Englishmum

I've just had a shock.

My friend is thinking of meeting up with some pals in Tuscany in April and asked if I knew of any cheap tickets to Pisa or Florence if she flies via the UK.

I've just looked at http://www.ryanair.com and they have a seat sale on...they have loads of routes on sale for only 99 pence (+ airport taxes). I don't know how the likes of Ryanair, Easyjet, MyTravelite etc. manage to stay in business.

How come prices don't go so low in the USA?

dunroving

I think it's a bit like a Wal-Mart strategy - selling limited items at ridiculous prices just to get people in the door. I booked two tickets on Ryanair in the summer. Not rock-bottom prices by any means - but it was the rock-bottom prices that got me on their Web site in the first place.

Duncan Roberts

You could try http://www.flyi.com
They are based in Washington DC so almost all their flights go through there. They're pretty cheap but don't fly to a great deal of locations, although I hear that they will be expanding this year.

cindyabs

Au contraire-speaking as a travel agent, Independence Air is currently having some problems and cutting back 20 % on their flights in order to "circle the wagons"financially. Air Tran, Jet Blue and Southwest still lead the pack in the US for no frills flights and often lower prices.

Muswell Hill

Just booked a flight with easyjet from LGW to cologne/Bonn. Outward is GBP4.50, the return is GBP0.00, yes zero pounds, zero pence. The whole thing including taxes is 14 quid. Bloody marvelous!

psb182

is that first class??????

Duncan Roberts

I'm not so sure about that. My brother in law works in the airline field and was about to take a job at Independence, but didn't want to work in DC. He seems to think that they have a good business model, they are going to expand flights to the west coast and generally will do well this year. BUt I admit, it is hearsay.

Muswell Hill

Why but of course! I shall be enjoying easychampagne and easycaviar at 36,000 feet! More like cattle class........

Jan Alaska

I found www.airtran.com are pretty cheap only problem I can really see is that all their flights go via Atlanta and once again they travel cattle class only

With gas prices over here being cheaper you'd think there would be one hell of a lot more cheap flights.

Jan

cindyabs

This is not heresay;

-Independence Air is cutting about 20% of its flights.



The Washington Dulles-based discount carrier says it will trim 150 of its daily 560 flights.



Some routes will also be stopped, including non-stop flights between Florida and Charleston and Greenville, S.C.



Other routes will be cut back, the carrier says.



Changes will begin in February.


From a trade publication.

ironporer

Just my opinion, but as a frequent flyer on AirTran, it is no "less frills" than Delta United or the others, the flight attendants are great, 1st class upgrade for only 35$, and the prices can't be beat. I just hope that as USAir and Delta go down the crapper, AirTran buys takes over their routes, and manages it as they do now.

Manc

Ironporer, Northwest will bag the USair planes and routes as they both have very similar Airbus fleets.

The US Aviation market is in a right shambles.

Legacy carriers (pre regulation) is having to pay union rates and dues to it's employees with top bollock insurance/benefits.

Then along comes JetBlue/Southwest et al paying people $15 an hour straight with not much in the way of benefits other than maybe stock options.

Legacy carriers need to lower prices to compete.

Legacy carriers go bankrupt.

There are just too many planes in the sky.

ironporer

Perhaps you are correct- though I doubt it is simply a matter of wages of the workers that is dragging them down the tubes. Perhaps that is the easiest to identify and change- it surely beats the hell out of identifying and correcting inefficiencies and waste...or reducing executive salaries/bonus packages.

Manc

well yes, that's correct, I mean the whole 1950's era of luxurious flight has long gone. The gravy train is over. from CEO's to Pilots to flight attendents to ground staff. They're competing in the real world.
which like my sig line, sucks.

dunroving

Aren't airlines exempt from Government taxes on fuel? I think a lot of the UK/US difference in fuel prices is due to government taxes.