Is this the future direction of yield management?
Feb 8, 2014, 7:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Atlantic Beach, Florida, USA
Posts: 1,000
Is this the future direction of yield management?
Daughter has recently moved to CLT and we're looking to make a quick visit in a few months, over a non-holiday weekend. These are the RT fares on all flights.
Thursday - Friday $650
Thursday - Saturday $426
Thursday - Sunday $259
Thoughts? Is this from the AA yield management playbook? Or standard fortress hub differentiation between business and leisure passengers?
Thursday - Friday $650
Thursday - Saturday $426
Thursday - Sunday $259
Thoughts? Is this from the AA yield management playbook? Or standard fortress hub differentiation between business and leisure passengers?
Feb 8, 2014, 8:00 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Pittsburgh
Programs: MR/SPG LT Titanium, AA LT PLT, UA SLV, Avis PreferredPlus
Posts: 30,987
I don't think supply and demand are anything new. Nor are different fare buckets that make higher fares available when lower fare buckets are exhausted.
Feb 8, 2014, 8:00 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: WAS, LAX
Programs: AS 100K
Posts: 1,330
Is this the future direction of yield management?
A lot of cheap RT fares on US have a 3 day minimum stay or require you to stay on Saturday night. That's what you're experiencing. AFAIK, nothing to do with the new AA.
Feb 8, 2014, 8:24 am
#4
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: AS MVP, Hhonors Gold, National Executive, Identity Gold, MLife Gold
Posts: 2,687
Seems odd that the option with a Sunday return is actually the cheapest. You should jump on it now! Great find!!
Feb 8, 2014, 8:54 am
#5
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott LTG, HHonors Diamond, Nat'l Exec
Posts: 3,581
Feb 8, 2014, 11:59 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: BNE/OOL temporarily-permanently at CAK/PIT
Programs: UA*1K & UA Club, National Ex. Elite, Hertz Pres. Circ., Amex Plat., CLEAR
Posts: 1,703
Nonstop flights to CLT that don't have competition have never been known for being cheap.
You should see prices out of CLE on UA; $800 roundtrip to MSP is not uncommon, which buys you the privilege of sitting for 2 1/2 hours each way on an ERJ-145.
You should see prices out of CLE on UA; $800 roundtrip to MSP is not uncommon, which buys you the privilege of sitting for 2 1/2 hours each way on an ERJ-145.
Feb 8, 2014, 1:11 pm
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
It's not only the future, it's also the past and the present.
The dirt cheap fare you found isn't one which a business traveller would generally want.
The dirt cheap fare you found isn't one which a business traveller would generally want.
Feb 8, 2014, 6:46 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: JFK > LGA >> EWR
Programs: AA EXP 1.2mm, Kimpton IC, Starwood Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,180
Requiring Saturday night stays for decent fares used to be the norm for all routes. These days it seems to have stuck only on routes without LCC competition. Be glad that most of your travel doesn't have this requirement!
Feb 8, 2014, 7:05 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Plat / OW Sapphire / Hyatt Diamond / Hilton Diamond
Posts: 72
Look for one way tickets that connect through CLT and just don't board the second flight or check a bag. This wail tell you if it's a CLT thing or just high prices across the board. Check aa.com to as the two systems have been pricing very differently lately.
Feb 8, 2014, 9:10 pm
#10
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Feb 9, 2014, 11:41 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 753
This is called hidden city ticketing which is forbidden in your contract of carriage. Do it at your own risk as you can be denied boarding, have your FF account cancelled, charged the difference in fares on the spot, etc. etc. etc.
Feb 9, 2014, 12:39 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2001
Location: LAX; AA EXP, MM; HH Gold
Posts: 31,789
A crude proxy to differentiate between business travelers and leisure travelers has always been the Saturday night stay requirement.
Has US Airways not been using this technique to "gouge" those spending OPM?
Sure, there are routes where the Saturday night stay requirement has been relaxed or abandoned, but it's still a pretty good way to empty the wallets of the business travelers while offering cheaper fares to leisure travelers.
Feb 9, 2014, 2:23 pm
#14
Join Date: Sep 2011
Programs: US Chairman, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 90
OPM - Other People's Money.
In general, this has been going on for 30+ years, so it's really nothing new. Most business travelers spending OPM (other people's money) don't want to stay at their destination until Sunday - they generally want to fly home so they can spend Saturdays and Sundays with their families.
A crude proxy to differentiate between business travelers and leisure travelers has always been the Saturday night stay requirement.
Has US Airways not been using this technique to "gouge" those spending OPM?
Sure, there are routes where the Saturday night stay requirement has been relaxed or abandoned, but it's still a pretty good way to empty the wallets of the business travelers while offering cheaper fares to leisure travelers.
A crude proxy to differentiate between business travelers and leisure travelers has always been the Saturday night stay requirement.
Has US Airways not been using this technique to "gouge" those spending OPM?
Sure, there are routes where the Saturday night stay requirement has been relaxed or abandoned, but it's still a pretty good way to empty the wallets of the business travelers while offering cheaper fares to leisure travelers.
Feb 9, 2014, 2:30 pm
#15
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904