BS price increase?
Jan 5, 2021, 9:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 53
BS price increase?
Apologies if this was discussed in another thread, I skimmed recent posts and didn't see it mentioned. Was there an across the board price hike for BS routes? My normal route just increased about 20% since my last flight in December.
Jan 5, 2021, 10:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,286
The temporary tax holiday initiated by the CARES Act expired on January 1, 2021, so that might be at least part of what you're seeing. 20% seems a bit high though, so it likely doesn't account for all of it. The federal excise tax (FET) is 7.5% and the segment fee is $4.30 per takeoff, so there may have been a fare increase as well, if you're actually seeing a 20% increase.
Jan 6, 2021, 8:05 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,062
Jan 7, 2021, 10:28 am
#5
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ATL
Programs: DL GM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,241
Not OP, but one or two times I’ve bought a ticket when there were no more WGA fares available. In those situations, I found the benefits of extra points, A 1-15 boarding, and the drink coupon to be worth the buy up from Anytime
Jan 7, 2021, 10:46 am
#6
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 1,868
If my company paid for it (my uncle's does) I'd book it happily. If I ever had a last minute change and WGA wasn't available, I'd book it begrudgingly.
And if they offer a TQP multiplier, I'd do the math - I assume they'll offer something, either redeemable or TQP.
And if they offer a TQP multiplier, I'd do the math - I assume they'll offer something, either redeemable or TQP.
Jan 7, 2021, 11:02 am
#7
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,700
2 posts above nailed it exactly.
The question should be why would anyone buy AT fares.unless forced to at gunpoint (or the WGA fares taken away). I looked at a trip for the first time in years, that I used to take weekly, ISP-TPA and saw WGA about $150 and AT was $550. Nonstops are long gone. Crazy...
The question should be why would anyone buy AT fares.unless forced to at gunpoint (or the WGA fares taken away). I looked at a trip for the first time in years, that I used to take weekly, ISP-TPA and saw WGA about $150 and AT was $550. Nonstops are long gone. Crazy...
Jan 8, 2021, 4:44 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Midwest USA
Programs: BA SIL, WN A, UA SIL, Marriott TIT (LT), Hilton DIA
Posts: 1,969
Jan 8, 2021, 8:54 am
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Many businesses insist on refundable fares. The accounting issues caused by allocating changes to different clients, customers or cost centers may not be worth the issuance and use of credits. At that point, BS is not much more and many businesses are fine paying for that as well.
Jan 10, 2021, 1:05 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 53
OP here, it's mostly for short notice travel when WGA is not available. It's a better deal when you factor in the points and early boarding.
My route was STL - FLL which for a few years was around $560 BS and is now $672 one way. Yowza. At various times in the last few years I've paid less than $99 for the same flight.
For comparison, I can fly into MIA first class for $425 on short notice. First time in over a decade I'm looking at other options before booking with Southwest.
My route was STL - FLL which for a few years was around $560 BS and is now $672 one way. Yowza. At various times in the last few years I've paid less than $99 for the same flight.
For comparison, I can fly into MIA first class for $425 on short notice. First time in over a decade I'm looking at other options before booking with Southwest.
Jan 11, 2021, 6:28 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 23,062
I'm seeing non-stop STL-FLL from $645 in BS ( Y class). There are some flights for $672 in higher K class. Looking at historical fares on EF, the fare increase from Dec 31 to Jan 1 is entirely attributable to restoration of 7.5% US excise tax and $4.30 segment tax (roughly $48 for the Y class fare). There was a fare restructure back in early October visible in EF which resulted in fare increases and included the introduction of a new booking class ('L') . This restructure was detected back in this post -- Business Select price increase?
Last edited by xliioper; Jan 11, 2021 at 6:40 am
Jan 12, 2021, 9:37 am
#12
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Dallas, TX
Programs: WN A-list Preferred and CP, AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, RIP Kimpton
Posts: 853
I'm seeing a 20% increase in BS on my normal routes for this year compared to last. When I can buy a r/t F on AA for $700 in a 777/787, it's hard to justify spending $1250 for BS instead just to fly out of DAL instead of DFW.
Jan 12, 2021, 12:54 pm
#13
Moderator: Southwest Airlines, Capital One
Join Date: Sep 1999
Location: California
Programs: WN Companion Pass, A-list preferred, Hyatt Globalist; United Club Lietime (sic) Member
Posts: 21,624
Jan 19, 2021, 10:30 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,512
Price increases? The average domestic airfare in the 3Q of 2020 was $245, the lowest since the Transportation Department started tracking fares in 1995.
The old record low inflation-adjusted average fare was $262 in 2Q 2020.
The old record low inflation-adjusted average fare was $262 in 2Q 2020.
Jan 19, 2021, 11:07 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2001
Programs: LTP, PP
Posts: 8,700
...except they never seem to apply to the airports/routes/dates/times you need. 
I'm still wrapping my head around a $500+ OW AT non-direct fare to TPA in the winter for a route I used to fly weekly
Gotta chuckle at a very personalized email I was sent about new $49 fares to DCA from Long Island. Yet the only option was a once per day 9+ hour journey with a plane change in Florida, both ways!
I'm still wrapping my head around a $500+ OW AT non-direct fare to TPA in the winter for a route I used to fly weeklyGotta chuckle at a very personalized email I was sent about new $49 fares to DCA from Long Island. Yet the only option was a once per day 9+ hour journey with a plane change in Florida, both ways!