Why are airline tickets so expensive?

[jongjungbu]

I was about to write a longass complaint, but changed my mind. Who knows why it will cost me 828.50 USD to change my final flight destination from Birmingham to DC? Because. Crapola!<br>That be life.

[Jaybot]

they are expensive, because you dont own an airplane, and you dont know how to build one.  if this was true about cookies, that eveyone needed cookies to survive, but they didn't own any, and didnt know how to bake cookies, then cookies would cost about $500 a dozen.

[Paul]

you havent heard of "rip-off britain" have you?

[CheezBoy]

gas price, changing the destination so close to 4th of july (maybe). Holidays are usually a big factor.

[Moose or Chuck]

cost of airport maintenance, cost of airplane maintenance, cost of insurance and liability, cost of peanuts and coke, cost of the black box that records your conversation, cost of threat of a grimlin on the wing, cost of ... my pants.<br>It's nice that I can get free rides in helicopters ... sometimes ... not often... but when the Gators are in the Sugar Bowl I usually get to see that for free from the manager's box. Those ham rolls are the best, especially with the swiss cheese.

[CheezBoy]

oooooo cheez

[jongjungbu]

well, doesnt matter now. i'll fly in to Reagan in a week and a half instead of BWI and move that to later. almost a thousand for one-way is just outrageous. then again...i'm talkin about last minute flights tomorrow. not doin that now.<br><br>i want to go home so i can browse the net on a larger screen. i love my ppc but i still love my desktop. i woulda brought my laptop but the ppc is so damn small.

[Dan East]

The earlier you book your flight the cheaper it will usually be. <br>You could always take a boat. <br><br>Dan East

[jongjungbu]

Yeah, i know...but i was crossin my fingers anyway.

[Digby]

The answer to your question is a simple one: They charge that much because that is what people are willing to pay for a ticket.  Try pricing a ticket the day before you intend to travel.  The price will be much higher because people are willing to pay more to fly at a moment's notice.  The operating cost is the same for the airline whether you buy your ticket 30 days in advance or 1 day in advance, yet you'll get charged sometimes double the amount for a last-minute fare.  The airlines actually rely on this and will hold back seats until about a week before departure time so that they can increase the price.  This is capitalism at its finest.  <br><br>Those last minute fares are so outrageous I usually just pony up the extra coupla hundred and fly first-class.  No muss - no fuss, free drinks, and you might end up sitting next to a supermodel.  Then again, you might end up sitting next to someone like me with beer breath.  Nevermind.<br><br>

[Paul]

i'll fly first class someday... ah

[Moose or Chuck]

I've flown first class... on a coach air plane. So it wasn't much better, 'cept the seats were softer and leather. And i was really young. But I did get a nice broiled cod meal with the perfect amount of paprica seasoning, brocolli on the side, backed potato already mashed and out of it's skin... But other than that I either can't remember or wasn't there. It must have been around 90, 91 that this happened.

[Dan East]

First Class ticket holders get to debark first. <br><br>Dan East

[CheezBoy]

don't forget they get to get on first

[Moose or Chuck]

I'd hate to get on first, then you have to wait in the stuffy plane for another extra 30 minutes. noo, wait. They get on LAST! It starts at the lowest numbers and goes up to 1.