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During COVID when nobody was flying fares dropped. But today fares are the lowest they've been in the history of aviation, except for during COVID which should

During COVID when nobody was flying fares dropped. But today fares are the lowest they've been in the history of aviation, except for during COVID which should never be factored into trends. Inflation-adjusted averages for fares, both overall and on specific routes, for the last 30 years are here: https://www.bts.gov/air-fares https://www.bts.gov/air-fares Even with fees and taxes airfare is the lowest it's ever been. Internationally the difference is even greater than the halving of US domestic ticket prices over the last 30 years. The tricks no longer work because the bottom has been reached and there are no more pennies to pinch. If one buys a ticket today, right now, for next month one can fly from DC to LA for $98-- round trip. Then they will complain about paying $30 for a bag.... I can fly first class from New York to Frankfurt for less than what an economy class ticket cost when I was visiting my Oma in the 80s and 90s and that's NOT adjusted for inflation.

aidenn0 2y ago
> If one buys a ticket today, right now, for next month one can fly from DC to LA for $98-- round trip. Then they will complain about paying $30 for a bag.... LA<->DC is my most commonly booked flight and I haven't paid less than $300 (net baggage fees) in almost 20 years. On top of that, I end up with less legroom than I did 20 years ago.
- snakeyjake 2y ago
  United App: IAD to LAX tues-tues $208 round trip including fees. Google flights: BWI to LAX sun-sun $98 on Spirit. I'd pay the extra $110 for United because my bags and an Economy Plus seat are free with my status. Even if you've been paying a consistent $300 for 20 years, the cost fallen by a third.
  - aidenn0 2y ago
    BWI is not DC, I don't fly Tues-Tues, and 20 years ago I was paying as low as $150. Flights now are cheaper than for most of that time, but after you adjust for inflation and paying for bags, they were definitely cheaper in the mid-late 00s.
hilux 2y ago
> But today fares are the lowest they've been in the history of aviation, except for during COVID which should never be factored into trends. Not from the US to Asia they're not. Not even close to the 3-5 years preceding Covid, when competition from Chinese airlines drove prices way down
traceroute66 2y ago
> But today fares are the lowest they've been in the history of aviation, What planet are you living on ? Clearly a different one to me. As I said, I speak from direct experience. Before COVID, I could regularly pick up J-class (business) fares on top-quality airlines for 2–3k a pop. Post-COVID for J-class you'll be lucky to get much change out of 7–8k unless a specific airline has a sale on. Prices have gone up. That's a fact. I travel enough for business and pleasure to know that. And its the same with my friends and acquaintances. Sure, if you're looking at the bottom of the barrel end of the sector where the LCC's operate then prices are still cheap. But tools like ITA Matrix were never useful for bottom of the barrel flights, you always just went directly to the website of whichever horrid cheap and nasty operator.

aidenn0 2y ago

> If one buys a ticket today, right now, for next month one can fly from DC to LA for $98-- round trip. Then they will complain about paying $30 for a bag.... LA<->DC is my most commonly booked flight and I haven't paid less than $300 (net baggage fees) in almost 20 years. On top of that, I end up with less legroom than I did 20 years ago.

snakeyjake 2y ago
United App: IAD to LAX tues-tues $208 round trip including fees. Google flights: BWI to LAX sun-sun $98 on Spirit. I'd pay the extra $110 for United because my bags and an Economy Plus seat are free with my status. Even if you've been paying a consistent $300 for 20 years, the cost fallen by a third.
- aidenn0 2y ago
  BWI is not DC, I don't fly Tues-Tues, and 20 years ago I was paying as low as $150. Flights now are cheaper than for most of that time, but after you adjust for inflation and paying for bags, they were definitely cheaper in the mid-late 00s.

hilux 2y ago

> But today fares are the lowest they've been in the history of aviation, except for during COVID which should never be factored into trends. Not from the US to Asia they're not. Not even close to the 3-5 years preceding Covid, when competition from Chinese airlines drove prices way down

traceroute66 2y ago

> But today fares are the lowest they've been in the history of aviation, What planet are you living on ? Clearly a different one to me. As I said, I speak from direct experience. Before COVID, I could regularly pick up J-class (business) fares on top-quality airlines for 2–3k a pop. Post-COVID for J-class you'll be lucky to get much change out of 7–8k unless a specific airline has a sale on. Prices have gone up. That's a fact. I travel enough for business and pleasure to know that. And its the same with my friends and acquaintances. Sure, if you're looking at the bottom of the barrel end of the sector where the LCC's operate then prices are still cheap. But tools like ITA Matrix were never useful for bottom of the barrel flights, you always just went directly to the website of whichever horrid cheap and nasty operator.