Baseball Teams Are Acting Like Airlines

[mickeyd]

I have often wondered why industries other than the airlines did not have variable pricing. Maybe MLB has glammed onto a good idea here.

Baseball teams are finally doing what airlines have been doing for decades: changing ticket prices on the fly, based on demand.
At ballparks around the country this year, ticket prices will fall when rain is in the forecast and rise when a superstar comes to town.
From an economic standpoint, the only question is why they didn't do it sooner. Why not sell seats on the cheap if they'd sit empty otherwise? Why not charge a premium for sellouts?

For a long time, changing prices according to changes in demand just felt wrong; it was what scalpers did.

Baseball Teams Are Acting Like Airlines : Planet Money : NPR

 

[Gumby]

Wouldn't really work around here. The Red Sox have sold out every game at Fenway since sometime in 2003.

 

[Chuckanut]

I don't care. Professional sports lost me a long time ago.

 

[GRambler]

We have a minor league Hockey team. I've wondered why they didn't have dollar day for High School and College students, or even seniors to fill the seats. With 8000 seats and only about 1000 fans on a good day their idea was to close off the upper deck, which for Hockey is the best place to see the ice so even fewer showed up. I quit going when the closed the deck.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Lots of NHL teams have variable pricing. For example, when your home team hosts the Red Wings, the prices are often higher. NCAA football is usually the same way also.

 

[eytonxav]

Dunno, if your a business traveller and book on short notice < 2 weeks, don't the rates go up? Maybe true for last minute seat filling, but I don't fly much these days so have lost touch with airfares.

 

[Texas Proud]

Dunno, if your a business traveller and book on short notice < 2 weeks, don't the rates go up? Maybe true for last minute seat filling, but I don't fly much these days so have lost touch with airfares.

Yes, because the business traveler is less concerned of the price of the ticket and just wants to get where he needs to be...

The prices change weeks in advance... years ago I was looking at taking a trip and would check the prices on a daily basis... they went up for awhile and then went back down...

The casual travelor is not going to buy a ticket at the last minute most of the time... the exception is that Continental used to sell tickets cheap the last few days before the flight, but I think they required a Sat stay... Not sure what other airlines do...

 

[ziggy29]

The casual travelor is not going to buy a ticket at the last minute most of the time...

Except for retired folks who have extremely flexible schedules and are willing to leave on a moment's notice for a good fare...

 

[Texas Proud]

Except for retired folks who have extremely flexible schedules and are willing to leave on a moment's notice for a good fare...

Yes, that is what I think Continental was doing.... but it was very specific flights or flights that were not in season...