New "dynamic pricing" for Early Bird
Aug 17, 2018, 6:54 pm
#17
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 438
Then your comment makes no sense. Transfarency is about no hidden fees like checking a bag, changing a flight, etc. If you a buy ticket, it includes everything you need to fly, check bags, etc.
It has nothing to do with the pricing on an add-on like Early Bird.
It has nothing to do with the pricing on an add-on like Early Bird.
Aug 17, 2018, 8:18 pm
#21
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,513
WN warns they will "update pricing in the future based on route popularity." All this is leaked to a blogger for feedback instead of rolled out on the website.
Aug 17, 2018, 9:38 pm
#22
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,607
"Pricing will depend on a combination of two factors: length of route and EarlyBird demand on that particular route."
So, unfortunately no. Buying early won't mean you're not impacted. If your particular route has lots of EBCI demand (or is a longer flight, presumably), you'll be paying more -- regardless of your individual EBCI buying habits.
This part is very odd to me: Prices will remain the same on any given route and “will not change by day of week or time of day.”
Meaning that, if there are a few flights on a particular route (and by "route" they presumably mean "city pairs"?) that have deep EBCI penetration, all flights on that route -- including, say, the less-busy Tuesday 5:30am or Saturday 10:30pm ones -- will see an EBCI price increase. This is very different from how they currently price fares.
I wonder how this will work when changing an itinerary that has EBCI attached to a new routing? Will the system know enough to charge (or refund) the difference?
Or, will EBCI simply no longer be transferrable?
So, unfortunately no. Buying early won't mean you're not impacted. If your particular route has lots of EBCI demand (or is a longer flight, presumably), you'll be paying more -- regardless of your individual EBCI buying habits.
This part is very odd to me: Prices will remain the same on any given route and “will not change by day of week or time of day.”
Meaning that, if there are a few flights on a particular route (and by "route" they presumably mean "city pairs"?) that have deep EBCI penetration, all flights on that route -- including, say, the less-busy Tuesday 5:30am or Saturday 10:30pm ones -- will see an EBCI price increase. This is very different from how they currently price fares.
I wonder how this will work when changing an itinerary that has EBCI attached to a new routing? Will the system know enough to charge (or refund) the difference?
Or, will EBCI simply no longer be transferrable?
Our flights are never long as WN rarely has NS service to any of the places we fly.
MSP to LAS/TPA/RSW/BDL/DAL
If prices go up I'll buy one EBCI and save a seat or go to T-24 for both and never give WN a dime, lol
Last edited by flyer4512; Aug 17, 2018 at 9:58 pm
Aug 17, 2018, 10:02 pm
#23
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,269
With my regional airports, even if you check a bag, if the WGA fare buckets have sold out, AA is typically $200+ cheaper than WN on round trip routes I've priced out.
Aug 18, 2018, 6:36 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,813
The fees on other airlines are not hidden either. They are fully disclosed in advance. Transfarency is simply a gimmick.
Aug 18, 2018, 6:49 am
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
WN neither provides free checked bags nor free ticket changes. It simply builds features into its ticket prices and makes a killing off them.
Two bags sounds enticing, but very few business customers check bags at all, let alone two of them and most regular business customers earn status on whatever carrier they use and that generally includes a bag without additional fee as well. While WN does not impose fees for ticket changes, the chances that you can change flights without paying more due to its WGA RM/IM are slim on busy routes.
Not that any of the above is wrong. Simply that people who fall for "free bags" and "no change fees" and don't consider the bigger picture are not thinking through the product.
Similarly with EBCI, while it may or may not get someone a better boarding position, the charade is that not only is it easy to wind up in the mid-B's, but with WN taking a hands off to seat saving, the impact of mid-B's, is even worse. Think about a family leisure route such as Hawaii and ask yourself what is going to happen if you are not among the first people to physically board the aircraft, whatever your numeric boarding position is,
Two bags sounds enticing, but very few business customers check bags at all, let alone two of them and most regular business customers earn status on whatever carrier they use and that generally includes a bag without additional fee as well. While WN does not impose fees for ticket changes, the chances that you can change flights without paying more due to its WGA RM/IM are slim on busy routes.
