NYBanker

Here's a sign of the times - DL is offering R/T A fares on LGA-ATL (this has got to be one of DL's bread and butter routes) for $602.50 with no overnight stay required nor any apparent advanced purchase!

This was +/- $1,000 in Y not too long ago!

Kubla

The first thing that ran through my mind when I read this was that AirTran must be having a sale. Sure enough, they're at $582.50 for business. I wonder who was the chicken and who the egg?

ThisDJ

I recently purchased a round-trip MCO-BWI fare that the outbound was in K, the return was in A for $398.00. Thought it was odd, I found the fare on the DL website and when I bought it over the phone I had to tell the reservationist to price it in "A" against her will. She was shocked when it took.

RobertS975

I have a current thread dealing with this... PVD-MCO via ATL, saved over $200 booking A instead of waitlisting sold out flights in Y.

ptcflyer

I just recently got an A-Fare from ATL-RDU 12 days in advance... as it was the lowest available on early Monday morning flight. (Booked DL only because of schedule).

I suspect that this is where a lot of the First Class Inventory will go. Since PMs no longer will have advanced upgrade priviledges ... when we all stand-by at the gate, those FC seats filled will be "A" fare travellers.... status not necessary!

This is probably "smart" on DLs part...to compete against Airtran.. but a wake-up call to Loyal DL Flyers... Get Over it! Book the cheapest flight / best deal on a flight-by-flight basis. If you get stuck on a high DL fare, DL may be gracious enough to offer an "A"lternative to sit up front.

Perks are no longer based on "What have you done for me over your lifetime of loyalty"... it is based on "What are you shelling out for today's flight".

DL will be able to "tailor" its yield management systems to offer "A" fares to special corporate contracts and higher fare travellers to fill first class while optimizing its flight yield and posing a competitive threat to its major competitors.

Forget about MQMs ... Forget about Mileage runs... Forget about Segments.... Forget about Upgrades... Those days are gone. I predict that over time, there will be less activity on this message board as a result of these new realities.

I've been enjoying a variety of airlines... especially American's MRTC & in-seat powerports. I thanked my lucky stars last week when I flew America West for $320 to the West Coast with a 4 day advance purchase. The flights were full, I was in the back, the flight crews were great, the planes were on-time, the stop in PHX added time, but all-in-all they delivered an exceptional value. DL and all the others wanted over $2000.

I used to pursue a lot of strategies to earn status on one carrier. Now I don't care anymore. And I don't think that DL does either.

Canarsie

Maybe I am wrong, but that can also almost be interpreted as the prediction of the death knell (or the beginning of what is to be very severe cutbacks) to FlyerTalk, the Annual Freddie Awards and everything else associated with the concept of frequent flyer programs as we know them today as a result.

This may actually warrant a new topic in MilesBuzz or TravelBuzz for general discussion. As was mentioned elsewhere, SkyMiles and Dividend Miles members are not alone in the volatile environment that frequent flyer programs are in currently.

Am I wrong?

fed planner

I recently flew SAT-PVD in A - it was $20 cheaper than coach and about twice what we used to pay.

I'm pricing a late April trip to Hawaii. Q fare is $1386, A is $1534. That's ony $148 more for 2x MQM. Of course, two days ago there were K fares for about $600. No more Ks available.

I'm not sure what's going on anymore.

fp