Winning at the Airfare Game

[Dave]

would appreciate any advice on this one -

 

I've been hired for IML in chicago (may 23-25), and will be with my client for that weekend. as such, I'm advertising my availability in chicago for as early as may 21, and can stay on up to may 27, should anyone want to hire me between those additional times.

 

since I don't yet know how I might be booked, is is better for me to:

- wait and buy a ticket later (yikes, how high can tickets go?) or,

- buy a ticket now and plan on paying a change fee should I need to tweak my dates (locking price in now, but figuring I will have to pay more later) or,

- buy a flex fare ticket now (ouch) or,

- take some other course of action? if so, what would that be?

 

thanks in advance -

[nate_sf]

You could look at booking some tickets on Southwest. Whenever I'm not sure how fixed my dates are I'll book on Southwest knowing they can be changed or cancelled without penalties. Worse thing happens you cancel a ticket and hold a credit for another time, again with no penalty. For an upcoming trip I have to Atlanta I know my arrival date is certain but I'm less certain about departure, so booked the arrival on my usual carrier and the departure on SWA.

 

I understand they're looking at changing some of these policies, which would be too bad, but as long as they remain you might as well take advantage of them.

[zach_wilson]

Dear dave, I have had to change my dates on tickets before you simply call the airline and tell them that you wont be able to make the dates originally schedule the ticket is then put on a hold status you will use the same confirmation number as originally used and can change the dates as needed usually free of charge to a couple dollars extra. I have even changed the destination before doing this with no fee other than tax of maybe 5 dollars. I know that united does this im not sure on delta or other airlines i would call and ask the representative how this would work. Hope this helps hun. Was great seeing you

[jimboivyo]

Dear dave, I have had to change my dates on tickets before you simply call the airline and tell them that you wont be able to make the dates originally schedule the ticket is then put on a hold status you will use the same confirmation number as originally used and can change the dates as needed usually free of charge to a couple dollars extra. I have even changed the destination before doing this with no fee other than tax of maybe 5 dollars. I know that united does this im not sure on delta or other airlines i would call and ask the representative how this would work. Hope this helps hun. Was great seeing you

 

every airline has a change fee. that's standard ways for them to make profit

 

between $100-200 for a change of any kind to the original flights. they don't hold the ticket but give you credit based on the confirmation number for a future flight. when you go to rebook the ticket, they will indeed charge you a rebook fee

[+ Cash4Trash]

I would book now and advertise for clients who want to join the mile high club. That way your flight will be covered and that snotty kid with the attitude problem will never get to take a piss.

[rickp]

Not every airline. Southwest for some reason does not charge a change fee. They're the only airline I know of that does not.

every airline has a change fee. that's standard ways for them to make profit

 

between $100-200 for a change of any kind to the original flights. they don't hold the ticket but give you credit based on the confirmation number for a future flight. when you go to rebook the ticket, they will indeed charge you a rebook fee

[Dave]

thanks guys - very helpful advice / insight. will definitely look into southwest.

 

cash4trash, don't you know I am that snotty kid with the attitude problem?

I can always find some place to take a piss. IMO toilets are overrated

 

c4t, do you wanna join my mile high club? I seem to have trouble getting back to new york. we might have a better chance meeting in an aircraft bathroom, than in manhattan.

[Steven_Draker]

Often, when I'm flown to a city and my client takes care of my airfare, I'd ask him whether he minds if I extend my trip after our mutual commitment is over. In my case this is usually done after the main assignment is over, never before.

 

Dave, Southwest has direct flights from Chicago Midway to BWI. ;-)

[+ Cash4Trash]

How about a couple of days in NY last week of April or first week of May? "Here Lies Love" will be up and running at The Public by then. As usual, I'll spend more time on our entertainment

schedule than what I'd like to do in bed. I have a lovely toilet in the bathroom for your piss. Your most loyal, most vanilla client.

[Dave]

How about a couple of days in NY last week of April or first week of May? "Here Lies Love" will be up and running at The Public by then. As usual, I'll spend more time on our entertainment

schedule than what I'd like to do in bed. I have a lovely toilet in the bathroom for your piss. Your most loyal, most vanilla client.

I would love that! it will be so good to see you again!

 

and Here Lies Love - with you? woo hoo!! I've been listening to its music for more months than the number of court cases Imelda's been acquitted for (I think it's 32, out of a total of 901). remind me to tell you about my own experience with Malacañang Palace in Manila...

 

ok, how about sometime between may 7th and 12th? I can be in NYC any/all of that time. guess I should contact you directly on this - otherwise I'm hijacking my own thread, heh heh.

 

speaking of which - hey Steven, dank je wel for the BWI tip. I was getting a bit bogged down in southwest's stopovers via DCA, so that's super-helpful to know.

