Southwest's Internet-only sale offers transcontinental round-trip fares of $198 or less.

Buy only on their website by March 22 for travel March 7 - Aug. 5. Buy at least 7 days in advance and within a day of making the online reservation.

V, Joe, JohnSr,

Please excuse my ignorance....but it seems National, Southwest, American West are currently locked in dueling discounts, but only from "thier" web sites.
What markets do all 3 share?

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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

I don't know Lee. I would suggest printing a route map from each website and comparing them.

I think a big key is that a website is much cheaper, easier, and more efficient to operate than a human based reservations center. I think Air JMT has a res center in about 12 different cities. Each of these requires a property, a warehouse sized climate controlled building, tons of equipment, hundreds of personel, and all the human expenses, problems, and administration. I can see where an airline would go to great lengths to get their customers to book on-line.

I book on-line because I can select my own options at my own pace, I can compare options, I keep paperwork to a minimum, and not deal with a phone messenger to tell me to push 1 for domestic travel, 2 for frequent flier, etc. Also, I don't deal with humans. Oh yeah, I get double FF credits too. Because it is my preference and the airline's preference, I see it as a win-win situation.

As soon as they can replace a mechanic with a machine, I will be out of a job. Here's an industry joke based on the reality that planes can pretty much fly themselves with very little pilot input....

They have the technology down to where the cockpit carries just a pilot and a dog. The pilot is on board to feed the dog, and the dog is on board to bite the pilot if he tries to touch anything in the cockpit.

Lee: I've been checking many airline web sites and notice that if fares are booked online, there is either a 5% discount on the fare or bonus Frequent Flyer miles are awarded or some sort of online booking incentive like a lower fare as opposed to booking on the phone or with a travel ageent. I know I've been making reservations more and more online as opposed to say a year ago.

Looks like the airlines are determined to convert customers to booking online. Surely travel agents are losing lots of business.

V,
I see Joe's point. It's got to save money not needing all the reservationist too.
The only problem with the web deals is, the vouchers & coupons are not usable. You still must call direct for use of those.


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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

America West, Delta, Northwest, and United joined in the fare war but only in the markets that Southwest is in.


[This message has been edited by Veronica (edited March 05, 2000).]

Veronica,
I can't find any prices similar to S.W. on the airlines you mentioned. I may call the airlines individually to check it out. Where did you see that they are matching the S.W. fares? Thanks, Tom

Tom: It's on the America West, Delta, and Northwest web sites; however, some deadlne dates are varying at this point versus Southwest's end of sale Aug. 5. You may have to either go deeper into the United web site to see their matching sale fares or phone them.