Why is nobody talking that Mint has gotten much more expensive?
Nov 18, 2022, 7:49 pm
#31
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: TK *G, HHonors Gold, UA 0.547MM and ex-1K but we gave up on each other
Posts: 201
I booked AA Business for 45k miles, canceled this one way Mint flight, and used the credits to pay for 80% of a r/t in Mint at a later date. And booking through JetBlue Vacations, the air and one night hotel was cheaper than the cost of the air alone. (JetBlue Vacations is nonrefundable, cancelable for their credit, but dollars used from Travel Bank go back there.)
Our seats that had shown as high as $3,831 are now back on the market for $3,391. But the morning flight is $4,271, with more seats available. It's like trading commodity futures.
Our seats that had shown as high as $3,831 are now back on the market for $3,391. But the morning flight is $4,271, with more seats available. It's like trading commodity futures.
Dec 4, 2022, 12:56 am
#32
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast
Programs: AA CONCIERGE KEY & 1MM, HILTON DIAMOND
Posts: 11,970
I booked AA Business for 45k miles, canceled this one way Mint flight, and used the credits to pay for 80% of a r/t in Mint at a later date. And booking through JetBlue Vacations, the air and one night hotel was cheaper than the cost of the air alone. (JetBlue Vacations is nonrefundable, cancelable for their credit, but dollars used from Travel Bank go back there.)
Our seats that had shown as high as $3,831 are now back on the market for $3,391. But the morning flight is $4,271, with more seats available. It's like trading commodity futures.
Our seats that had shown as high as $3,831 are now back on the market for $3,391. But the morning flight is $4,271, with more seats available. It's like trading commodity futures.
Dec 4, 2022, 8:04 am
#33
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: TK *G, HHonors Gold, UA 0.547MM and ex-1K but we gave up on each other
Posts: 201
Dec 8, 2022, 6:34 am
#34
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 35
I have to caveat this by saying I'm a leisure traveler and I only ever look at one JetBlue route, BOS <-> LAS.
I always book my flights months in advance. Pre-covid, the cheapest Mint price was always the first seat sold, and I would always get it. It would be $449 - $599 depending on the day of week and time of year.
In the panic of 2020, I actually got a RT for $299 each way.
As the covid panic eased, the first-seat price went up to around $900, and sometimes it was $1,200 - $1,300.
I think this is at least partially due to the dropping of change and cancel fees. They know and we know that you can now book a higher price and rebook if the fare drops, with the only penalty being that the price diff goes into your travel bank. So it is basically putting a game of chicken on the pax - book early (especially if you want a pod) and hope for a late price drop. Maybe you get the drop, maybe you don't.
Same thing from their point of view - why not try to lock in the higher revenue now and only drop the price later if you have to.
I'm one of those people who looked at the price every day over years to see what the patterns were in pricing. Pre-covid they were extremely predictable for my route. Now they're indecipherable.
I always book my flights months in advance. Pre-covid, the cheapest Mint price was always the first seat sold, and I would always get it. It would be $449 - $599 depending on the day of week and time of year.
In the panic of 2020, I actually got a RT for $299 each way.
As the covid panic eased, the first-seat price went up to around $900, and sometimes it was $1,200 - $1,300.
I think this is at least partially due to the dropping of change and cancel fees. They know and we know that you can now book a higher price and rebook if the fare drops, with the only penalty being that the price diff goes into your travel bank. So it is basically putting a game of chicken on the pax - book early (especially if you want a pod) and hope for a late price drop. Maybe you get the drop, maybe you don't.
Same thing from their point of view - why not try to lock in the higher revenue now and only drop the price later if you have to.
I'm one of those people who looked at the price every day over years to see what the patterns were in pricing. Pre-covid they were extremely predictable for my route. Now they're indecipherable.