Delta Flights

[Dizzy4Dizney]

Hi,
THis is a general Delta question. We are going to Bermuda in May (Not Disney, first trip in 5 years that doesn't involve the Mouse) and my question is how come the flights can flutuate $200 overnight! One day it's $392, the next it's $620!!

Any answers????

 

[pumpkinboy]

Short answer: because they can.

But the real answer is probably something different. Perhaps a fare sale ended, perhaps they sold all the cheaper seats on that flight, perhaps a competitor raised prices, or a fare war ended... lots of reasons. Pricing and the old-line legacy carriers is fickle and opaque, and even those working for the airlines don't always understand it. The fact they they have traditionnaly screwed their best customers on an ongoing basis may have something to do with their current financial difficulty.

My advice is to keep watching the fares, be as flexible as you can in terms of dates and jump on a fare you like when you see it.

 

[Jillpie]

I always had the understanding that it was all computer generated. I heard that once the lowest fares are gone, the computer spits out the next tier of pricing and so on, till all the seats are gone.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Originally posted by Jillpie
I always had the understanding that it was all computer generated. I heard that once the lowest fares are gone, the computer spits out the next tier of pricing and so on, till all the seats are gone.

Actually, Jillpie old pal, that's only for their Song subsidiary. The main Delta part of it has that impenetrable and excessively complex fares rules that would take pages and pages just to summarize, with the ultimate goal of "yield maximization". That being said, it may very well be that they sold out the cheaper seats; but it also could be that their models told them they could be getting more for their seast already on offer, so they just raised the price.

Nice to see you, Jillpie; perhaps you've been away, or maybe just enjoying summer on the South Shore?

 

[Jillpie]

hi pumpkinboy . Shoot no, I've been here. But just after 10:00 at night or so, the kids have the computer control during the day. How many days till school now?

ok, that was an interesting perspective. I didn't know if all the airlines worked like Song, thanks for that insight. See you around!

 

[cruise-o-matic]

Go to the Delta site daily and wait for cheaper fares, then hop on them.

Keep going back to the site, if you see cheaper fares, call them. If the rep also has that fare, they will send you the difference in vouchers, good for future airfare.