It started with a few airlines. Their success has inspired more moves in the direction of simple airfares.
In March 2002, AmericaWest announced it would eliminate Saturday night stay requirements and aim for fares 40-70% below the walk-up prices on other carriers. As it made plans to merge with USAirways, America West reported its share of the business market has been increasing.
Within two years, many of the majors were making their own changes. Delta and American vowed they would simplify fares and compete with the budget carriers on equal terms.
So what is the status of the Saturday night requirement?
It is not dead, but it is certainly ailing.
Make your own study of airfares and you'll almost certainly find the requirement has all but disappeared on routes where the budget airlines compete directly with the majors for business travelers.
For example, New York to Chicago with a Saturday night stay turned up a roundtrip fare of $169 USD on USAirways. The same search without a Saturday night stay was actually $30 cheaper!
But let's say you want to fly from Atlanta to London. A recent query on Kayak.com showed a Thursday-Monday itinerary on Delta at $518 USD, but a Monday-Friday schedule at a whopping $1886, a 364% increase. Here, we can see Delta is still trying to separate its business and leisure travelers.
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