Another fare increse?!
 

I’m currently following three itineraries. I just went to purchase one and notice NW’s price has increased by $10… I then checked and noticed NW’s prices have increased by $10 on the other itineraries I’m following. So far, the prices the other airlines are charging are unchanged.

$30 in increases in just a couple weeks...

Maybe it's their new in-flight entertainment abatement charge. :D

Seriously, though, for their own well being, I hope some minor increases stick. Just please don't make up any fees or surcharges, simply raise prices!

NW currently wants $686 for a random Sat-Wed itinerary PDX-IAH in May, $400 for the same weekend PDX-ATL, $500 for Sat-Wed PDX-BOS in June... and these fares are at least twice as much as most other competitors. I imagine they'll come back down again, but even with status I'm not going to pay double. The nearly $700 coach fare to IAH on a Sat-Wed is particularly galling...

Airlines tend to increase their fares over the weekend. They usually drop back down the next week day.

NW doesn't normally publish fares from most west coast cities to IAH. If you're getting a price, it's because it's two fares combined on one ticket.

No, they don't. Most sales generally end before the weekend (but many available during the weekend at one point), and airlines may increase lower farebuckets during the work week, but they don't abrupty raise fares $10 systemwide.

my AA fare LAX-JFK just went up $10, all the airlines have followed CO with the $10 / return increase instituted on Friday.

I agree.. just raise fares instead of a stupid stealth tax.

for whatever reason, NW's fares have been considerably higher on the routes I normally search for (SoCal -> NY/PHL), considerably moreso than AA or others.

I think tekelberry was referring to price increases.

Historically, if an airline wants to instate a fare increase, they do so on Fridays, allowing the weekend to see if other carriers follow suit, since weekends are generally slower for bookings. If they are in range of getting everyone on board by Sunday night, it sticks, otherwise they can roll back by Monday morning in time for business travel bookings.

I've been tracking NYC-MLI for a few summer weekends, and NW has been steadily increasing there, too (an issue exacerbated by TZ's pull-out from MLI--thank goodness FL is still in there to hold things down). Yet NW is still the cheapest on LGA-MLI at $268, and third cheapest on EWR-MLI at $319 (FL comes in at $252 and DL at $308). UA and AA are over $330 from both LGA and EWR.

I'd like to see some of those $200 fares I was seeing last summer, since I've got to get a lot of folks into MLI in July for a family event. With oil continually going up, it doesn't look likely. :(