SW new fare categories

[sb127]

Visit their website and see an explanation of the new fare categories. It looks like Business Select will have A boarding passes. There will only be three categories; Business Select, Business and WannaGet Away (web only fares).

 

[DMRick]

Sounds like they are trying to grab some business for businessmen, and the rest of us will have to take the leftovers

 

[LisaS]

Thanks for the heads up. I am waiting for SWA to release their flight schedule tomorrow and I'm glad I had a chance to read about all of the fare changes today. These are big changes. So much for the hope that we might one day get to reserve an A boarding pass in advance for, say, $10 or so per person. It looks like that option will probably cost closer to $100! At least they throw in a free drink!

 

[Lewisc]

I don't think they're getting rid of all the fare buckets so much as only showing the lowest restricted fare online.

Airlines don't make money off DIS members who book a low internet fare and then re-book with a lower DING fare.

We may get to the point where a low DING fares means middle seats.

Should an airline offer the "good seats" to passengers who book discounted fares when the schedule is released, to passengers who are willing to check in exactly 24 hours before their flight or to passengers who are more profitable?

 

[CarolA]

Visit their website and see an explanation of the new fare categories. It looks like Business Select will have A boarding passes. There will only be three categories; Business Select, Business and WannaGet Away (web only fares).

Very interersting. It ties in with what a lot of us have been saying "it's pay for A" Time!

 

[CarolA]

I don't think they're getting rid of all the fare buckets so much as only showing the lowest restricted fare online.

Airlines don't make money off DIS members who book a low internet fare and then re-book with a lower DING fare.

We may get to the point where a low DING fares means middle seats.

Should an airline offer the "good seats" to passengers who book discounted fares when the schedule is released, to passengers who are willing to check in exactly 24 hours before their flight or to passengers who are more profitable?

I agree that there will be several "on line fares"

As to should they be willing to offer the good seats to "profitable" passengers.... with oil at $100 yesterday they may not have a choice but to court those passengers who pay a LOT!

 

[sb127]

Also check the Rapid Rewards perk on the main page. Rapid Rewards A-list.

 

[CarolA]

Update

I "stole" this from www.flyertalk.com where a poster summarized the call.

"Kevin Krone speaking

fare display
currently 8 fare classes
down to three displayed fare classes, but behind the scenes expanded to 15 fare classes
discount fares into "wanna get away" column
if the business select benefits are important to you, you now have that option
wanna get away shows fare range, customer will apparently be given the option to purchase only the lowest option on that flight
"no reason to show a $59 fare when $49 is available"
(interesting that WN changes its fare matrix shortly after AA changed theirs to mostly match WN - curbcrusher)
business select looks like a roughly 20% premium over business (existing full fare)"


Based on the notes from the press call this AM it appears that about 10% of the seats on a plane will be available to Business Select.

Now we sit back and wait for the DIS fireworks

 

[Tara]

From the demo on their website, it does look like they are getting rid of the other fare categories and going with the three new ones.

 

[CarolA]

From the demo on their website, it does look like they are getting rid of the other fare categories and going with the three new ones.

Not really... according the info they are only DISPLAYING three categoires. There will still be lots of fares avaialble. (And I think this makes more sense. I never really got the difference between "Restricted" and "internet" LOL!)

 

[Tara]

Not really... according the info they are only DISPLAYING three categoires. There will still be lots of fares avaialble. (And I think this makes more sense. I never really got the difference between "Restricted" and "internet" LOL!)

Right - I think we were actually saying the same thing, but I originally misunderstood and thought you/others were saying that all the old categories (like restricted...whatever that meant) would still display along with the new categories.

 

[CarolA]

Just received from SW

New Ways We're Proving How Much We Respect Your Time!
Southwest Airlines is thrilled to announce that starting tomorrow, November 8, 2007, we’ll be rolling out some exciting new changes that will save you valuable time on your next trip with us!

Enhanced Boarding – Now when you check in you’ll be assigned a boarding group (A, B, or C) and a position within that group (ex: A32) so there’s no need to wait in line. Simply board the plane when your group is called and find your favorite seat.
The Rapid Rewards A-List – Just fly 16 roundtrips in 12 months and we’ll put you on our A-List where we’ll reserve you the best boarding pass available on all your flights for an entire year, which means you’ll most likely get an A boarding pass.

