It’s a well known fact that airlines have crazy fares; they change prices by the minute. Lately, with this “cost of gasoline” frenzy, every excuse is good to hit Customers with stupid surcharges, such as the checked luggage. Yesterday I found out something even crazier.
I was planning a flight from North Carolina to Ancona (Italy) for my wife. I was using one of the major online operators; I do not say their name, because I do not publicize for free these people while they do not care to publicize my company. Well I found a flight from Charlotte (NC) to Ancona (Italy) with stops in New York (JFK) and Rome Fiumicino; total cost, about $1,020. Not bad at all. Out of curiosity I checked prices from Charlotte to Rome Fiumicino (same flights, just two “legs” instead of three) and New York to Rome Fiumicino (only 1 “leg”, out of the original three). What I find out is crazy!! The flight from Charlotte to Rome would cost about $1,420; so I should pay $400 more, to have 1 flight less. From New York to Rome, the price would be about $920; this is much more reasonable although still strange. Not flying from Charlotte to New York plus not flying from Rome to Ancona, would cost only about $100 less than booking the much longer itinerary of 3 flights. Please note that I am not an idiot, I have compared apples to apples. For all these 3 scenarios the flight where exactly the same, same airline, same vendor, same flight # (consequently same schedule). If I try to fly from Greensboro (NC) prices increase dramatically. Greensboro is becoming quickly the costlier airport in the US, but you should see the “quality” of their services; I cannot decide between crappy service and no service at all. If you land in Greensboro after 9:00 pm there is nobody there to help you, especially if you are flying with Northwest airlines, which equals to a terrible service; what if your luggage got lost? Immediately after 9/11 I took an oath: never fly Northwest again. What I am saying is that it is not true that “you get what you pay for”. Sometimes you pay a bunch of money to get nothing. My suggestion? Don’t book the first flight you find; dig into airfares and try to find a reasonable price. Don’t let them hold you hostage of their crazyness.