Help Explain Big change in UA Availability overnight?
 

I looked up fares from IAH-SJD for Thanksgiving yesterday, looking to see availability in R which I think would allow me to upgrade using a RPU. The fare was $650 (S class) and showed a largely empty flight with R7. I went on today, 12 hours later, and the fare is $920 with low availability in all classes and R0. Any idea how an entire plane would sell out in 12 hours, so far out?

As an aside, I can't believe how high fares have gotten. Last year I booked to SJD from DCA for $300. Maybe I ail set a fare alert and hope fares go down.

website noticed you were looking it up and to teach you a lesson increased the prices. So next time you see good price you would buy :p
who knows, may be there was a sale that expired, may be a fare got pulled.

The fare getting pulled (or sale ending) would explain the fare difference but not the fact that 100 seats sold overnight or the change from R7 to R0

They may pull a fare class entirely. I think that on averages Tuesday/Wednesday have the lowest fares. I'd check EF or KVS and check the lowest fares filed.

Revenue management is constantly adjusting availability based on anticipated demand ... most likely some algorithm just shifted availability out of the lower fare buckets.

I fly a lot and I always fly during ThanX. A few years ago I noticed the Aug 1st effect. Of course it's anecdotal but for something like 4 years in a row I've seen prices go up on Aug 1st. I think the theory may be that in Aug people realize summer is coming to an end and must start thinking about ThanX while July 31st still feels like ThanX is far away. I've already purchased my ThanX tix so I cannot comment for this year on my routes

Sign out, empty your cookies (the computer's not your own) and try again. Sometimes makes a huge difference