Why do I have to pay more airfare for more people?

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

I'm totally confused....for Delta when I put in 6 tickets...my return flight goes up $50 per person?? If I put in 4 tickets...it goes down $50. I guess they only sell a certain amount per price bracket...but when I look at the seats available...the more expensive flight actually has more seats available than the cheaper ones?? What am I missing? I'm wondering if I should just wait to book....my flight isn't till August.

 

[francie57]

Most airlines do the same thing, there are only so many seats at the lower price and once they are gone the next price takes over. You can book the 4 seats at the lower price and then book the final 2 seats at the higher price. Since you can choose your seats at the time of booking you would still be able to get all the seats together.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Airlines have "buckets" of inventory at different prices. Let's say a given flight uses a plane with 130 economy seats. Based on historical data, the airline calculates it can sell 30 tickets at full coach fare (typically to business travelers making short-notice plans) and 40 tickets at a reduced coach fare, but that the remaining 50 spots need be priced at a cheap promotional fare.

Now assume only 4 tickets are left at the cheap promotional fare. If you want to buy 4 tickets, the computer offers the cheap promotional fare to you. But is you want more than 4 seats, it pulls from the next category up.

The reality is that it's more complicated than my example above. There are usually far more than 3 categories of inventory, and inventory can move from one "bucket" to another based on actual sales patterns. The airlines have become quite sophisticated at maximizing the yield for each flight.

 

[CTtwins]

You should also try to buy 5 tickets and then buy the other one. You might be able to get 5 at the lower rate.

I've had to do this.. I just make sure to put one of the adults on the separate ticket (and not one of the kids)

 

[Brian Noble]

...and, after you are done, call and have the tickets combined onto one "Passenger Name Record". That way, you will be treated as a single group again.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I'm totally confused....for Delta when I put in 6 tickets...my return flight goes up $50 per person?? If I put in 4 tickets...it goes down $50. I guess they only sell a certain amount per price bracket...but when I look at the seats available...the more expensive flight actually has more seats available than the cheaper ones?? What am I missing? I'm wondering if I should just wait to book....my flight isn't till August.

1. Seat maps tell you nothing. You are tryiing to draw a "picture" that does not exist. Revenue management is a lot more complaicated then a seat map.

2. You first part is right. There are 4 seats at the price you want. That's it. What you can do is buy the first 4 seats at price one, the next two at price 2 and call Delta and ask them to join the records so you stay togethere.

3. August is a while out. You might get a sale, you might not.... However, you might also get a schedule change.. Personally I would wait a while.

 

[Blessed_wth_Triplets]

If the schedule does change will delta let me switch flights at no charge?

 

[cel_disney]

I have had several schedule changes or flight cancellations with Delta and have always been able to change flights at no charge if the changes are more than 5-10 minutes etc.

 

[sam_gordon]

If the schedule does change will delta let me switch flights at no charge?

Generally yes. It depends on the schedule change time. I think anything over an hour change they MUST allow the change with no penalty. Anything under an hour (again I think) is at Delta's discretion.

Contrary to what OrangeCountyCommuter suggests, if the tickets available now are at a price I'm happy with, I'd book them now. I don't believe in waiting, HOPING the price will go down. YMMV