January Sale - It's started!

[preiffer]

Well, it's not even Christmas yet but the VS January Sale has apparently begun!

To be honest, there's nothing that special about the offers - around £700 for PE to SFO (although the £878 during August seems a little better) - and there's nothing in J.

Still, I'm sure things are "up for negotiation" once BA start playing around with their sale...!

Preiffer, regarding you quote
"Still, I'm sure things are "up for negotiation" once BA start playing around"
Does this mean if I make a telephone booking and quote ba fares to them will they match or better them.
I've never tried this in the past (always booked on-line) has anyone out there actually rang up and got a better fare than been advertised?

-Steve

[preiffer]

Hi Steve,

No, not really (although I've never tried asking them to price match )

What's more likely to happen (as has done previously) is that VS and BA will cut their offers in line with each other, over time, so they'll both end up providing virtually identical fares.

Em..tempting though, I might give it a go after Christmas you know what they say "nothing ventured, nothing gained" the worst than can do is tell me politely to go away!
I'll post a message on their reply.

Strange, it says the offers to the caribbean have already expired [:?].

[Scrooge]

Not an overly impressive sale price by any means.

[Decker]

FWIW the PE seem to be booked in K.

Originally posted by preiffer
Hi Steve,

No, not really (although I've never tried asking them to price match )

What's more likely to happen (as has done previously) is that VS and BA will cut their offers in line with each other, over time, so they'll both end up providing virtually identical fares.

Maybe we should ask them to price match. It's clearly a game of cat and mouse - and I'd kind of like to be winning once in a while!

Happy Christmas everyone!

[ChuckC]

I guess VS must have heard Preiffer asking for January "J" Sale Fares. Hurry. Must be booked by January 2.

Chuck-

Originally posted by preiffer

What's more likely to happen (as has done previously) is that VS and BA will cut their offers in line with each other, over time, so they'll both end up providing virtually identical fares.

The lawyer in me tells me that this might be price fixing. Surely Virgin and BA wouldnt come together and screw us passengers would they?

Stoneflyer

Originally posted by stoneflyer

Originally posted by preiffer

What's more likely to happen (as has done previously) is that VS and BA will cut their offers in line with each other, over time, so they'll both end up providing virtually identical fares.

The lawyer in me tells me that this might be price fixing. Surely Virgin and BA wouldnt come together and screw us passengers would they?

Stoneflyer

Of course it is price fixing, it is also legal, go read the IATA web page .

Oh the virtues of oligopolies!

Originally posted by preiffer
Hi Steve,

No, not really (although I've never tried asking them to price match )

What's more likely to happen (as has done previously) is that VS and BA will cut their offers in line with each other, over time, so they'll both end up providing virtually identical fares.

I asked them to match a published BA J fare which was 900 UKP LOWER than the matching published VS Z fare, no luck. This is why I flew BA on the last jump.

Cheers
sky

I'm just crossing my fingers (and all other exremities) for a triple miles offer for J in Feb and March. Please please pretty please!!!

Dean

Price fixing, or being part of a Cartel to give it the official name is, I can assure you, not legal. I worked for a company that was fined a huge some of money for being part of a cartel a few years back. Due to this and other legislative changes I had to document any contact with a competitor so it could be checked by auditors to ensure that this price fixing was not going on.

Now, waiting for your competitor to publish a price and then matching it is not price fixing or being part of a cartel. This is just good business practice. If one starts to cut the cost by say £5, then other cuts theirs by a further £5 and soon no-one makes any money and everyone goes bust.

Paul

IATA is a legal cartel (as is OPEC -- another cartel). However, some of its powers have been stripped back in recent years, in particular in relation to cross border ticketing.

BC

Originally posted by p17blo
Price fixing, or being part of a Cartel to give it the official name is, I can assure you, not legal. I worked for a company that was fined a huge some of money for being part of a cartel a few years back. Due to this and other legislative changes I had to document any contact with a competitor so it could be checked by auditors to ensure that this price fixing was not going on.

I can assure you that IATA price fixing is legal, they are proud of being exempt of normal anti cartel laws. It's quite sad!

Check their website, it has a document on benefits of price fixing.

Cheers
sky