I am looking into a flight to Zurich to get to Italy. I would be flying from Tampa. I found a round trip ticket from Tampa to Zurich for $580, that stops in Atlanta. Now, the flight number from Tampa to Atlanta is 67. The flight that leaves from Atlanta is also 67, which means I may not be changing planes. Now I have a possibility to fly for free to Atlanta due to flight being bumped early this year. So I check to see what the cost would be to fly from Atlanta to Zurich, flight 67. The price is $871. It cost less to fly more miles!!!!What is up with this?
Posted by
OP
St Petersburg Florida
951 posts
Steve,
Yeah, it makes sense that I will most likely change planes, but the expense logic is still weird to me.
Now aren't you supposed to be eating snails and cheese right now in some outdoor cafe and drinking wine instead of answering questions on this forum? I thought you were off living like a European local somewhere that was off the beaten path;)
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Airlines also expect a certain proportion of the passengers on these long-haul legs to be "feeder" passengers...those fed into the hub (Atlanta) from elsewhere. If their forecast models show a shortfall in the number of feeder passengers, you'll get a deal until the airline is back on its forecast track. I got a similar deal a couple of years ago to Madrid. $560 Syracuse-Chicago-Madrid....$750 Chicago-Madrid.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
There is a twisted logic in the system, I'm sure.
The moral for the average traveler is don't assume anything. When you're shopping for fares, try every conceivable airport/connection and day/time of departure. Flexibility really is the best way to get the best fares.
Posted by
Oregon Territory
8 posts
The Atlanta to Zurich flight is a nonstop. Airlines believe you will pay a premium for the "luxury" of a nonstop flight.
Nonstops from the West Coast to Europe are generally 20-50% more than connecting flights through New York or other East Coast cities.
It only make sense to the bean counters at the airlines.
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
Exactly. My sister found flights from Alabama to Dublin connecting in Atlanta were cheaper than flying direct from Atlanta. It's just time to give up on the airlines making sense.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
235 posts
It's supply and demand. The price of a ticket does not depend only on the cost of getting you from Point A to Point B. In fact that may be a minor consideration.
If you leave from Tampa to ZUR, there are multiple ways to connect (ATL, PHL, IAD, EWR, etc). ATL to ZUR is generally a non-stop flight. Fewer options, less competition means higher prices.
Hubs are sometimes near monopolies. Living in a hub city makes it easy to go wherever you want to go, but it ain't cheap.