Rhyme or reason to airline prices???

Old Sep 21st, 2003, 12:23 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Rhyme or reason to airline prices???

I've been looking at airfares from BHM to MAD for a trip next March/April. Delta's "deeply discounted coach" fare has been $630 since I first started looking in June. Suddenly it has jumped to $750. Is there any reason to suspect that this is related to the price of oil and since gas prices spiked a few weeks ago and have now started easing back down that airfares might also come down? Or, do prices only go up?
Mike1966 is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2003, 12:29 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You may have come up with pricing for tickets in the lowest class of service in coach, which now may be sold out since the last time you looked - therefore, a higher price is appearing.
leslie is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2003, 12:53 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,301
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you don't mind changing planes in Dallas and Miami, Orbitz shows an American fare of $479 (I plugged in leaving in March, returning in April).

Even better on Orbitz, Delta is showing only $486 stopping in Atlanta.

MelJ is offline  
Old Sep 21st, 2003, 01:51 PM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks, Mel! Obviously I need to check sources other than the Delta website. Plus, I was planning to go through ATL anyway.
Mike1966 is offline  
Old Sep 22nd, 2003, 04:43 PM
  #5  
Intrepid
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Prices are based on the amount of competition an airline has on each route (or as the airlines describe it, "the market") and computers continually monitor the number of seats sold on each flight..continually re-pricing the remaining unsold seats to get the flight as far beyond the "break even" point as possible.
That said, prices can flutuate almost until the time the airplane door is closed...there is no guarantee that the price of a flight paid for long in advance won't drop (or increase). In other words, a total crap shoot.
Best strategy is to fly out of airports that have lots of competition on the route you want but, as you already know, that isn't always possible.
I would never peg my hopes for a flight price on the cost of gasoline since these may be totally unrelated to the price of jet fuel (JP4). Good luck.
 
Old Sep 22nd, 2003, 05:57 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i am having more luck lately calling the airlines and car companies rather than on the internet
rhkkmk is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
DMBTraveler
Air Travel
17
Sep 22nd, 2012 08:25 PM
BethGL
Europe
15
Jun 27th, 2010 09:47 AM
tobyo
Europe
23
Feb 20th, 2010 01:28 PM
Sue6
Europe
7
Jul 8th, 2005 05:31 AM
louise1928
Air Travel
12
Mar 6th, 2004 12:22 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -