Feb 28, 2021, 12:23 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Archive thread, active thread is
Consolidated "Why is this UA fare so expensive?" thread
Potential reasons for high fares
-- the lower fare classes are sold out
-- the lower fare classes are not available due to fare rule restrictions
..... day of the week travel restrictions, Saturday night stay requirement, minimum stay requirement, advance purchase requirements, ...
-- desired fares are not combinable
-- discount fares not available for one-ways, only roundtrips Why are international OWs so expensive, such high fare classes?
-- discount inventory for codeshare marketing airline is gone, but flight operator may have discount fare (or the reverse)
-- Plating -- airlines restrict the best fare to their ticket stock, meaning ticketing that flight on another ticket stock will be more expensive
-- Airline is figuring it will still sell (due to last minute purchases0 even if the competition is lower earlier. Such as peak leisure periods or special events.
-- Airline is placing a premium on non-stop (monopoly?) versus alternative connecting routings
If you find an expensive flight, start by checking the fare class and compare to the less expensive option -- that generally will explain a lot.
Consolidated "Why is this UA fare so expensive?" thread
Potential reasons for high fares
-- the lower fare classes are sold out
-- the lower fare classes are not available due to fare rule restrictions
..... day of the week travel restrictions, Saturday night stay requirement, minimum stay requirement, advance purchase requirements, ...
-- desired fares are not combinable
-- discount fares not available for one-ways, only roundtrips Why are international OWs so expensive, such high fare classes?
-- discount inventory for codeshare marketing airline is gone, but flight operator may have discount fare (or the reverse)
-- Plating -- airlines restrict the best fare to their ticket stock, meaning ticketing that flight on another ticket stock will be more expensive
-- Airline is figuring it will still sell (due to last minute purchases0 even if the competition is lower earlier. Such as peak leisure periods or special events.
-- Airline is placing a premium on non-stop (monopoly?) versus alternative connecting routings
If you find an expensive flight, start by checking the fare class and compare to the less expensive option -- that generally will explain a lot.
Consolidated "Why is this fare so expensive?" Thread [Archive]
Apr 2, 2017, 2:37 pm
#1231
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,421
Code:
YYZ :: F SFO UA :: HKG / f ua.yto-sha.PPE03DM5 HKG :: F :: PVG / f ua.yto-sha.PPE03DM5 PVG :: UA SFO F :: YYZ / f ua.sha-yto.PPE03DM5
And, I noticed the surcharge, but for some reason I missed the "SHA" part and thought it only applied to BJS (they also have some in there for CTU travel, even though CTU isn't a valid routing -- I assume this is from a template they're using). UA seems to love surcharges this year. :-(
Apr 2, 2017, 3:54 pm
#1232
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,467
Apr 8, 2017, 9:42 am
#1233
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New York
Programs: EK Platinum, AA EXP, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,148
Looking at IAH-EWR-IAH, departing 4/21, returning 4/23. The outbound price isn't bad, but the return I'm looking at the 4:40pm departure. Its a 763, and according to the seat map theres only 3 seats left, but the flight is showing F4A0. That leg is pricing out at $1700. It was like that yesterday also but usually by the next day the price goes down, but its still at $1700 today. Any chance of them opening A space up and the price going down to the normal $4-650 range?
Apr 8, 2017, 1:14 pm
#1234
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 253
There's always a chance but I wouldn't count on it. I don't have data to support this but I've noticed that UA seems more willing to release discount F seats on narrowbody planes than on widebody planes.
You could consider booking the 4:57pm departure and trying to SDC to the 4:40pm departure. Or, if you really want the F seat in the 767, you could fare-lock another flight and see if A space gets released on the 767 flight.
You could consider booking the 4:57pm departure and trying to SDC to the 4:40pm departure. Or, if you really want the F seat in the 767, you could fare-lock another flight and see if A space gets released on the 767 flight.
Apr 8, 2017, 4:44 pm
#1235
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,421
I think it's probably worth waiting to see if A space shows up. It can hardly get worse.
Apr 9, 2017, 12:09 pm
#1236
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
It's a tough call... they may not release A until a few hours before departure, especially since only 4 F seats are left. Often times, those will fill up with SDC, so you will have to watch carefully for the inventory because when A opens up, they will probably go fast... irrops could also result in those seats disappearing without A ever opening up.
Apr 14, 2017, 10:58 am
#1237
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 622
I'm looking to fly SFO-IAD several times in the next 3-4 months.
