SEA-BOS more expensive than last year?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 293
SEA-BOS more expensive than last year?
I feel like this route has been significantly more expensive than in 2018. Often I'm seeing flights with only Y/S/B availability that are $600+ one way, even a few weeks out, and very few sub-150 fares. Obviously this is not the most thorough analysis but in November and December last year I would easily find ~$99-119 fares one way, and double that r/t, for a weekend trip (I'm comparing then-economy with today's Saver, so the price hike is even more significant when including the $30 elite tax). To top it off Delta and JetBlue seem to be consistently cheaper. Anyone else feels this way?
It really is high time Alaska added a third daily winter flight (and fourth during the summer), or just had 3 year-long. Another annoying thing is that AS12 is now an 8am departure (used to be 7am)...
It really is high time Alaska added a third daily winter flight (and fourth during the summer), or just had 3 year-long. Another annoying thing is that AS12 is now an 8am departure (used to be 7am)...
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SEA (the REAL Washington); occasionally in the other Washington (DCA area)
Programs: DL PM 1.57MM; AS MVPG 100K
Posts: 21,304
I feel like this route has been significantly more expensive than in 2018. Often I'm seeing flights with only Y/S/B availability that are $600+ one way, even a few weeks out, and very few sub-150 fares. Obviously this is not the most thorough analysis but in November and December last year I would easily find ~$99-119 fares one way, and double that r/t, for a weekend trip (I'm comparing then-economy with today's Saver, so the price hike is even more significant when including the $30 elite tax). To top it off Delta and JetBlue seem to be consistently cheaper. Anyone else feels this way?
I havent researched in as much depth, but most of my search results (one-ways SEA-WAS/NYC; occasionally BOS and PHL) have come back with similar results
as good as those extra flights would be for you, theres more demand for the seats elsewhere in the network
#3
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 1,608
And this is why I've moved on to JetBlue/Delta with their consistent better pricing on the same route during the same time. Alaska you can find $100-150 pricing each way during fare sales, but otherwise they ridiculously price their seats compared to other direct flight options.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 293
And this is why I've moved on to JetBlue/Delta with their consistent better pricing on the same route during the same time. Alaska you can find $100-150 pricing each way during fare sales, but otherwise they ridiculously price their seats compared to other direct flight options.
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 293
To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if Alaska added a 4th flight on this route. I'm talking about frequent full flights on relatively high fares. I've flown a number of other AS routes that definitely don't fill up nearly as much at not-much-higher prices, so I'd assume that as soon as Alaska has the planes (and slots?), this additional frequency will be one to look at.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 100K, AA EXP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 293
No idea. The first couple of times this year I assumed I had hit some weekend with a conference going on or something. But there's only so many conferences that can happen (I've flown this r/t maybe around 10 times this year with more to come, and it's been unexpectedly expensive for 6+ of those weekends).
#8
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SEA, NW/DL 1.6Million Miler
Programs: DL 1MM Annual Silver,AS 100K 22-24, AS 75K 15-21
Posts: 4,261
Obviously this is not the most thorough analysis but in November and December last year I would easily find ~$99-119 fares one way, and double that r/t, for a weekend trip (I'm comparing then-economy with today's Saver, so the price hike is even more significant when including the $30 elite tax). .
Jiburi
Last edited by dayone; Oct 16, 2019 at 4:14 pm Reason: Fix quote.
#9
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 487
I got a round trip for sub $300 mid November. Its all about timing and available seats in each fare bucket. In general I agree AS prices have creeped up a bit. I used to be able to find first class (P) fares in the high $200s for one way midcons. Now the cheapest I see is closer to $330-$350.
#11
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: PDX
Programs: DL Plat, UA Plat 1MM, AS MVP, Hyatt Discoverist, Avis Presidents Club, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 3,938
Just spent over $800 to fly RT PDX-BOS in December; granted there is holiday traffic and loads are high but at those prices I'm even avoiding peak days (which would have pushed the fare above $1000). Alaska is clearly making money with these PNW Transcons to BOS.
#12
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
AS only needs to fill a 1/4 to 1/5 of the seats at that price, more or less, to break what they're taking from $198 RTs.
#13
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: AS 75k, SEA-BOS expert level 2000
Posts: 84
So, looking over my spreadsheets, I fly about 40 segments each year going SEA-BOS. I normally fly out on Thursday evening/red eye (AS 736/AS 24) and come back Monday afternoon/evening (AS 15). for 2018, my average flight cost was close to $200 per segment. This year, I am flying about the same number of segments and my cost is about $150 per segment. If I paid cash for around Christmas, the rates have been astronomical and would have raised my per segment cost (they have hovered around $600 per segment for the times I need to fly), so I did the x-mas trip on miles.
So for whatever reason, this year for me is slightly less expensive.
I normally consider 150-220 per segment a good price.
So for whatever reason, this year for me is slightly less expensive.
I normally consider 150-220 per segment a good price.