Widespread Airfare Increases This Fall

(FareCompare.com - Oct 14, 2009) - The airfare monitoring website FareCompare.com has detected an unusually large number of domestic U.S. city pairs with an increase of up to $16 roundtrip, a hike initiated by American Airlines. Continental and Southwest began matching, followed by Delta/Northwest, United and US Airways, rounding out the legacy airlines.

Rick Seaney, FareCompare’s CEO, said most airfare hike attempts occur late in the week and either “stick” or “fizzle” over the weekend as carriers decide whether to match. He said that it is unusual to see an airfare hike early in the week, which is typically reserved for discounting and sales. American’s hikes are $3 one way and $6 roundtrip for flights under 450 miles, $5 and $10 for trips of 451 to 750 miles, and $8 and $16 for flights of 751 miles and up. Seaney said Southwest Airlines confirmed small increases of $2 one way and $4 roundtrip for flights of under 450 miles, $3 and $6 for flights between 451 and 750 miles, and $5 and $10 for flights of 751 miles and more. Seaney said that the hike comes on top of a targeted peak holiday surcharge of $10 each way over the past two weeks and appears to be well on its way to “sticking” as the fourth increase of 2009, with all four occurring since June, compared to 15 total increases in 2008 and 17 in 2007.  

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