Ticket prices way up--it's about time

[densoo]

"By Christopher Palmeri

What Travelers Aren't Giving Thanks For

Record numbers of Americans will likely hit the road this year for Turkey Day, and they'll be forking out a lot more for the trip

Monica Clements thought she would get a cheap flight this Thanksgiving. The 32-year-old yoga instructor booked her trip more than a month in advance. She explored half a dozen online travel sites before finally purchasing a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles that included a one-hour layover in San Francisco and an arrival in Pittsburgh at the bleary-eyed hour of 6 a.m.

Total cost: $411.50. "The only thing I'm relieved about is the frequent flyer miles I'm collecting," she sighs."

http://yahoo.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/nov2005/nf20051114_1782_db016.htm

 

[Draginass]

About $205.00 each way LA to Pittsburgh. That's obscenely cheap. That's all the way across the country.

Tell this born-to-late-hippie wannabe, to drive it instead. Let's see . . . . 2500 miles each way x 25 mpg = 100 gallons each way . . . that 200 gallons x 2.50 per gallon = $450 for gas alone + 8 nights of hotel x $50 a night = $400 + $25 per day meals = $200 + weed expenses (not included). . . . . = minimum cost of $1050 and 6 extra days lost travelling. And she thinks that $411 is too much. Simply astounding.

I think Monica needs to lay off the weed for a while and get a grip on reality . . . . I wonder how much she charges the wives of Hollywood crowd for Yoga lessons.

I'm glad I'm flying freight instead of the Walmart losers.

 

[wrxpilot]

"The only thing I'm relieved about is the frequent flyer miles I'm collecting," she sighs."

I can't imagine why she is sighing, that's a good fare! I'm paying a little less than that for my Frontier flight from FLL to DEN and am fine with it. What does she expect for a coast to coast? $80 RT?? During holidays? Forget it.

 

[Ty Webb]

About $205.00 each way LA to Pittsburgh. That's obscenely cheap. That's all the way across the country.

I think Monica needs to lay off the weed for a while and get a grip on reality . . . . I wonder how much she charges the wives of Hollywood crowd for Yoga lessons.

But your ticket comes in a nice little envelope, and you can put your weed in there . . . . (with apologies to Adam Sandler).

Seriously, when I was a kid, I remember my parents shelling out more than that for me to go from ORD to PHX . . . . and that was in 1979!

The only things I can think of that have gone DOWN in price over the last 25 years (even without adjusting for inflation!) are airfares, long distance, and computers.

 

[BushwickBill]

About $205.00 each way LA to Pittsburgh. That's obscenely cheap. That's all the way across the country.

Tell this born-to-late-hippie wannabe, to drive it instead. Let's see . . . . 2500 miles each way x 25 mpg = 100 gallons each way . . . that 200 gallons x 2.50 per gallon = $450 for gas alone + 8 nights of hotel x $50 a night = $400 + $25 per day meals = $200 + weed expenses (not included). . . . . = minimum cost of $1050 and 6 extra days lost travelling. And she thinks that $411 is too much. Simply astounding.

I think Monica needs to lay off the weed for a while and get a grip on reality . . . . I wonder how much she charges the wives of Hollywood crowd for Yoga lessons.

I'm glad I'm flying freight instead of the Walmart losers.

411 is pretty cheap. You dont think she would get stoned before her flight? Not like the bomb sniffing devices are looking for drugs. It costs about 400 bucks to fly to Vancouver from San Fran during the non holiday season. She's getting about 2x as far on the same amount of cash. Although I loved this part of the story:

One factor that may slow things down: The recent bombings at hotels in Jordan illustrate the continuing threat travelers face anywhere in the world. Airports and hotels are upping security measures Thanksgiving weekend and beyond. Los Angeles Airport has added 10 new security screening lanes, for a total of 60. The airport is also testing new "trace" screening devices that blow air at passengers to test for evidence of explosives

Its a good thing they are adding new screeners to deal with the amount of people that will be traveling. However, I'm kind of tired of the media playing scare tactics. At least if I was flying people for a living I would be. I mean domestic terror, come on.

 

[Dave Benjamin]

One thing the media never mentions is how much that same trip cost 20 years ago.

 

[Immelman]

By my math UAL will barely break even, or more likely lose a few $$ on this given taxes are included and the SFO stopover... how lame that the story did not mention that.

And do all you rednecks who think yoga is for dirty pot-smoking hippies: You're wrong. It gives you a leaner, more toned, flexible, and less injury-prone body. I am not super into it (only been a couple times), but the scenery in class is also quite attratctive.

 

[Phaedrus]

Immelman: put down the bong. Step away from the yoga mat

 

[Immelman]

Immelman: put down the bong. Step away from the yoga mat

I don't own a bong.. but I can tell you this: my back is killing me today because I haven't been good and stretched consistently lately. When I do, no back pain :/

 

[Draginass]

I don't own a bong.. but I can tell you this: my back is killing me today because I haven't been good and stretched consistently lately. When I do, no back pain :/

A beautiful small lady in Asia walking on your back is much better than yoga. Not to mention the happy ending.

 

[SWA/FO]

What kinda happy ending?

 

[Falconjet]

That is why I talked my wife into adopting a nice 17 year old Vietnamese girl.

FJ

 

[Vingus]

Don't you think 17 is a bit old for a Vietnamese girl?

 

[coolyokeluke]

I don't own a bong.. but I can tell you this: my back is killing me today because I haven't been good and stretched consistently lately. When I do, no back pain :/

I agree. I'm prone to having back pain, but it virtually goes away when I get into a regular yoga routine. Problem is I think, great, I'm all fixed, don't have to do that anymore, and it comes back! Hard to believe all those stretching poses and breathing can do so much for you.

 

[BushwickBill]

And do all you rednecks who think yoga is for dirty pot-smoking hippies: You're wrong. It gives you a leaner, more toned, flexible, and less injury-prone body. I am not super into it (only been a couple times), but the scenery in class is also quite attratctive.

Dude dont give up the secret or there will be heaps of dirty old fat pilots at my yoga class.

 

[ironspud]

Sorry for getting back on topic. 4 days ago looked at price of travel ROUND TRIP from NE Florida to SE Wisconsin. 18-22 Nov. (Yeah, Thanksgiving season more or less).

My airline of choice (FL): $559.00 with one segment on sale. And that's before we got to taxes, fees, etc.

Expedia: DELTA. $223.29. Taxes, Tags and Title. Even got an aisle seat.

I really love bankrupt airlines.

DL won that one.

 

[Hoke]

I haven't purchased an airline ticket in 5 years yet travel overseas on average 3-4 times per year mostly on UA from ORD (Many thanks guys & girls.) This New Year however, I need to be in Sydney so I decided to purchase a Biz class RT seat on United ORD-SFO-SYD. My non airline friends believe it outrageous that I paid $7440.00 for a ticket and say that I am way out of touch with what an airline ticket should cost.
My question is don't you think this is reasonable considering....?

*The price of fuel
*The distance travelled
*It's high season in Australia
*It's a Business Class seat and I get to wear jeans and tennis shoes if I wish.

 

[Dizel8]

All I can say, she must have been nice!

 

[sf260pilot]

7440 is a lot of $$$, No matter what is involved.

 

[ATRCA]

I checked prices the other day for a freind from AVL to EWR on CAL (flown by XJT) leaving on Nov 22nd and returning on the 26th. The round trip fair on Continental.com which has the lowest fare possible (they say) was $730.00.

Holy $hit I though. About time. BTW the flight is booked to 52/50. Probably since the flight is already oversold that may have something to do with the high price but who knows.