[Steven_Draker]

hey Steven, dank je wel for the BWI tip. I was getting a bit bogged down in southwest's stopovers via DCA, so that's super-helpful to know.

 

You're welcome, Dave. Anytime.

 

Please note also the considerable difference in airfare prices. The Southwest flights MDW-BWI are more interesting price-wise than the connecting flights with stopovers from Midway to DCA. Amtrak service will take you from BWI airport to DC's Union Station in 35 min.

[Michael Wayne]

I actually like and prefer Southwest however many of my clients hate it and feel like herded cows when they fly southwest. For me price is everything when it comes to flying so i love Southwest.

[instudiocity]

I actually like and prefer Southwest however many of my clients hate it and feel like herded cows when they fly southwest. For me price is everything when it comes to flying so i love Southwest.

Every airline that competes in the same market with Southwest offers the same exact low prices as Southwest. But because Southwest has built a brand as having the lowest fares, Southwest has built a loyalty base like you Mikey. Bottom line is every flight has at least six different fares paid by the passengers on the flight.

 

The other airlines monitor Southwest fares (and every other competitor) and set their fares at the same levels. Delta, United, American all offer the exact same fare as Southwest - just not allocating many seats to that price point. However, since Southwest has the reputation as the lowest fare, it sells out of those low fare seats ahead of their competitors, then charges higher prices. The website makes it look like you missed the lowest fare opportunity because of timing, but it's because the mix of seat allocations sets up the higher prices for the balance of the seats.

 

I heard once that Southwest flights are break-even at 70% capacity and that they're profitable above that level. But the lowest fare on their flights is only on the first 30-35% of the seats, after that, their pricing rises so that profitability can be achieved above 70% capacity. Competition has come bear on this as well as Southwest once vaunted fuel futures purchase program, but the airline's profitability record is outstanding in it's business.

 

But to say Southwest is the 'low-price leader' is to buy into their advertising, not the truth. They charge THROUGH THE NOSE as often as they can, too. I have often picked up the lowest fare seat from other airlines after Southwest has sold it's quota of lower fare seats on a route.

 

Blindly booking one airline builds brand loyalty and maybe more frequent reward flights on that particular airline, but only at the cost of more marginal dollars being spent per flight.

[bigvalboy]

Every airline that competes in the same market with Southwest offers the same exact low prices as Southwest. But because Southwest has built a brand as having the lowest fares, Southwest has built a loyalty base like you Mikey. Bottom line is every flight has at least six different fares paid by the passengers on the flight.

 

The other airlines monitor Southwest fares (and every other competitor) and set their fares at the same levels. Delta, United, American all offer the exact same fare as Southwest - just not allocating many seats to that price point. However, since Southwest has the reputation as the lowest fare, it sells out of those low fare seats ahead of their competitors, then charges higher prices. The website makes it look like you missed the lowest fare opportunity because of timing, but it's because the mix of seat allocations sets up the higher prices for the balance of the seats.

 

I heard once that Southwest flights are break-even at 70% capacity and that they're profitable above that level. But the lowest fare on their flights is only on the first 30-35% of the seats, after that, their pricing rises so that profitability can be achieved above 70% capacity. Competition has come bear on this as well as Southwest once vaunted fuel futures purchase program, but the airline's profitability record is outstanding in it's business.

But to say Southwest is the 'low-price leader' is to buy into their advertising, not the truth. They charge THROUGH THE NOSE as often as they can, too. I have often picked up the lowest fare seat from other airlines after Southwest has sold it's quota of lower fare seats on a route.

 

Blindly booking one airline builds brand loyalty and maybe more frequent reward flights on that particular airline, but only at the cost of more marginal dollars being spent per flight.

 

+1 Precisely!!.....I am by no means an expert on air travel, but I criss-cross the country enough to realize that on any given day or time, almost every airline out there is competitive with one another. I hold no loyalty, except to say that through my travel agent (and yes he can often find cheaper fares than Priceline/Orbitz...etc.) I have found that Virgin America has been very competitive. Like Southwest however, they don't fly everywhere, so I jump around. If it is a short hopper, I'll fly anyone that I think will get me there in one piece.

[instudiocity]

If it is a short hopper, I'll fly anyone that I think will get me there in one piece.

And as Groucho Marx would say, "And he's not just talking airlines..." LOL!

 

PS. I had one Bombay Sapphire when I wrote that.

[bigvalboy]

And as Groucho Marx would say, "And he's not just talking airlines..." LOL!

 

PS. I had one Bombay Sapphire when I wrote that.

 

Freakin hilarious... ;) AND God bless Bombay Sapphire. Oh yeah, and God bless Groucho Marx.