Decrease in PHL-RDU F Fares
 

Fully refundable F fares on this route selling for $141+ tax or $151 all-in each way. Only a $15 premium fully refundable Coach (not Y fare basis) fares that I usually purchase on this route. Previously F was close to $1000 each way. Not that it'll move the bulk of my business back to US but this seems to be a good business decision. I only buy the cheaper restricted tickets on this route about half the time because I prefer the flexibility of the cheaper WN-matching Y fares. Now I will always buy the refundable F fare (I'm a UA 2P so no free upgrades). Revenue positive for US I guess.

Now if only they could do something about the PHL-BOS shocker fares.

there goes any hope of RDU-PHL upgrades :-(

I've read elsewhere (not sure whether here or US Aviation) that US has decided to match WN's business select fares with refundable F fares. (The $15 higher than refundable coach is the giveaway). So, assuming you're flying mainline, this is a pretty decent deal.

Until WN starts flying PHL-BOS, fares will remain ridiculous. PHL-CLE is similar, as, I'm guessing, is PHL-anywhere WN doesn't fly.

I am seeing some MHT-PHL fares F class 133.00 + tax (one-way).

That is really cheap.

With this kind of pricing, US Airways must be in a lot of trouble. Even though its a short hop, I've never seen US EVER price F class this low.

One can probably infer that they are losing last minute and walkup type traffic to business select on WN.

Pricing F that low might be a way to try to fend of WN in the short run, but one wonders how much it can help in the long run. If US isn't getting premium fares, given its higher costs, I'm hard to see how they are going to stay in business against WN.

Of course, I know I will soon be corrected by everyone on this board who will tell me how the Sandcastle is full of geniuses who have fought off WN for years out west. Notwithstanding that HP wasn't going to survive as a stand alone entity after 9/11 anyways, and that WN has already pwned US in PIT and BWI.

I think by now US Airways' revenue management team probably realizes that since they are at the bottom of pretty much everything, price is all they can compete on.