How messed up is this?

[Cessna172heavy]

Hello all. Why are things the way they are???
Here's the scoop...

My wife and I are going to a wedding up in Princeton, NJ. We live in western NC and are using KAVL to travel out of. Since Princeton doesn't have an airline-serviced airport, we were looking at flying into Newark, or Philly, with Newark being the first choice due to driving distance from Princeton. So, I get on Orbitz to try and find some airfare... we're newly weds and I'm in flight school, hence trying to find "cheap" travel arrangements.

To fly from AVL to EWR on Continental (Express Jet) roundtrip was $560 per person. Needless to say, thats way too much. However, if we changed the destination to PHL, with a connection in EWR (on the same plane btw) and then get on an Amtrak from EWR to PHL, the total price per person is $215. WTF????? Its the same F-ing plane from AVL to EWR. We'd be in the exact same seats! I don't understand this.

Continental would get $1100 if we travel only to EWR and end the trip there. But if we travel to PHL, the airline only gets $430 of our money, but then has to give part of that to Amtrak (apparently they are code share partners). It's no wonder why some airlines have problems!

Any similar situations out there (I'm sure there are), or any thoughts as to why things like this happen? Please do share!

This is mainly my way of venting my frustration, so please - no posts about the "glory days" when air travel was more $$$ and we didn't have transportation code shares. Thanks!

Peace out

 

[User546]

I don't know how far of a trip it would be, but I'd say it'd almost be cheaper or atleast equivellant to rent a Cessna 172 Heavy, and just fly you and your lady up there and back.

Since she's probably making you go to the wedding, you might as well make an adventure out of it! And build some good quality cross country experience and time out of it.

 

[AVI8V1]

then get the cheaper tickets to philly and just stay in newark. peace out.

 

[navigator72]

Drive it if you can't take a C172. It shouldn't take more than 5-6 hours and a tank of gas.

 

[gkrangers]

Drive it if you can't take a C172. It shouldn't take more than 5-6 hours and a tank of gas.

I would guess more like 8-10 hours if driving...

 

[flyer172r]

I can't remember the specific regulations, but I remember reading somewhere that it is illegal to buy an airline ticket for a multiple-leg trip with the intent of only flying on one of those legs.

How they enforce that, I don't know.

 

[PolarTwins55]

it's 208/person form gso on coex

 

[PolarTwins55]

I would guess more like 8-10 hours if driving...

From gso to ewr is a little less than 10 hours. i've done it way too many times.

 

[MJG]

You're absolutely correct in saying that it doesn't make any sense until you think about it from the airline's perspective.

The reason the fair from AVL to EWR is so much higher than AVL to PHL is that CAL has no competition on the AVL direct EWR route. Therefore since they have a monopoly of sorts for that specific route, they can charge what they want.

Since there is competition for the AVL-PHL trip, their fare has to be competitive with the other airlines, hence the lower fare.

It's funny to think that when you board a commercial flight these days, just a simple one leg non-stop to where ever, chances are that every single passenger on that flight payed a different fare for their seat.

 

[mcjohn]

Man, if you worked where I work you could get the employee discount on a beautiful new 172SP at 10% of the pre-pay rate. That's around 90/hr I think.
Oh wait, you do work where I work. Why don't you take the Arrow? Go down to Hendersonville and take their Arrow. It's only $110/hour.