PineyBob

I have an idea.

Let's post our most outrageous "BloFares" along with whether we actually booked and paid for it and if not what was the alternative fare you found.

Spiff

Should we post the inventories of the airlines in question so that we can see whether it's an inventory situation or US attempting to gouge the consumer?

wahooflyer

Absolutely!

PineyBob

Post whatever you think will get their attention

jimcfsus

Let me pick a pair I did a week or so ago... CAK-PHL Mon 3/21 return Tue 3/22

US has 3 NS flights a day on PSA.

Cheapest set of flights is $636.20 on US web site

Went to AirTran... Could do it as low as $312.

Went to Delta... $777

NWA... 789

So, may not be a BloFare... looks like the other legacies do BloFares on this route too. Bad example here?

I'll bet PIT-PHL would be a good example... how about PIT-DTW or PIT-CVG? I'm too beat to look tonight.

PineyBob

How's this one:

4/7 - PHL-CLT AM
4/8 -CLT- PHL PM

BloFare = $1,016.40

PHL-RDU R/T is $78.40.
So what if I have to stay an extra day and leave Sat AM. Net savings is over $650.00

Like Forest Gump used to say "Stupid is as Stupid does"

jimcfsus

You could fly into RDU, rent a car (granted it's about 2.5 hours to CLT from RDU... your time is worth something), stop and get some barbeque along the way, stop at Carolina Mills on the way back, and still save a good chuck.

While watching the NCAA's tonight on the dish, the NY feeds have been showing DL Simpifare commercials "Good things just happen". Could you imagine the spin on that line with US?

wahooflyer

Not as bad as PHL-CLT, but for the same dates and times:

PIT-DCA, a 204-mile trip: $806.40

Flights have plenty of available seats. Believe it or not, even PIT-IAD (on Saab buzzbuckets, no less) is the same extortionate price, despite Independence Air flying this route for $163.40.

Live in Pittsburgh and have a business meeting in DC come up tomorrow (Friday March 18)? You'll pay $906.40 for a same-day return.

shinbal

BWI-PIT

$824.40 - available anytime without a sat night stay (then it's a mere $400)

In the comfort of an RJ (no more mainline), or - if you're lucky...a Dash-8 on some early morning flights.

NovaEngr

Same fares PHL-RIC (199 miles) for both a few mainline and some RJ. That must be their standard short-haul, no WN tarrifs.

Do they ever wonder why there is no O&D business on those routes?

wahooflyer

At least PHL-RIC has Amtrak (about 4 1/2 hours). PIT-BWI it's either 5 hours on I-70 or a BlowFare....until WN starts this route.

shinbal

It's called PREDATORY PRICING. Kinda like the oil companies are doing right now. They use Oil prices to justify increases in gas prices that, on a percentage basis, are way out of wack. Why? Because they CAN.

I once received a call from a US manager in CCY who was very concerned that I voiced, to two people, my opinions on US's predatory pricing practices for this market a few years back. His response to me was that BWI-PIT was a big feeder route, and that loads dictated the fare (BS); that demand was always through the roof (BS) and that they priced "with the market" (BS).

Well, it's not a feeder route anymore, and the flights I'm on....on RJ's and Dash-8's, are rarely full. And, by the end of the summer when WN does add PIT-BWI flights, the "market" will price significantly lower.

It's called predatory pricing.

gardener

With all due respect, you are showing your ignorance. The retail gasoline market is one of the most competitive markets on earth. It is often used in business schools as an example of perfect competition, i.e. the Shell station raises their price a penny a gallon and their pumps are empty while the BP station across the street has long lines at the pumps.

Crude pricing alone is only part of the picture. Refinery capacity, inventories both national and regional, transportation bottlenecks, all play a part in the highly competitive market for retail gasoline.

choster

It's not technically predatory, in the legal/economic sense of the word. I would let "extortionary" slide because they are exploiting a de facto monopoly on the route and they are pricing what the market will sustain for the limited service-- x seats at $x. When a competitor moves into the market, it may change to 2x at $x/3, but that competitor needs to show up first.

Predatory is what NW does: when a competitor moves into a market, undercut them so severely they need to close up shop, then raise them back again.

shinbal

don't worry....my ignorance shows a great deal. Sometimes I drool. I wasn't doing econ-101 so much as expressing an opinion that, the more something becomes a standard, the more it becomes accepted.

And, I have driven the bus WAAAAY off topic....with apologies to Piney and others who would rather hear about BloFares than my economic ignorance.

OH....and on the BloFares topic: I just purchased a $468 BWI-GSO for a midweek trip in two weeks.