Log into your MySouthwest® account on southwest.com tomorrow to see how close you are to making it on the A-List. Members who qualify for the A-List as of November 8, 2007, will be receiving notification either by postal mail or e-mail within 3 to 5 days.
Freedom Awards – You can now convert two Standard Awards into one Freedom Award. With the exception of a few blackout dates, Freedom Awards are not subject to seat restrictions on Southwest Airlines flights, so if a seat’s available, it’s yours!
Business Select – When you purchase this new fare, you can guarantee that you’ll be among the first to board, and you’ll also get extra Rapid Rewards credit and a free drink to boot!
Simplified Fare Choices – Our fare choices are now even simpler! We’ve done the shopping for you, so it’s easy to find the perfect fare to meet all your travel needs.
Updated Gate Areas – We’re redesigning our gate areas to give you a more comfortable and productive space that will include comfy seats, power stations, a family area in which to enjoy those preflight moments!
Get complete details on all of these new enhancements

 

[NotUrsula]

[sound of silly chanting] I called it! I called it!

I've been saying for years now that the simplest way to fix the complaints of business flyers about having their time wasted would be to give an automatic A-pass to anyone who paid full-fare. This announcement confirms that I guessed it right.

Pay full price ["Business Select"] and you get an automatic A, no waiting, no advance check in time pressure. Buy a discount fare and you get to spend a little bit more of your time on getting your best choice of seat. Seems like a completely fair trade-off to me.

 

[suevee]

I know Select Business is automatically an A, but if you get the Wannabee and check in early could you still get an A pass or would it automatically be a B pass? I am a little confused. Thanks

 

[CarolA]

From everything I am reading on Flyertalk, you can still get an A if you are a "want to get away" However, it might get harder.

If the plane seats 220, 22 might be held for "business select" so that leaves 23 A passes. Some of those could easily go to the "A listers" so let's say 10. That leaves 13 A boarding passes..... and if your flight has a lot of folks who are connecting from someplace else you chances probably just disappeared!

 

[NotUrsula]

It occurs to me to ask the interesting question of what happens when Dad is an A-lister and puts the itinerary for the family on his account. Does everyone on the itinerary get the automatic A, or just that person? So if Dad checks in at, say, 6 hours out from departure, will he get an A and everyone else in the family gets a C, or does the whole party on the itinerary get what the A-lister gets?

Hmmm, I'll have to watch the Southwest blog and see what they say about this.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

From everything I am reading on Flyertalk, you can still get an A if you are a "want to get away" However, it might get harder.

If the plane seats 220, 22 might be held for "business select" so that leaves 23 A passes. Some of those could easily go to the "A listers" so let's say 10. That leaves 13 A boarding passes..... and if your flight has a lot of folks who are connecting from someplace else you chances probably just disappeared!

I understood that SWA was going to increase the number of "A" passes to 60 and do away with the "C" passes.

 

[Tara]

I understood that SWA was going to increase the number of "A" passes to 60 and do away with the "C" passes.

I read this on the boards, but on the flights I took once the numbers started appearing, I was a B with a number below 60...47 or 48, I think.

 

[CarolA]

It occurs to me to ask the interesting question of what happens when Dad is an A-lister and puts the itinerary for the family on his account. Does everyone on the itinerary get the automatic A, or just that person? So if Dad checks in at, say, 6 hours out from departure, will he get an A and everyone else in the family gets a C, or does the whole party on the itinerary get what the A-lister gets?

Hmmm, I'll have to watch the Southwest blog and see what they say about this.

According to a SW "insider" on www.flyertalk.com only Dad gets the A...... All other are subject to when they check in.

 

[tjmw2727]

I understood that SWA was going to increase the number of "A" passes to 60 and do away with the "C" passes.

Yes- that is what I read and at Orlando yesterday they had the new "posts" installed numbered 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 etc, they go through to 30 on one side and then 31-35, etc to 60 on the other. So you will line up in two rows, 1-30 and 31-60 on either side for A, B and then the remaining BP's if any will be C's.

We fly SWA again in December, January and depending on fares tomorrow possibly again in March so this should be interesting.

TJ