Rapidly changed fare buckets on United.com
Nov 29, 2014, 4:41 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 2.3MM, Hyatt Gold, Hertz PC, Hilton Gold, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 371
Rapidly changed fare buckets on United.com
Anyone else having a problem with fare buckets mysteriously vanishing?? Just found R space for a return flight from Asia going through the East Coast. United.com showed V3 available, rep called rate desk to check on fare difference and during that call V, Q and H vanished with just M1 available and a sudden $1080 fare difference.
Not a happy camper in Osaka right now!
Not a happy camper in Osaka right now!
Nov 29, 2014, 4:51 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Denver, CO
Programs: UA 1K 2.3MM, Hyatt Gold, Hertz PC, Hilton Gold, Marriott Lifetime Platinum
Posts: 371
Yeah, but the weird thing is the V space on the TPAC is still available as is the R space but the one flight I could make same day EWR-DEN is the one where the fares disappeared and the magic $1080 M fare appeared!
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Nov 29, 2014 at 4:55 pm Reason: response to a deleted message, language
Nov 29, 2014, 4:57 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Airlines, train companies apply " dynamic pricing" . These are very sophisticated algorithms that "know" what will happen to a given flight. I think a one time CEO at United developed this system.
Nov 29, 2014, 5:16 pm
#6
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
Three seats is a family of three or a business sending three people to a meeting. That happens tens of thousands of times a day around the world. It happened on your flight. Early bird got the worm.
Nov 29, 2014, 5:24 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
United and most other airlines basically don't use dynamic pricing at all. And Amtrak certainly doesn't. I think maybe you're talking about a basic fare and availability system.
Nov 29, 2014, 7:55 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: US Air, UA BA LH AI DELTA MARRIOTT CHOICE SGP
Posts: 9,883
Elsewhere I have also read that if one first browses fares....comes back later, the same fare goes up. Therefore the advice is clear cookies or use a different browser.
Seen this on foreign airlines and trains also.
Nov 29, 2014, 8:21 pm
#9
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA LT Plat 2MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 67,051
Nov 29, 2014, 8:31 pm
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,647
Nov 29, 2014, 8:43 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Washington
Programs: United 1K 1MM, Marriott Plat, Hilton Gold, Hertz Prez
Posts: 250
Nov 29, 2014, 9:54 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: NYC / TYO / Up in the Air
Programs: UA GS 1.7MM, AA 2.1MM, EK, BA, SQ, CX, Marriot LT, Accor P
Posts: 6,409
I had this happen to me earlier today - basically I was told that the web interface is out of sync with the base system. I booked a flight to Austria this morning because it showed PN4 available on the flight I wanted. It ticketed immediately and then the outbound upgrade was not available. I called GS line and they said PN0 is what their system shows - so I made them try and book a one way flight and sure enough it showed PN4 - on the web system....
So, I cancelled the ticket as they refused to open up PN space. Moral of the story - the website isn't always reliable indicator of real space - which in fairness they warn us about when we enable expert mode...
So, I cancelled the ticket as they refused to open up PN space. Moral of the story - the website isn't always reliable indicator of real space - which in fairness they warn us about when we enable expert mode...
Nov 29, 2014, 10:50 pm
#14
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 8,634
No, this is just a myth or (sometimes) a website with a bad search feature. Most airlines use simple fares that are widely published to GDS systems. No dynamic pricing.
Nov 29, 2014, 11:46 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: LAX
Posts: 301
Rapidly changed fare buckets on United.com
Seeing weird stuff happening with a flight tomorrow I'm trying to SDC into that I've been monitoring all day...just now, in the span of 10-15 min, it went from Y9 to Y0, only F1 available...