Cost of Airfare

[lmreddin]

Hi. This is probably a stupid question, but will I save money on airline tickets to a cruise port that is closer to my home than I would to one that is farther? In other words, are airfares really based on distance at all?

[paul929207]

Airfares are difficult to understand. While it seems reasonable that the farther you go the higher the fare, that is not always the case.

[operafan]

Not a stupid question at all. It depends on the route, timing, etc. For example, a friend of mine in California used to routinely fly to New York for a lot less than I could from Dallas. It's maddening, but you just have to keep checking rates.......

[firefly333]

My friend from Seattle area can fly to Ft. Lauderdale cheaper than I pay from Dallas when we have meet.

 

She is flying twice as far and paid less. Dallas usually is on the higher end of fares compared to other cities. Seems to be getting a little better though.

[operafan]

My friend from Seattle area can fly to Ft. Lauderdale cheaper than I pay from Dallas when we have meet.

 

She is flying twice as far and paid less. Dallas usually is on the higher end of fares compared to other cities. Seems to be getting a little better though.

 

Firefly, I think they're all catching up to us rather than the other way around!!

[lmreddin]

Sometimes I sure wish I lived near a port. I am also 400 miles from the nearest major airport.

[cb at sea]

I live near 2 ports...at least, within driving distance, yet those itineraries rarely go where I want to!

[beachchick]

Not a stupid question at all. It depends on the route, timing, etc. For example, a friend of mine in California used to routinely fly to New York for a lot less than I could from Dallas. It's maddening, but you just have to keep checking rates.......

 

I know how you feel. A good deal of the time, airfares from the east coast and midwest to Hawaii are cheaper than those from the west coast. Nevermind that the distance from the west coast can be thousands of miles less...the airlines still ding us for more. Sometimes we can find good deals, but they're almost always on flights that are horrible times or unpopular days.

 

 

lmreddin: Distance isn't the only factor, not at all. The size of an airport makes a difference too. It costs us hundreds of dollars to fly from our small commuter airport to SFO or LAX, just a couple of hundred miles away. Much of the time the price of a ticket from here to SFO might be $400, while a ticket from here to SEA might be $420 or to JFK might be $500. Since nearly all the miles flown are between SFO and the final destination, distance has little to do with the fare.

 

beachchick

[lmreddin]

For me it's a choice between driving 400 miles to the nearest major airport or flying from our local airport. Sometimes I think it's worth the money to fly out of here.

[tmitchell82]

Airfare is really not determined by distance. More to do with competition at the various airports, but not completely. I flew from my hometown, Bloomington, IL, out of our small regional airport to Portland awhile back on United. Flew up to Chicago then to Portland. The same flight from Chicago to Portland on United was $50 more than what I paid and I took the additional flight to get to Chicago. Airfares really make no sense sometimes. Since we always have to fly for our cruises, the airfare becomes an important factor for us. It was the deciding factor last year between the W. Caribbean and Mexican Riviera. Airfare to MIA was cheaper than LAX. This year it is the opposite. Go figure. So long as I get to the boat.

[beachchick]

For me it's a choice between driving 400 miles to the nearest major airport or flying from our local airport. Sometimes I think it's worth the money to fly out of here.

 

Agreed. It's so much more convenient to fly from here, especially when we factor in the cost of gas and other travel expenses, plus we have to drive up the day before and stay with friends or family (which is the nice part of it), get a ride to the airport, and then do the reverse on the way home. Two days just to get to the airport and get home is pretty "expensive" for us in time and effort. Plus, it's quite a bit easier to depart and arrive at a small airport. We joke about it: "Your flight departs from Gate 1; your flight arrives at Gate 1; your luggage can be claimed at Carousel 1...":p

 

beachchick