Most, if not all airlines try and catch back-to-back by having a clause tha= t threatens cancellation of all outstanding segments if you book segments tha= t you don=B9t intend to travel on. The classic definition of back-to-back yield= s a situation where you physically can=B9t take the flights you=B9ve booked. WN may permit it, but they have clauses regarding the use of unused segment= s that make it unappealing. WN also have pricing that differs from major=B9s standard pricing practice; their pricing is mostly segment based rather tha= n round-trip discounting. Matthew=20 On 5/6/02 8:18 PM, "Addison Schonland" <addison@schonland.com> wrote: > 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".... >=20 > -----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... >=20 >=20 > Mark. >=20 > My understanding is that "back to back" tickets are somewhat "frowne= d" > upon > by most, if not all carrier's - is that not correct? I might suggest to y= ou > that in the > event of an IROP situation, or having to make a change en-route, your cli= ent > with > a B2B tkt. could find him/herself in a most uncomfortable situation. >=20 > Liam. > YVR. >=20 >=20 > ----- 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... >=20 >=20 >> > 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. Wi= th > 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 y= ou > have >>>> > > >someone who has paid the lowest fare possible occupying a high yi= eld > 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 o= n the >>> > > plane is! >>> > > >>> > > United got my business last year on four IAD-MSP round trips (throu= gh > ORD, >>> > > no less!) instead of NW because they treat me well, because I did l= ots > 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 s= pend >>> > > down my current Mileage Plus balance on free tickets and then go ba= ck to >>> > > choosing between Midwest Express (I miss Legend Airlines!) and Sout= hwest >>> > > 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 flight= s 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 Nort= el > and >>> > > travelled a lot as a consultant? United thought so. That's the whol= e > 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 >> > >=20