Official Virgin America and jetBlue fare sale thread
 

Although I have yet to fly Virgin America (VX), I have benefited many times from Southwest's matching of VX sale fares. VX tends to offer its sale fares with 1-day to 3-day advance purchase. Southwest tends to match these fares on the same routes, with no public notice whatsoever. That's where this thread comes in.

From now on, when VX starts a good sale, I'd like someone to post its terms here. Then we can be on the alert for Southwest's match. We can also be aware of the precise conditions of the sale and when it will end.

During recent VX sales, Southwest exactly matched the VX fare from SFO to LAX and added $10 to the VX fare for OAK to LAX. I didn't check SFO to LAS, but the recent $50 OAK to LAS fare was likely a near-match to a $40 VX fare out of SFO.

Last night VX's $44 sale ended, and now they have a $39 fare bookable today only. The pertinent terms are:
Customer-unfriendly terms are:
This is why Virgin offers short-notice fares: Your $39 ticket is effectively completely non-refundable and non-changeable. Booking farther ahead you would be foolish not to choose Southwest. But that's a subject for another thread. This thread is about giving you a heads-up on VX sales, so you can look for Southwest to match.

On this particular sale, Southwest has not matched yet. I expect to see a match within a few hours. If you buy tickets in a market served by VX, I suggest that you Subscribe to This Thread (under Thread Tools near the upper right).

Southwest matched VX's sale yesterday. Today VX has repeated the same sale prices, again with 1 day advance purchase. Look for Southwest to match later this morning.

Fares may go up tonight. Book now just in case.

They were $29 in October
 

It was worth a credit run at double credit at that time:)

More $39 fares
 

This time the sale fares go all the way into May. Southwest is doing the usual semi-match ($10 more) for OAK vs. SFO. With oil at $80, I think I'll buy some.

One thing to note is that WN doesn't fly SEA-LAX as a nonstop, VX does. That might be a good reason to be "foolish". ;)

Southwest appears not to be matching VX sale fares this week. Be sure to check the VX website if you have a short-notice trip that you are sure you will not cancel or change.

Is this a "fare war"?
 

What constitutes a "fare war"? We hear the term tossed around a lot, and I thought I knew (enough about) what it means. What is the consensus definition? I think most people on FlyerTalk must be of the opinion by now that it's overused by the (usually paid) media.

Is it one distinctively deep sale, that perhaps gets extended for days or a week or so? Can it be a protracted competition like this one? Can it extend to really protracted repeated-sale competition such as between Southwest and United intra-California and at DEN, or Southwest and USAir at PHL, or the one at PVD that Southwest won at PVD? Is an aspect that one carrier wins, and watchers look back and say, "That was one".

As I've said elsewhere, I'm glad to see Southwest receiving the Virgin, or JetBlue or AirTran Effects, and I think they're increasingly going to characterize Southwest's more important competition. Perhaps a little early to suggest that this thread include the other two airlines, as nsx, who also co-captains the JetBlue board is much more aware of that dynamic than most of us, and probably would have done so. I'm suggesting that either this thread will evolve, or parallel ones will sprout up.

Today I saw an all-time crazy pricing pattern on VX, fully matched by Southwest. LAX-SFO is $52 for Friday (tomorrow), $52 for Saturday, $129 for Sunday and Monday, $52 for Tuesday, $76 for Wednesday, $114 for Thursday, and $57 for Friday. Completely bizarre.

Southwest matched this, also offering the $52 fare on Monday. OAK was full fare only. I thought Southwest had gone insane, then I realized that they were merely copying a wacky competitor.

Actually, nsx, if you think about it, it may be very logical. I'll bet that it depends on the number of available seats each day. Probably not that much different that most of WN's DING fares, if you wrote out the lowest fares each day!

Today and tomorrow (probably only until about 9 PM Pacific Time) you can buy intra-California and LAS for $44. Travel on T W Th or Sa through mid-November. One week advance purchase.

Bay Area to LAS is an especially good deal.

Southwest has not publicized this VX fare match.

Incidentally, this is the first good sale that includes Th-Tu for Labor Day weekend.

Email from TravelZoo:

http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/76597653-909740/

jetBlue one day sale today
 

"Fares from $44," but they do still have $29 fares, such as LGB-LAS. I haven't checked for WN matching today, but typically by mid-day I see matches in some markets.

VX has a 7-hour $44 sale today, probably matching Ding.