Why The Rise In US Air Prices

[jhaig]

Bought round trip tix from Elmira NY to MCO in late Feb for 330. Today they would cost you 524? Where did this come from?

 

[Gracie09]

Supply and demand. And the number of seats available goes down the prices goes up.

 

[DebbieB]

Airfare is up in general. I was looking at SW for October PIT-MCO, most flights are over $200 one way.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

They are saying on the news there is a shortage of pilots. I was delayed coming home from MCO (in Phoenix) because there was no pilot for the plane.

 

[sam_gordon]

They are saying on the news there is a shortage of pilots. I was delayed coming home from MCO (in Phoenix) because there was no pilot for the plane.

That's probably more because the pilot they had scheduled for your plane had gotten delayed somewhere else.

 

[jhaig]

It just seemed like it jumped overnight. Seems like a big increase for no obvious reason.

 

[LMO429]

We just flew Jet Blue yesterday and our roundtrip this trip was $220 a person.

We are going back in Nov and it's up to 488 a person! that's insane!!!

I was curious about the jump as well!!!!

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Bought round trip tix from Elmira NY to MCO in late Feb for 330. Today they would cost you 524? Where did this come from?

Bought our round trip tickets from Syracuse, NY to Orlando for August in November 2014. Paid $400 pp round trip (Jetblue Nonstop). Same flights today? $848 round trip. And we don't travel for another 100+ days.

 

[dis_guy]

They are saying on the news there is a shortage of pilots. I was delayed coming home from MCO (in Phoenix) because there was no pilot for the plane.

This seems to be the case. I'm a pilot and when I was a kid I tried to go pro but there just weren't ANY opportunities in the late 70's, so I made other career plans. Today, major US airlines are listing pilot qualifications as those required to get the ticket. Not long ago they required a few thousand hours of jet experience just to apply. Seems that if you have the basic skills and can be trained to their standards there are jobs. Sure seem to be a lot of young first officers in the airports, too.

 

[malibuconlee]

This seems to be the case. I'm a pilot and when I was a kid I tried to go pro but there just weren't ANY opportunities in the late 70's, so I made other career plans. Today, major US airlines are listing pilot qualifications as those required to get the ticket. Not long ago they required a few thousand hours of jet experience just to apply. Seems that if you have the basic skills and can be trained to their standards there are jobs. Sure seem to be a lot of young first officers in the airports, too.

I wonder if 9/11 didn't have something to do with it if there is a shortage of pilots. A friend's brother was in college and hoping to be a pilot when the 9/11 attacks occurred. The airlines went thru such a crazy time after that with downsizing and furloughs. His parents weren't thrill when he enlisted in the Army after graduation, but there weren't many other options at the time especially for one without experience. He's a pilot in the Army and has been for years at this point. I'm sure he will stay until he gets his 20 in then he may come out and be a commercial pilot, but who knows. I just wonder how many were in the same situation or even chose another field because of the changes at the airlines.

 

[DebbieB]

I wonder if 9/11 didn't have something to do with it if there is a shortage of pilots. A friend's brother was in college and hoping to be a pilot when the 9/11 attacks occurred. The airlines went thru such a crazy time after that with downsizing and furloughs. His parents weren't thrill when he enlisted in the Army after graduation, but there weren't many other options at the time especially for one without experience. He's a pilot in the Army and has been for years at this point. I'm sure he will stay until he gets his 20 in then he may come out and be a commercial pilot, but who knows. I just wonder how many were in the same situation or even chose another field because of the changes at the airlines.

That's what I've heard, there are less pilots in the military, so less moving to commercial pilot jobs when they retire. The pilots from the Vietnam War era have gone into retirement or are about to.

I don't know if that is what is causing higher fares, I think it's more the mergers giving less competition. You had Delta/Northwest, United/Continental, Southwest/AirTran, and now American/USAirways. They have also reduced the number of flights and flying fuller so less seats means they can command higher fares.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Just wanted to add that I heard on my local news that all airlines had milliong plus dollar profit from baggage fees. The most was United, over $800 million.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

It has nothing to do with Pilots.

Frankly the airlines in the last few years has reduced the number of seats available and the number of flights.

Less costs and more completion from a flying public who are willing to pay more to fly.

They make more profit that way.

AKK

 

[Donna M]

Back to pilot subject......my dh was a private pilot wanting to move up but you needed a certain amount of hours and the only way to get the hours was to have a job flying and the only way to get a job flying is have the hours......that's why so many pilots were ex-military.


As far a prices go, I agree it's a supply and demand thing now. We buy as early as possible and do ok. This past Feb. we had the cheapest tickets I can remember in years, around $200 n/s rt out to MHT.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I wonder if 9/11 didn't have something to do with it if there is a shortage of pilots. A friend's brother was in college and hoping to be a pilot when the 9/11 attacks occurred. The airlines went thru such a crazy time after that with downsizing and furloughs. His parents weren't thrill when he enlisted in the Army after graduation, but there weren't many other options at the time especially for one without experience. He's a pilot in the Army and has been for years at this point. I'm sure he will stay until he gets his 20 in then he may come out and be a commercial pilot, but who knows. I just wonder how many were in the same situation or even chose another field because of the changes at the airlines.

How can you be a pilot in the army if you are enlisted? That is an officer/warrant officer position. Also, I'm assuming that if he is a pilot, he's a helicopter pilot, not a jet pilot.

 

[JLKennedy]

How can you be a pilot in the army if you are enlisted? That is an officer/warrant officer position. Also, I'm assuming that if he is a pilot, he's a helicopter pilot, not a jet pilot.

I think you misread the post....it said he was in college.....then enlisted after graduation....meaning he joined after completing college, not that he's an enlisted or NCO

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

How can you be a pilot in the army if you are enlisted? That is an officer/warrant officer position. Also, I'm assuming that if he is a pilot, he's a helicopter pilot, not a jet pilot.

From enlisted you can go to Officer Candidate School and advance to warrant Officer.

AKK

 

[floridacrazy]

Hi everyone. I guess 9/11 scared people who wanted to become pilots. If I wanted to become a pilot I would think twice about it.

I purchased our July tickets on Jetblue for a family of 4 from LaGuardia to MCO in February and paid $1100. The same fights today are $1700. I've checked a few times since I bought them to see if it would go down and the cost seems to be just going up.

 

[tstidm1]

Flying to Disneyland in July (out of BWI) and are paying $496 each for two flights. That's at least a $100 more than if I went in February. At least, I'm not paying another $50 for Bags (Southwest). I'm glad I'm booked my flights in Late march instead of now.