What is Delta up to??

[writerguyfl]

Detroit is one of Delta's minor hubs IIRC.

FYI: It's a hub, but not a minor one. Detroit is Delta's second busiest hub airport. It's the primary hub for Delta flights to Asia for the eastern third of the United States.

For example, if you want to get to Beijing, your only options on Delta are to connect through Detroit or Seattle. Or, if you're going to Nagoya Japan, it's Detroit or Honolulu.

I have know idea what's going on. Called twice and got 2 different answers.

1) they are no longer available in our area. I don't believe that.
2)My second call the guy could not understand why the seats were not available.

My best guess is that Delta knows they don't need to sell their cheapest fares (Basic Economy) during the Spring Break period into Florida in order to fill their planes. As such, they don't load then into the system.

That scenario explains both answers. I'd bet the first person with which you spoke is an "old-timer" who has worked for Delta back when Basic Economy was only available to certain markets. She or he equates not having fares loaded to mean they are not available to that market...because that's how it used to work.

The second person likely knows that Basic Economy exists on the Flint-Orlando route. But, he might not realize that Delta is purposely restriction that fare for that time period. Either he didn't read a memo or Delta didn't inform their agents.

To be crystal clear, I'm speculating. But, I've worked in and followed the travel industry for decades. That experience includes selling airfare in a call center environment. So, it's at least an educated guess.

 

[jec6613]

FYI: It's a hub, but not a minor one. Detroit is Delta's second busiest hub airport. It's the primary hub for Delta flights to Asia for the eastern third of the United States.

For example, if you want to get to Beijing, your only options on Delta are to connect through Detroit or Seattle. Or, if you're going to Nagoya Japan, it's Detroit or Honolulu.



My best guess is that Delta knows they don't need to sell their cheapest fares (Basic Economy) during the Spring Break period into Florida in order to fill their planes. As such, they don't load then into the system.

That scenario explains both answers. I'd bet the first person with which you spoke is an "old-timer" who has worked for Delta back when Basic Economy was only available to certain markets. She or he equates not having fares loaded to mean they are not available to that market...because that's how it used to work.

The second person likely knows that Basic Economy exists on the Flint-Orlando route. But, he might not realize that Delta is purposely restriction that fare for that time period. Either he didn't read a memo or Delta didn't inform their agents.

To be crystal clear, I'm speculating. But, I've worked in and followed the travel industry for decades. That experience includes selling airfare in a call center environment. So, it's at least an educated guess.

Basically this: the fare bucket is full. It may not have had any seats to begin with, but it probably did have some, just not many, and now you're later and have to pay into a higher fare bucket. Short of somebody cancelling their tickets, there almost certainly won't be any basic economy fares added to it.

High demand dates and times are unfortunately like this.