I can't find any fares classed lower than U on most flights to IAD, even if connecting via LAX or DEN, and even if the seat map shows no tickets have been purchased yet. The lowest I see are S class fares on the red-eyes. For example, see UA516 and UA309 on 6/25. UA516 is E9U3H0 with a half full economy cabin and UA309 is U9H9Q0 (with the H fare not coming up for sale) with a basically empty economy cabin.
That's pushed OW ticket prices up $200-300. I know it's now become high season for summer travel, but this appears unique to IAD as far as I can tell. It's also a much larger difference than I recall happening in the summer last year.
Have cheaper fare classes just not been filed, and should we expect them to be filed as the dates get closer?
I can't find any fares classed lower than U on most flights to IAD, even if connecting via LAX or DEN, and even if the seat map shows no tickets have been purchased yet. The lowest I see are S class fares on the red-eyes. For example, see UA516 and UA309 on 6/25. UA516 is E9U3H0 with a half full economy cabin and UA309 is U9H9Q0 (with the H fare not coming up for sale) with a basically empty economy cabin.
That's pushed OW ticket prices up $200-300. I know it's now become high season for summer travel, but this appears unique to IAD as far as I can tell. It's also a much larger difference than I recall happening in the summer last year.
Have cheaper fare classes just not been filed, and should we expect them to be filed as the dates get closer?
Apr 14, 2017, 11:34 am
#1238
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,413
Inventory will likely open up if UA finds they're not able to sell the seats at those prices. 10 weeks in advance is a long way out for domestic flights; they have plenty of time to drop fares if the flights aren't selling.
Apr 14, 2017, 11:52 am
#1239
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,421
When RM sets dumb inventory blocks, playing chicken works most of the time IME. But you should always check if there's some sort of event at either end which would cause the inventory decision.
Jun 3, 2017, 8:58 am
#1240
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: ROC/NYC/MSP/LAX/HKG/SIN
Posts: 3,214
Bahamas - Cuba - Costa Rica in late Sept 2017 - Expensive?
Hi experts,
I am wondering if there is a reason for most of the Caribbean/Central America/Cuba destinations to be so ridiculously expensive in late Sept and early Oct timings. We are looking at SLC-NAS, NAS-HAV, HAV-SJO, and SJO-ROC, but most of the fares are expensive. School year just starts, so I don't understand why there's such a demand of the fare.
Any insights?
I am wondering if there is a reason for most of the Caribbean/Central America/Cuba destinations to be so ridiculously expensive in late Sept and early Oct timings. We are looking at SLC-NAS, NAS-HAV, HAV-SJO, and SJO-ROC, but most of the fares are expensive. School year just starts, so I don't understand why there's such a demand of the fare.
Any insights?
Jun 18, 2017, 9:37 am
#1241
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,468
ORD-SFO nonstop 6,7,8-JUL: no discount economy fares
Any information or guesses about why the fare buckets below M are zeroed for ORD-SFO nonstops 6-JUL through 8-JUL? Any other routes showing similar?
Jun 19, 2017, 2:06 am
#1242
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Norn Iron
Posts: 244
I posted back on 1st March that UA were completely uncompetitive for flights I was interested in in September (DUB-MCO). I went ahead and booked with EI (better price and direct flight) but I have kept an eye on flight prices since.
Just today UA have reduced their fares down to £1160 - for practically every date between now and end of April. On my dates in September they had been £3600 - much more than a slight tweak.
I am no expert in yield management but I can tell exactly how much yield they are getting from me
Just today UA have reduced their fares down to £1160 - for practically every date between now and end of April. On my dates in September they had been £3600 - much more than a slight tweak.
I am no expert in yield management but I can tell exactly how much yield they are getting from me
Jun 19, 2017, 12:22 pm
#1243
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 184
SFO-DFW and SFO-ORD coming in double AA or AS for travel in July :-(
Jul 4, 2017, 3:44 pm
#1244
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
I know it's peak season, but do folks with any experience know if NYC-Oceania (SYD, MEL, or AKL) will get cheaper relative to prices now? I am seeing Y fares for a 10-day trip (12/22-1/1) all closer to $3k then $2k RT...and that's in Y...
Jul 5, 2017, 1:22 am
#1245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: MSP
Programs: DL PM, UA Gold, WN, Global Entry; +others wherever miles/points are found
Posts: 14,421
Prices (for all future dates) from the West Coast have been insane of late - asking $8k for a P fare! I suspect after the US summer buying spree ends things may go back to normal.