Song is ripping off CT

[QuickGold]

For a flight to MCO from Hartford, CT (direct), you'll need to pay about $270.

For a flight from NYC to MCO (direct) on the same days, you'll only have to pay $165.

For a flight from Boston to MCO (dorect) on the same days, you'll only have to pay $165.

Why is CT getting the shaft?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, you'd have to ask Southwest, but the flight from Boston is actually on ATA (Southwest doesn't serve Boston)

Actually, you know, I can't look it up - because flights available at southwest.com departing Boston don't GO to Florida.

edited to

OP was referring to Song (Delta), not Southwest.

and say "Duh"! about my reading comprehension

Sorry about that!

 

[alecam]

Well, you'd have to ask Southwest, but the flight from Boston is actually on ATA (Southwest doesn't serve Boston)

Actually, you know, I can't look it up - because flights available at southwest.com departing Boston don't GO to Florida.

OP was referring to Song (Delta), not Southwest.

OP, I'm not sure which dates you are looking for, but if it's for Feb or later, SOng prices should go down when Southwest opens up after Feb 3rd. (I hope)!!

 

[deltachi8]

Supply and demand.

 

[seashoreCM]

Is the little letter in parentheses (Y, U, K, etc) the same for the CT flights as it is for the NY or MA flights?

T flights are extra special promotions such as fare wars.

If the letter is not U or T, then all the cheapest seats were bought up already.

What were fares like two days before and two days after the dates you checked?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[PCFriar80]

Supply and demand.

Exactly! Not to mention, no competition from JetBlue!

BTW $270 is not an "unreasonable" R/T fare in this day and age!

 

[MAH4546]

It is not ripping off customers. It is supply and demand. Hartford is one of the best performing Song stations financially. The ticket prices are indeed higher, because passengers are willing to pay for it. Airlines are in business to make money, not sell dirt cheap fares to make people happy, a fact often forgotten by customers.

 

[onyx8]

For a flight to MCO from Hartford, CT (direct), you'll need to pay about $270.

What are your travel dates? I just flew this route the first week of Oct for $79 each way on Song.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

We just flew Song from BDL to MCO 10/10 - 10/13 and paid $49.00 each way.

We flew Song in April 05 during Spring Break and paid $276/rt.

We will be flying Song in April 06 (booked in May 05) and we are paying $176/rt (4/12 - 4/18) Those same flights are up and over $400/rt now.

With Song their prices go up and down daily . . .the key is to check them and book as soon as you see a price you are willing to pay.

Even when they were Delta Express flights out of BDL were always higher than going out of JFK or LGA.

 

[jmpurdy]

I agree about the pricing for airline tix. We also got ours several months ago for 176.00 RT from CT. I grabbed them when the price was right and am so glad I did. We are going in Jan. 06. Since I was paying for 6 tix, I made my family members commit way back then to go to get this price!

 

[Nebsky]

For a flight to MCO from Hartford, CT (direct), you'll need to pay about $270.

For a flight from NYC to MCO (direct) on the same days, you'll only have to pay $165.

For a flight from Boston to MCO (dorect) on the same days, you'll only have to pay $165.

Why is CT getting the shaft?

Supply and Demand is the key....

So I guess airlines are supposed to just suck up the outrageous fuel bills and not pass anything onto the consumer. In case you didnt know Jet Fuel price while it is coming down is up over 33% from last year. Yesterday it closed at $85.41 a barrell. Just a week or two ago it was over $120.00. The airlines (except for Southwest) are taking a huge beating over the prices. In order for the airlines to break even the average fare should be about $75.00 more. Right now, the most they have been able to get through is about $15.00.

$270 is not alot for a flight in the grand scheme of things.

 

[dcgrumpy]

I've always found airfare to be cheaper at the bigger airports. I live 10 minutes from ISP but it's usually a lot more more expensive than JFK or LGA.

 

[QuickGold]

My dates are 11/29-12/4 and I don't buy the fuel argument when it takes more fuel to from Boston and Southwest is flying out of Hartford for half the price. Clearly they can make money on a $49-79 fare (each way) or they wouldn't fly routes for those prices out of NY or Boston.

The dates I'm flying are not busy times of the year (if anything, they're dead) so I find it ridiculous that Song is charging that kind of price.

 

[Jen D]

NYC is a very competitive market, we have lots of choices for flying to Orlando and Song has plenty of competition, including Jet Blue, American, etc. This makes us very lucky in getting affordable airfare.

Unfortunately, in airports that don't have a lot of choices on a certain route, the airline has the luxury of charging a little more.

If SW flies out of Hartford and offers much lower prices you will probably see Song's go down.

 

[Nebsky]

Southwest can do it because they are just about the only airline in the US that has the ability or the cash to fuel hedge. They bought thier gas for today probably 8 months ago when the price per barrell of around $40-45. Delta (including Song), American and the rest are not in financial shape to do this. American is close but not close enough.

Southwest is the only airline that can make money on fares aroud $49 because thier overhead is lower. They get great production out of the aircrews and aircraft. They have one type of equipment which means maintenance costs are easier to handle. Plus they tend to operate at smaller city airports where they can be the big fish in the small pond. Smaller city airports = lower fees to be paid to the city/airport in the landing fees and rent which gets passed onto the customer in the form of lower airfares.

 

[pumpkinboy]

My dates are 11/29-12/4 and I don't buy the fuel argument when it takes more fuel to from Boston and Southwest is flying out of Hartford for half the price. Clearly they can make money on a $49-79 fare (each way) or they wouldn't fly routes for those prices out of NY or Boston.

The dates I'm flying are not busy times of the year (if anything, they're dead) so I find it ridiculous that Song is charging that kind of price.

I agree, it's not a fuel issue. The posters asserting that it's supply and demand are closer.

If you want the real story, take a look at the Song site under "how we price"; you will see there that once the cheapest seats are sold, the price for the remaining seats will be higher. Looking at the BDL-MCO flights on your dates, only about a third of the seats are still available; so it's looking like others already bought the cheap seats. $270 after tax is not such a bad price at this late date, considering they are direct flights on plane with individual entertainment stations.

Still better from a price perspective, Southwest is selling the same route for $177 after tax. I suspect that the $90 some difference is going to drive Nutmeggers flying on your dates over to Southwest.

Song is not out to shaft folks in CT; they are just staying true to their price policy. I suspect the difference out of Boston is simply that they have some cheap seats left to sell on a few of their flights those days. Given the popularity of Song's routes out of Hartford, I suspect you will be seeing Song adding additional planes to its BDL-MCO route.

 

[ducklite]

If you don't like their prices, don't fly them. I don't see a rip-off. It's called doing business and being financially responsible to shareholders. Last I knew, Song/Delta wasn'ta charity.

Anne

 

[PCFriar80]

Just another point, because I'm having a bad day ....furnace problems and we're
flying to WDW on Sunday. BDL is easliy accessible for folks in a 60 mile radius, no tolls, and long term parking is 2 to 3 times cheaper than the NY airports and probably BOS. So, that's about a $60 saving per week if you use Avistar or equivalent w/coupon. Thanks. I feel better!