What’s Happening With Domestic First Class Deals Now?

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The Elite Status Relationship: For years, FCF has been saying, “Don’t be loyal to one airline.” You’re being exploited. But we know: breaking up is hard to do. Still, open your eyes and close your heart, if you might. The Big Three are selling elite benefits, including the most important one, upgrades to First Class, to anyone who will pay. Selah.

They are also requiring elites to spend a certain amount of money—rather than only flying a certain amount of miles—to maintain elite status. They call this requirement Elite Qualifying Dollars (aka EQDs). They’re picking your pocket. Declare independence. For more on how to do so, go here.

ONE Reason to Be Blue

Transcon Fares on JetBlue: The airline that single-handedly drove down the cost of the Transcon (Los Angeles/San Francisco-New York, the highest-priced domestic route)—which used to be the job of airlines like America West and TWA—is now raising prices!

Fares these days range from $1,500 to $1,700+. What happened to $1,098? Now you can only get JetBlue’s lowest fare, $1,117, on Saturday departures; other days start at $1,317, but we seldom see that in reality.

FCF’s PERSPECTIVE

New Basic Economy Fares on United: According to the mainstream media, everyone is up in arms about United’s not offering elite credit (PQM, PQS, PQD) on basic economy fares, and that these fares are driving up the cost of regular economy tickets. Here are my two cents. Take the Los Angeles-Chicago route, on which a basic economy ticket starts at about $98 (no PQM, PQS, PQD), but chip in another $80 for regular economy and you earn elite credit as well as an assigned seat and the right to have a carry-on bag. Did basic economy drive up the price of regular economy? I don’t think so. I can’t remember a $100 round-trip ticket on this route, and $180 seems about right. I’m baffled by basic economy. Who would buy a seat that doesn’t allow a carry-on bag and probably puts you in a middle seat at the back of the plane?

I don’t think basic economy changed average ticket prices, that much, very often, from what we’re seeing. It is just bottom-fishing and there are always bottom fish. It could have been worse: United could have made the regular economy fare the basic economy fare.

But the real point is that elite status is an ego-boost of dangled promises—the allure of getting bumped up to a premium cabin, but how often do low- and mid-tier elites get an upgrade, these days?

What has/N’T Changed

Modest or No Change in First Class Fares: Let’s take the Washington, DC-Denver route, for example. Back in December 2016, the lowest First Class fare on United was $568; now it is $611—$43 increase over nine months; I can handle this type of a modest increase.

Similar story on Denver-Nashville: In December 2016, the lowest First Class on American was $580; now the lowest First Class fare on American is still $580—no change, nice going AA. All indications are that these two are trying to keep domestic First Class fares down (if only to make sure they don’t have to “give away” First Class seats to “elites”).

Delta Domestic First Class Fares on the Rise: Unlike American and United, Delta has increased fares on many domestic First Class routes. Back in December 2016, Delta had two First Class routes at $566 round-trip, Denver-NYC and Minneapolis-SFO at $566. Denver-New York now is $809, an increase of $243, and Minneapolis-San Francisco is $719, an increase of $153. Other routes also show such jumps. Being shackled to Delta seems to get worse by the week.

American Free Mileage Awards: In past years the carrier had decent free mileage award availability on major non-stop Transcon flights, such as Los Angeles/San Francisco-New York, and Los Angeles-Miami, Boston, Charlotte, and Philadelphia. But now, as American is discounting more and more premium seats, free award travel is nearly impossible—the downside to the upside of having low First Class fares.

Not only are elites being forsaken, but so are mileage accumulators, in general! (Yes, that’s American AAdvantage credit card users, now, too. Get out of jail here.)

Many will see the latest trend’s glass half empty, while many others half full.

You? Let’s us know your thoughts below…

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