back to back is illegal - but buy one ticke on airline 1 and another on airline 2, you pick up the cheap fare and can't be caught doing anything "bad".... -----Original Message----- From: The Airline List [mailto:AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU]On Behalf Of Liam Tully Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 8:09 PM To: AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU Subject: Re: If I ran United... Mark. My understanding is that "back to back" tickets are somewhat "frowned" upon by most, if not all carrier's - is that not correct? I might suggest to you that in the event of an IROP situation, or having to make a change en-route, your client with a B2B tkt. could find him/herself in a most uncomfortable situation. Liam. YVR. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark Greenwood" <mgreenwood@telus.net> To: <AIRLINE@LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU> Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 6:56 PM Subject: Re: If I ran United... > We don't get a stream of random customers walking through our doors because we > are not a store front agency. Yes it is more profitable to look after the > clients I already have. 80% of your business comes from 20% of your > customers. Very few of my clients travel on unrestricted tickets. With the > business climate the way it is, they are planning in advance or using back to > back tickets. Many of them are top tier frequent flyers and are often > upgrading from the 14 day advance purchase fare. > > Nick Laflamme wrote: > > > At 07:37 PM 5/3/2002 -0700, Mark Greenwood wrote: > > >How would doing away with FC adversely affect yield? Right now you have > > >someone who has paid the lowest fare possible occupying a high yield seat. > > > > You're kidding, right? They people who fly the most often fly on > > unrestricted tickets or on very short notice. They may have a 5% corporate > > discount worked out by their employer (I did when I was with Nortel), but > > that's 5% off a very high fare, not 5% off what the cheapest fare on the > > plane is! > > > > United got my business last year on four IAD-MSP round trips (through ORD, > > no less!) instead of NW because they treat me well, because I did lots of > > Star Alliance miles in 2000. (UA and LH were by far the easiest way to > > Hamburg when I was doing lots of IAD/HAM trips.) When I say "treat me > > well," I mean extra leg room in Economy Plus and a less busy check-in > > counter at most UA airports. If United decides the only perk I get for my > > consistent patronage of them is the occasional free flights, I'll spend > > down my current Mileage Plus balance on free tickets and then go back to > > choosing between Midwest Express (I miss Legend Airlines!) and Southwest > > depending on when I'm in economy mode or more-room-please mode. And instead > > of counting on my patronage to fill seats on twenty or fifty flights a > > year, UA will have to win over someone else to be their customer. > > > > Was I part of a niche worth being catered to when I worked for Nortel and > > travelled a lot as a consultant? United thought so. That's the whole basis > > of the FF programs: it's easier to retain (and milk) an established FF than > > it is to compete for other airlines' frequent fliers. > > > > Tell me, Mark (and you other travel agents), is it more profitable to take > > care of your established customers or to try to make a profit on a stream > > of random customers walking through your doors? > > > > Sigh, > > Nick >