That trip I took to Denver recently is actually the first time I've flown in many years. I enjoyed it, and it rekindled an interest in flying, primarily because the prices have dropped so much from years ago.

But I am confused, and maybe some of you worldly-wise Jet Set types can explain something to me.

A check of prices at Orbitz shows that to fly from Birmingham (BHM) to see my Sister in Columbia (CAE), SC, will cost around $250. The flight is with US Airlines, with a layover in Charlotte (CLT), NC. If I fly to Raleigh-Durham (RDU), the price is $130 -- about HALF. The layover is in Charlotte.

If I fly to Charlotte and then drive to Columbia (quite do-able; it's only about an hour on I77), the ticket is over $300!!

I am also informed that I cannot buy an "RDU" ticket and get off at Charlotte; i.e., simply refuse to take the second leg of the trip to RDU.

This confuses me terribly. Someone help me understand this.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

Answers

To recap:

BHM to CAE (Birmingham to Columbia), layover in Charlotte - $250.

BHM to RDU (Birmingham to Raleigh), layover in Charlotte - $130.

BHM to CLT (Birmingham to Charlotte) - $300.

This doesn't make sense to me.

Just so there's no confusion, I'm not comparing apples and oranges: all of these tickets would be with the same airline (US Air). The SAME flight number does the primarly leg from BHM to CLT. The only differences are in the puddle jumps to CAE or RDU.

I am confused because it would seem that having to put my butt on TWO airplanes over a longer distance would cost the airline MORE than simply letting me enjoy a single seat on that main flight from BHM to Charlotte.

But what do I know? :)

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

Poole:

Here is a better one.

I flew to Seattle in June. Will be going again next week.

From June:

I could drive 11/2 hr to Saint Louis and fly TWA. Round trip. over $400.

I could drive to Kansas City [1 1/2 hr]. Catch a plane to Saint Louis and transfer onto the same flight to Seattle [you know the $400 one]. Price $230 round trip.

Since you are paying for this, I took the Kansas city flight. Got to fly over my house two times going and two times returning. :)

Go figure.

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

Poole:

I am also informed that I cannot buy an "RDU" ticket and get off at Charlotte; i.e., simply refuse to take the second leg of the trip to RDU.

If you only have carry-on, you can do this. They wouldn't like it but there isn't much they can do. Except for the Austin problem, I don't recall airlines taking these things to court. Not good publicity. :)

Best Wishes,,,,

Z

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

I checked "hotwire"(the dotcom your buddy Rush Limbo promotes lol) and found a direct flight at $434(bhm to cae).

I think what you are running into Stephen is what runs air travel...the business traveler. Many of the flights are set-up with the business traveler in mind. Yes it makes no sense at all when looked at logically.

Besides, I don't do airline flight analysis. I can only figger out easy stuff like Y2k, ok? But that be my take on your problemo.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

Just used the same info at Hotwire but made the flight a weekender and got $243 direct. The prior was a Monday to Friday quote, see what I mean about the business bias.

Anyhow one thing is for certain, you won't be stuck in Houston at Geo Bush Sr Airport like me in and Trish were last time we flew to NYC. Course it was my brilliant idea to avoid the non-stop flight. Hell 3 hours is my limit and dammit I need a cig, so I convinced my better half at what a smooth move stopping in Houston would be. Oh well, you live and ya learn and never, ever, take the blame for anything.

Afterall, we wouldn't have been stuck in Houston if we didn't have to go to --her brothers-- wedding in NYC in the first place. Ain't my fault they bumped us in Houston and we had a longer lay-over.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

Being a good conservative, I'm just trying to find the economic justification, I guess. Seen on a straight-up butt-per-mile basis, it doesn't make sense.

Z, I'm not surprised. I've found the same thing. If it wasn't a 5 hour drive from RDU to Columbia (which would pretty much defeat the point), I'd do that. And on the thing about skipping the CLT-RDU portion ... I've been told that the depart leg would probably work; I'd leave BHM and simply fail to board the RDU leg when I arrived in CLT (at which point I'd rent a car, drive to Columbia, etc.)

The problem supposedly arises when I try the RETURN leg. I was told that I wouldn't be able to board in CLT, because the e-boarding pass would HAVE to be validated (with my ID) at the RDU airport. I wouldn't be able to board the plane in Charlotte.

Doc ... I've tried different dates and times, and I'd planned to schedule the flight many months in advance to get the best rate. The *ratio* stays about the same (the prices I quoted above, in fact, were for Nov 9 depart and Nov 11 return).

(And you know that you CAN have a cigarette, you just have to go through the security scan again? :)

Anyway. It doesn't make sense. I was hoping someone could EXPLAIN how they arrive at these prices. Even granting business travel, I don't understand it; do the airlines assume that more people fly to Columbia than to Charlotte, when Charlotte is the hub for the layover?!??

No comprende.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2001

(And you know that you CAN have a cigarette, you just have to go through the security scan again? :)

Ya, but try that at 35,000 feet and see if they appreciate it, hahaha.

LAS to JFK is almost 6 freaking hours(5.5 and three time zone changes). Sorry, but the claustrophobia alone is enough for me to put my in-air time limit at 3 hours. Besides I had never been to Hughstan and thought it sounded like a "good idea". How was I supposed to know the stupid airport was nine miles out of town in a cow pasture? That my little cig break would basically be a tour of the underground parking structure at GBush International? That I would be stuck in an airport where "Blimpie's" was considered first class dining? Huh?

Anyhow back to YOUR problem. After a committee meeting here in Vegas, the findings are, you are running into the "hub effect" with regards RDU. Never could figure that one out, but I have Trish pretty well nailed so there must be sumtin to the Hub deal.

Ya know this is why "The Out-of-Towners" and "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" are among my favorite movies. Traveling is just so FUN.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2001

Doc, Grab a nicotine patch and put it on an hour brfore you leave for the airport. "They" stand around with their heads up their butts trying to figure out why there is so much violence on aircraft these days...welll DUH! All them people having a nicotine fit, on top of needing a cig for nerves over the thought that this could be the one - the plane that falls out of the sky.

-- Anonymous, August 27, 2001