This is just great: FareCompare and its secret, technological wizardry got indications late last week that Southwest was starting a round of air fare increases, and wouldn’t you know it, the others are following suit (at least on their routes that overlap Southwest’s).
The increases are based on mileage; the further you fly, the more you pay. See as follows (and these are one-way fares, mind you):
- $1 for trips less than 500 miles
- $3 for trips less between 500 and 1000 miles
- $5 for trips between 1000 and 1250 miles
- $5 and $10 for trips over 1250 miles
Who else is raising prices? American Airlines, United Airlines, US Airways, Continental Airlines, Northwest, Frontier, Alaska Airlines and, to a lesser extent, Delta.
FareCompare’s Rick Seaney calls this “unusual activity”. Personally, I thought we’d have at least until Halloween before the airlines tried anything this scary.
