26
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Southwest CT
Programs: DL Diamond and Million Miler, Marriott Titanium Elite, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 7,618
Originally Posted by MileJunkie
My rates are in the $100-200/hr, too, but I don't bill my clients for travel time, and I would be very upset if my clients billed me for travel time.
Am I unique?
Am I unique?
Feb 17, 06, 7:15 pm
#27
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
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Originally Posted by MileJunkie
My rates are in the $100-200/hr, too, but I don't bill my clients for travel time, and I would be very upset if my clients billed me for travel time.
Am I unique?
Am I unique?
Feb 17, 06, 9:26 pm
#28
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: SLC
Programs: DL PM, DL 1 million
Posts: 682
Originally Posted by happydad100
Please, Delta, bring your fares back in-line so I can afford to fly you!
Happydad
Happydad
Feb 17, 06, 9:45 pm
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: IND
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Posts: 20,279
Originally Posted by brazzleman
Last Monday, I was surprized to get a T fare SLC - BOS for the end of March for $218 RT as the day prior it was over $500. Can't see how that fare is making Delta any money at all.
Feb 18, 06, 8:56 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: DL DM & 5MM, WN
Posts: 1,380
Originally Posted by PortalGuy
Since the new crackdown, my colleagues and I are actually flying more expensive flights
This has involved some fancy footwork to figure out their system, using ITA, and stumping the chumps.But we can all assume you follow all of your firm's other policies and rules? Just the airline ones get gamed?