Not that any of the above is wrong. Simply that people who fall for "free bags" and "no change fees" and don't consider the bigger picture are not thinking through the product.
Similarly with EBCI, while it may or may not get someone a better boarding position, the charade is that not only is it easy to wind up in the mid-B's, but with WN taking a hands off to seat saving, the impact of mid-B's, is even worse. Think about a family leisure route such as Hawaii and ask yourself what is going to happen if you are not among the first people to physically board the aircraft, whatever your numeric boarding position is,
Aug 18, 2018, 7:14 am
#27
Join Date: May 2005
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, WN A+ & CP, HH Diamond, Hyatt Platinum, National Executive Elite
Posts: 3,246
I would imagine that by "demand" they mean based on trends. So just because it's the first day a flight is on sale doesn't mean they don't know the typical demand on that flight and will price accordingly. A new schedule doesn't mean they start over from the beginning.
Aug 18, 2018, 12:15 pm
#29
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: ORD, MDW or MKE
Programs: American and Southwest. Hilton and Marriott hotels primarily.
Posts: 6,463
WN neither provides free checked bags nor free ticket changes. It simply builds features into its ticket prices and makes a killing off them.
Two bags sounds enticing, but very few business customers check bags at all, let alone two of them and most regular business customers earn status on whatever carrier they use and that generally includes a bag without additional fee as well. While WN does not impose fees for ticket changes, the chances that you can change flights without paying more due to its WGA RM/IM are slim on busy routes.
Not that any of the above is wrong. Simply that people who fall for "free bags" and "no change fees" and don't consider the bigger picture are not thinking through the product.
Similarly with EBCI, while it may or may not get someone a better boarding position, the charade is that not only is it easy to wind up in the mid-B's, but with WN taking a hands off to seat saving, the impact of mid-B's, is even worse. Think about a family leisure route such as Hawaii and ask yourself what is going to happen if you are not among the first people to physically board the aircraft, whatever your numeric boarding position is,
Two bags sounds enticing, but very few business customers check bags at all, let alone two of them and most regular business customers earn status on whatever carrier they use and that generally includes a bag without additional fee as well. While WN does not impose fees for ticket changes, the chances that you can change flights without paying more due to its WGA RM/IM are slim on busy routes.
Not that any of the above is wrong. Simply that people who fall for "free bags" and "no change fees" and don't consider the bigger picture are not thinking through the product.
Similarly with EBCI, while it may or may not get someone a better boarding position, the charade is that not only is it easy to wind up in the mid-B's, but with WN taking a hands off to seat saving, the impact of mid-B's, is even worse. Think about a family leisure route such as Hawaii and ask yourself what is going to happen if you are not among the first people to physically board the aircraft, whatever your numeric boarding position is,
No change fees are also very real savings. I book flights when fares are cheap and often cancel for no penalty as the flight time gets closer and the flight will not work out. If I had to wait until I was sure of taking a flight, my average would be much higher - regardless of which airline I fly.
Aug 18, 2018, 12:19 pm
#30
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: WAS
Programs: :rolleyes:, DL DM, Mlife Plat, Caesars Diam, Marriott Tit, UA Gold, Hyatt Glob, invol FT beta tester
Posts: 18,947
Not sure exactly where TPG took this quote from...
Unlike our competitors, we provide our customers the ability to choose products they are willing to pay for—like earlybird—instead of punitively charging a fee to check their first or second bag or change their reservation.
I've got nothing in particular against WN and will happily fly them when it makes sense based on a variety of factors, but the marketing kool-aid is pretty powerful. I feel like "free checked bags" is the "but her emails" of WN
