# Why no airline discounts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962 "2001-09-21T04:14:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/1 "2001-09-21T04:14:42Z")
I was wondering why I am getting the same rates on airfares now that I got before 9-11 I figured somewhere there would be a sale. I hear reports of airlines flying only 3% full. They haven’t upped the rates on the cities I want to go to. Anyone else got deals? ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/2 "2001-09-21T04:41:48Z")
It depends where you look and where you’re going, but there are some good discounts being posted around the web. Most are on the websites of specific airlines. A few examples: Phoenix, AZ to Hartford, CT - $98 RT (Southwest Airlines) and Phoenix, AZ to Burbank, CA - $39 RT (America West Airlines, a fare only good this weekend) These fares and more are at [http://www.arizonarepublic.com:80/special40/articles/0920attacks-airlines20.html](http://www.arizonarepublic.com:80/special40/articles/0920attacks-airlines20.html) ) However, most routes that I checked after this were the same price as before. Happy low fare hunting! lel ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/3 "2001-09-21T04:48:42Z")
It could be that they’ve already lost big money after being grounded for a couple of days, and can’t really afford to give away seats right now. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/4 "2001-09-21T13:58:36Z")
Since the vacation season is over, most of the traveling would be done by business fliers, who (relatively speaking) don’t much care what the fare is. That’s a sign of how bad things are – if these people won’t fly, who will? That said, I did read a story in the local paper about a tourist who had already booked an incredibly cheap fare to L.A.online, and was betting the price would go down again over the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/5 "2001-09-21T14:27:54Z")
I’m also guessing that cheaper fares probably wouldn’t boost business right now. With all the companies that have cancelled business travel and all the people scared to fly in general, I doubt cheaper prices would change too many minds. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/6 "2001-09-21T14:53:10Z")
/travel guru hat ON/ There ARE lower fares. Just not everywhere. /travel guru hat OFF/ ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/7 "2001-09-21T15:18:51Z")
I saw a report on TV last night that said airlines were traveling with only 3% of their seats filled (that is not a typo.) So I would expect more sales. ---
**Author:** ![Ariadne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@Ariadne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ariadne)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/8 "2001-09-22T08:01:19Z")
Yes, I’m surprised that they’re not dropping prices to rock bottom just to fill the planes. Though, I think the airlines will have a nice recovery in two months. A lot of people will cancel vacations, some businesses can afford to cancel business trips, but who can resist going home for Thanksgiving with the family? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/9 "2001-09-22T15:43:41Z")
[http://web.montereyca.com/content/monterey/2001/09/22/business/e2.airlineqanda.0922.htm](http://web.montereyca.com/content/monterey/2001/09/22/business/e2.airlineqanda.0922.htm) Q: Are carriers starting to cut their fares in order to lure passengers back into the air? ``` A: Sandy Graziano, a travel agent with Westmoor Travel in Sunnyvale, has not noticed a drop in air fares so far. She noted that the airlines cannot slash their prices too drastically when their loads are already so low. But Travelocity's Stacy thinks travelers could start to see plane ticket prices - as well as hotel room rates - fall sometime next week or even as early as this weekend. Already, National Airlines has begun offering ''Get America Flying Fares.'' National is selling a round-trip ticket from San Francisco to Newark or JFK leaving on any of the next four Tuesdays for $100. Round-trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas is $25. " ``` Yeah, now you can see Anniz’s wedding for $25.00 ! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/10 "2001-09-22T17:26:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darwin’s Finch \* > \*\*It could be that they’ve already lost big money after being grounded for a couple of days, and can’t really afford to give away seats right now. \*\* Bingo! Also, rather than continue to fly all those flights with such low passenger counts, they’re already changing flight schedules and decreasing the number of flights, in some cases by between 20 and 30 percent. The only people going to fly right now are people who would fly anyway. There’s not a successful business model out there that would indicate decreasing rates at this time is going to get enough people flying to increase profitability. ---
**Author:** ![AbbySthrnAccent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@AbbySthrnAccent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AbbySthrnAccent)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/11 "2001-09-22T17:28:49Z")
I should have also mentioned, the closing of one airline and the laying off of about 20% of employees at five major airlines. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-airline-discounts/82962/12 "2001-09-22T23:09:49Z")
I would fly now. But I think about my flight being cancelled for not enough passengers & having to sit around & wait for the next one would suck.