Comments on: Friday Dismal Thread

By: How to get a cheaper flight - Brokekid.net

How to get a cheaper flight - Brokekid.net — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 13:35:14 +0000

[...] My co-blogger at Crooked Timber Ted Barlow points out that it is possible to save money on last-minute flights by booking a hotel room with your flight even if you don’t need nor plan to use a hotel room. I recently made a one-night trip from Houston to Chicago with very little notice. I managed to save almost $200 off of the lowest-price plane ticket by adding a hotel room at a Super 8 outside of Gary, IN, which I didn’t use. [...]

By: pagoff

pagoff — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 15:53:11 +0000

I flew last week at the last minute from Minneapolis to Seattle (one way) on NW airlines. The first quote at 10PM the evening before was about $620. On the way to the airport 8 hours later it was $215. No hotel required. The airlines I guess wanted to fill the last few seats and offered this pricing, perhaps in response to their competition.

It does nothing however to assure the consumer of value. Rather we are simply pawns in the game of airline roulette.

By: Tracy W

Tracy W — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 06:35:49 +0000

I’ll add another puzzler. I went to book a one-way flight from Christchurch to Wellington. The price was $180. For a return flight it was $150. For the same flights (same day, same time).

Now $140 one-way vs $150 return I could understand – you could make an argument about price-fixing. But any rational person, tourist or businesss traveller, faced with the pricing above would buy the return and fail to turn up at the airport for the return flight. (In the event, we changed our plans due to car problems and flew both ways.)

The sales agent couldn’t give me an answer and just kept repeating “well, it’s company policy and I don’t set the policy.”

By: 'As you know' Bob

'As you know' Bob — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 04:58:00 +0000

Up at #11, Gus was noting that a last-minute walk-in off the street usually gets a better room price than the person who has made a reservation.

IANAEconomist, but my understanding is that if the hotel still has a room available, the clock is ticking for them – the hotel is running out of time to get some revenue out of it. Anything they get for it at the last minute is better than an empty room. Money coming in, better occupancy stats for their managers. And a walk-in is not likely to cancel – but a walk-in just might get back in their car and keep looking if the hotel tries to price-gouge them.

By: John Quiggin

John Quiggin — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 01:35:18 +0000

it might pay to be careful, given Eszter’s recent experience. The airline might demand proof that you’ve checked in to the hotel before they let you board the return flight.

That would be rational if the aim is price discrimination.

By: David Sucher

David Sucher — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:07:41 +0000

You also have to be careful with reservation systems in terms of performance. Here's my (bad) experience with Alaska Air.

By: des von bladet

des von bladet — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 13:23:36 +0000

Nice idea, Jet, but I process external stimuli at rates that become a liability at any speed faster than walking, as any number of my frazzled co-drivers (“passengers”) will attest.

Also, I’m Yoorpean enough that communal transport continues to strike me as a very excellent idea—I’m off to Amsterdam next week to audition their nice trams, hoorah!

By: jet

jet — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 04:18:54 +0000

Build your own airplane and stop overpaying to get strip searched and packed into a sardin can.

By: Zilch

Zilch — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 11:58:23 +0000

Simple question:
do both airplane tickets have the same restrictions.
the $606 dollar one might be a (partially) unrestricted ticket, allowing for date change, refund and all, the other one might just be part of a promotion.
check the conditions before you make a comparison as you might find the $606 is for instance a full fare ticket, in which case airlines have to abide by certain rules (iata internationally, inside US is different i believe).
Just checking right now, seems delta has a fare $545.12 plus tax retrun on that route, which would be the $606 one (fare basis:Q0BNV). and the other cheaper fare might be part of a package arranged with the travel agent, Travelocity.

the logic behind it is that any class of service is gonna be composed of different fares, and they’d obviously rather fly you at $150 (which covers costs) rather than an empty seat.

By: Bill Humphries

Bill Humphries — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 09:45:55 +0000

Orbitz has the same program. I recently flew back to see family in Dallas, never cheap due to American Airline’s control of DFW (and the Wright Amendment.) R/T advance purchase fares from the Bay Area ran between $480 and $600.

An air package with a room at a Marriot a few blocks from my dad’s house was $411, so my girlfriend and I got a good deal, and my father’s dog didn’t wake us up at 4:30 in the morning.

The packages seem to be pitched at excursion travel, but given the number of hotel options offered around Dallas, a business traveler might find them useful too. But I priced a trip for a long weekend, not during the working week.

By: Fred Vincy

Fred Vincy — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 04:57:24 +0000

I just saved a lot the same way on a one way trip to Boston. There were 5 or so hotels I could choose from that made my flight cheaper than without the hotel, so I don’t buy the idea that this has to do with Super 8 not appealing to business travelers. Bad software also seems doubtful. My guess is that something in Travelocity’s agreements with the airlines (or, more likely, the hotels) necessitates it.

By: Buce

Buce — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 03:40:43 +0000

Why do hotel prices differ? Because it costs less than $10 per day to “turn the room”—maid service, chocolates on the pillow, whatever. Anything above $10 is return on capital—debt service or earnings to equity. IOW, at $10.01, the owner is better off letting the room than letting it sit empty. Every hotel knows this, and acts accordingly. The true fancies say they never discount because they have reps to protect, but don’t believe them.

By: epist

epist — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:33:30 +0000

Why don’t you poke around a bit on the price engine? Is the difference the same in cases where other pertinent variables are different? Say, with a 14 day advance, in business rather than coach, etc? The pattern you see there might tell you if and how the engine is returning such a low price for the last-minute trips. Good to know tho- I’ll keep that in mind next time I have to fly immediately.

By: Right Reason

Right Reason — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 23:18:13 +0000

Quasi-Racism

Several well known left of center blogs have been enjoying a fine set-to in the last few days, occasioned by the recent TV series based on Jared Diamond’s book, Guns, Germs, and Steel. There are distinct echoes of the recent…

By: gus

gus — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:55:02 +0000

I work at a hotel and I can’t figure it out. I gave up trying to understand why someone who walked in
off the street pays $99.00 up 139.00 per night depending on day. And someone with a reservation will be paying from 174.00 to 204.00