No More Group Discounts
Dec 13, 2001, 10:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: BW Diamond, Choice Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 3,120
No More Group Discounts
I need to take a group of clients to Big Sky Montana for a ski trip in February. So I called NW groups to put the trip together. I had been quoted a companion fare of $349 per person by my travel agent.
NW groups (GROUPS) quoted me the same fare! Exactly! Including the 24 hours to purchase! When pressed, the agent let me know that "since September 11, we are no longer allowed to offer even a 5% discount".
Couldn't NW save money by closing the groups department? I mean, these people are essentially nothing but regular reservations now, right? I wanted to ask her why she still had a job, but bit my tounge....
I'm so glad we gave these airlines so much taxpayer money, so that they could eliminate group discounts, and keep the fuel surcharges! Talk about arrogance!
NW groups (GROUPS) quoted me the same fare! Exactly! Including the 24 hours to purchase! When pressed, the agent let me know that "since September 11, we are no longer allowed to offer even a 5% discount".
Couldn't NW save money by closing the groups department? I mean, these people are essentially nothing but regular reservations now, right? I wanted to ask her why she still had a job, but bit my tounge....
I'm so glad we gave these airlines so much taxpayer money, so that they could eliminate group discounts, and keep the fuel surcharges! Talk about arrogance!
Dec 13, 2001, 11:01 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Norman, Oklahoma
Programs: Southwest A List Preferred, Bonvoy Platinum, Hyatt Globalist, American Airlines Gold
Posts: 694
The airlines are losing money right now, and I, for one, would really like to see NWA not go out of business. I don't begrudge them anything right now. I don't even begrudge the that I have not gotten upgraded on my flight tonight with availability of P3 F0 Y9 B9 etc. You are only talking $17.50 per ticket---pennies for someone going on a ski trip, but that could be an important margin to them.
Why have a groups department? Well, they have people who are specialized in quickly making bookings for large groups of people. That makes sense to me.
Why have a groups department? Well, they have people who are specialized in quickly making bookings for large groups of people. That makes sense to me.
Dec 13, 2001, 12:02 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: BW Diamond, Choice Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 3,120
I see.... Perhaps I should explain just a bit more. Every year I take clients to Big Sky. Every year I book a NW group. The price quoted this year is less than it has been for the past 4 years or so. Why? Because there is no demand for the flights! So rather than do ANYTHING to try and put butts in seats, NW has decided that they are going to do nothing to try and entice customers to fly.
$17.50? Yeah, it's not that big of a deal. But it's a matter of principal. They could have told me as I waited on hold that "percentage discounts are no longer available". But they didn't. Instead, their website still talks about "discounts", and the ability to hold space with a small deposit. I wasn't offered that either. Northwest places no value on the business I am trying to bring to their airline. Instead, I'm hearing the airlines say "times are tough, you aren't paying enough"!
Well, I'm not the one who put Northwest and the other airlines in the precarious postition they currently find themselves in. And I resent their use of the 9/11 attacks as an excuse to do all the things that they wanted to do before that day. You know as well as I that they wanted to remove food, service, and group discounts before the attacks. Their own business plans left them unable to cope with the shutdown. So they've taken it out on employees, customers, and the American taxpayer without so much as a "Thank you". They could've at least kissed us as they left!
Maybe it's important to you to have a healthy NW. I don't know why that is. I hope it's not simply because of your miles or status. Because I'll tell you what... The first full service airline that adopts an attitude of respect for the customer, shows that they value my business, and truly wants me to come back, will get my business. And they won't even have to comp my status! Personally, I'm tired of being treated as if the airlines are doing me a favor by taking my money.
$17.50? Yeah, it's not that big of a deal. But it's a matter of principal. They could have told me as I waited on hold that "percentage discounts are no longer available". But they didn't. Instead, their website still talks about "discounts", and the ability to hold space with a small deposit. I wasn't offered that either. Northwest places no value on the business I am trying to bring to their airline. Instead, I'm hearing the airlines say "times are tough, you aren't paying enough"!
Well, I'm not the one who put Northwest and the other airlines in the precarious postition they currently find themselves in. And I resent their use of the 9/11 attacks as an excuse to do all the things that they wanted to do before that day. You know as well as I that they wanted to remove food, service, and group discounts before the attacks. Their own business plans left them unable to cope with the shutdown. So they've taken it out on employees, customers, and the American taxpayer without so much as a "Thank you". They could've at least kissed us as they left!
Maybe it's important to you to have a healthy NW. I don't know why that is. I hope it's not simply because of your miles or status. Because I'll tell you what... The first full service airline that adopts an attitude of respect for the customer, shows that they value my business, and truly wants me to come back, will get my business. And they won't even have to comp my status! Personally, I'm tired of being treated as if the airlines are doing me a favor by taking my money.
Dec 13, 2001, 7:27 pm
#4
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 18
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by duxfan:
I need to take a group of clients to Big Sky Montana for a ski trip in February. So I called NW groups to put the trip together. I had been quoted a companion fare of $349 per person by my travel agent.
NW groups (GROUPS) quoted me the same fare! Exactly! Including the 24 hours to purchase! When pressed, the agent let me know that "since September 11, we are no longer allowed to offer even a 5% discount".</font>
I need to take a group of clients to Big Sky Montana for a ski trip in February. So I called NW groups to put the trip together. I had been quoted a companion fare of $349 per person by my travel agent.
NW groups (GROUPS) quoted me the same fare! Exactly! Including the 24 hours to purchase! When pressed, the agent let me know that "since September 11, we are no longer allowed to offer even a 5% discount".</font>
Further, as my travel agent discovered, NW Group won't match unless the trip is the exact same number of connections. So, because we can get a nonstop MSP-LAX, they won't match a MSP-DEN-LAX on UA or other similar routings.
Since my budget needed the >$1,000, we are now on UA.
Dec 14, 2001, 8:58 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: DTW
Programs: BW Diamond, Choice Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 3,120
as an interesting final thought about this whole situation. my travel agent called Continental groups. Continental still offered the discount. And since CO doesn't serve Bozeman on their own metal, they offered me the space on the NW codeshare!
Now I don't know how CO provides NW with the revenue from codeshares, but you can be sure the NW is making even less money than if they had simply offered me the discount!
Now I don't know how CO provides NW with the revenue from codeshares, but you can be sure the NW is making even less money than if they had simply offered me the discount!