new direct WN service STL <-> MSP will compete with NW/DL
Sep 1, 2009, 7:48 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Louis
Programs: NW/DL Plat, SPG Gold, Hertz Gold 5*
Posts: 99
new direct WN service STL <-> MSP will compete with NW/DL
Got an email today from WN with $49 promo fares (taxes extra) sold next 3 days for STL <-> MSP for travel Jan 10 - Mar 12 (suggests these routes are to begin Jan 10, quick parsing of WN website would seem to confirm that).
MikeMpls, drsan, here it comes!
MikeMpls, drsan, here it comes!
Sep 2, 2009, 4:22 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: Fallen Plats, ex-WN CP, DYKWIW; still a Hilton Diamond & Club Cholula™ R.I.P. Super Plats
Posts: 25,415
I already booked 3 round trips. 
Once companion passes for WifeMpls are factored in, our average round-trip fares will be $62.10 -- quite a drop from the $560 gouge that NW was trying to extract a year ago.
Once companion passes for WifeMpls are factored in, our average round-trip fares will be $62.10 -- quite a drop from the $560 gouge that NW was trying to extract a year ago.
Sep 2, 2009, 7:14 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Nashville
Programs: DL DM 3 MM AA PLAT HH Lifetime Diamond Marriott Plat AMB lifetime titanium Hertz PC
Posts: 6,187
Interesting that was not the next route I thought they would do, but in hind site AA is pulling out fast so STL is opening up.
Sep 2, 2009, 7:49 am
#4
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Location: MN
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My prediction is that WN will be the largest tenant at Humphrey very soon, if not already. They will expand quickly. Think of other cities where this happened (PHL, DEN and probably others).
Sep 2, 2009, 9:03 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: DCA
Posts: 3,395
This flight makes sense, WN uses STL extensively to get around the Wright Amendment at DAL. Effectively this flight makes for efficient connections to DAL and onward in Texas. I doubt the old Northwest would have put up with this...
Sep 2, 2009, 11:47 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM, Marriott Plat, National Exec Elite
Posts: 1,357
i did manage to get a 380 under 7 days a couple weeks back.
Sep 2, 2009, 1:52 pm
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: Fallen Plats, ex-WN CP, DYKWIW; still a Hilton Diamond & Club Cholula™ R.I.P. Super Plats
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We never paid > $330 per person, but it took some real effort to achieve that, e.g. back to back NW/UA tickets via ORD, funky DL routings through Travelocity, flying once out of RST for $240, a YX sale which backfired when they canceled the route but we managed to get 2 of our 4 trips pushed to NW, etc. For most of a year prior to that we were often flying into ORD/MDW & then driving to the St. Louis area; I kept wondering if National would fire me for all the mileage we were running up on the cheap weekend rentals.
WN has really been a breath of fresh air in this market and has put an end to a year & a half of hassles in avoiding grossly overpriced plane tickets.
Airbus must have really ramped up the production lines.
WN has really been a breath of fresh air in this market and has put an end to a year & a half of hassles in avoiding grossly overpriced plane tickets.
Airbus must have really ramped up the production lines.
Sep 2, 2009, 2:43 pm
#8
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And if you can't check in right at the T-24 hour mark, WN is starting Early Bird Check In for $10/person in each direction. Yes, it is a "fee" but it is optional. I guess checked baggage fees on other airlines can be considered "optional" too but not too many leisure travelers can fly somewhere without checking at least one piece of luggage.
It is kind of a catch 22. If too many people pay it, then you are almost forced to as well to get a halfway decent boarding number. Time will tell how it works out.
It is kind of a catch 22. If too many people pay it, then you are almost forced to as well to get a halfway decent boarding number. Time will tell how it works out.
Sep 3, 2009, 7:57 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: St. Louis MO
Programs: Marriott PP, UA 1K, DL Plat, AA Life Gold, WN A-List
Posts: 382
We never paid > $330 per person, but it took some real effort to achieve that, e.g. back to back NW/UA tickets via ORD, funky DL routings through Travelocity, flying once out of RST for $240, a YX sale which backfired when they canceled the route but we managed to get 2 of our 4 trips pushed to NW, etc. For most of a year prior to that we were often flying into ORD/MDW & then driving to the St. Louis area; I kept wondering if National would fire me for all the mileage we were running up on the cheap weekend rentals.
WN has really been a breath of fresh air in this market and has put an end to a year & a half of hassles in avoiding grossly overpriced plane tickets.
Airbus must have really ramped up the production lines.
WN has really been a breath of fresh air in this market and has put an end to a year & a half of hassles in avoiding grossly overpriced plane tickets.
Airbus must have really ramped up the production lines.
Delta, sorry, this is going to cost you 30-40 segments a year and $15-20K in revenue. Given the reduction in FF benefits and the downsizing of metal ex-STL, WN is now going to get 100% of my business from that station.
The next move for Virginia Avenue is, of course, to cut frequency MSP-STL. That will completely seal their fate for me and several other STL-based FFers. For me, this is the last domino to fall. STL-MSP nonstop on WN, game over.
Goodbye, Delta! It's been nice, it's been fun, but it hasn't been real fun.
Sep 3, 2009, 10:58 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: MSP
Programs: DL DM MM, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold, National Exec
Posts: 473
Did the last half dozen MSP-STL trips on 2 tix thru MDW. NW/DL fares are just plain stupid.
Had to change the last one -- WN simply redeposits, lets the change happen with no real 'penalty'. The NW portion from MDW-MSP was $114 1-way, so cheaper to burn the return on original and buy a new 1-way (versus the $150 change fee plus some $200 + fare difference they invented -- when the $114 1-way was still available!)
No Barbie Jets anymore....
Had to change the last one -- WN simply redeposits, lets the change happen with no real 'penalty'. The NW portion from MDW-MSP was $114 1-way, so cheaper to burn the return on original and buy a new 1-way (versus the $150 change fee plus some $200 + fare difference they invented -- when the $114 1-way was still available!)
No Barbie Jets anymore....
Sep 3, 2009, 1:00 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Louis
Programs: NW/DL Plat, SPG Gold, Hertz Gold 5*
Posts: 99
Delta, sorry, this is going to cost you 30-40 segments a year and $15-20K in revenue. Given the reduction in FF benefits and the downsizing of metal ex-STL, WN is now going to get 100% of my business from that station.
The next move for Virginia Avenue is, of course, to cut frequency MSP-STL. That will completely seal their fate for me and several other STL-based FFers. For me, this is the last domino to fall. STL-MSP nonstop on WN, game over.
The next move for Virginia Avenue is, of course, to cut frequency MSP-STL. That will completely seal their fate for me and several other STL-based FFers. For me, this is the last domino to fall. STL-MSP nonstop on WN, game over.
Once I ex-out these more 'local' routes it makes it hard to justify the other ones as slipping out of high elite status will definitely make it not worth it.
If I swap it'll cost DL ~2x what drsan is talking about.
Sep 6, 2009, 2:15 am
#13
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: MSP
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Sep 6, 2009, 2:07 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: St. Louis
Programs: NW/DL Plat, SPG Gold, Hertz Gold 5*
Posts: 99
Sep 7, 2009, 8:40 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BNA and FLL
Programs: National Executive Elite, IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Gold, SW A List, Marriott Gold
Posts: 964
I hope WN's next route out of MSP is to LAS. NW/DLs fares to LAS have been extremely high lately.
Oh and when did United start doing non-stops MSP-LAX? That was a breath of fresh air when I saw that!
Oh and when did United start doing non-stops MSP-LAX? That was a breath of fresh air when I saw that!