flamomo Posted April 10, 2009 #1 Share Posted April 10, 2009 ......it costs more to fly from Omaha to Seattle than from Tampa? I booked a flight r/t Tampa - Seattle for under a total of $250. My DD is looking for a flight from Omaha, and there's nothing under $400 (including fees and taxes). It seems odd that it costs less to fly diagonally cross-country than from the mid-West to the northwest. Can anyone justify the big difference in cost? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parody Posted April 10, 2009 #2 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Unfortunately for this type of trip, it is just a simple matter of 1) supply and demand and 2) competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted April 10, 2009 #3 Share Posted April 10, 2009 It is often difficult to find logic in airfares. Often prices like you are finding are due to competition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ab0si Posted April 10, 2009 #4 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Competition or lack thereof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrp96 Posted April 10, 2009 #5 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Competition. When you are flying from a small to medium size airport (like Omaha) you have less flight options than from a larger airport like Tampa, so less competition for flights, so higher prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenish Posted April 10, 2009 #6 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Check fares using "nearby" airports on both ends of your trip. LIN, DSM, SUX, and even MCI are possible alternates to OMA. If the destination is Vancouver, then Bellingham (BLI) is right on the border and sometimes less expensive than SEA. Unfortunately there are not other airports close to OMA or SEA like there are for LAX or MIA. Which goes back to your original question. :) Of course you have to decide whether any fare savings you find justifies the time and expense of driving to another city. If you have family or friends in the alternate city, that may make it easier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruznjan Posted April 11, 2009 #7 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Also, Omaha is not considered a "market" city. P.S. I'm a UNO grad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamomo Posted April 11, 2009 Author #8 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Thanks to all for the input. Lack of competetion and small market are both logical justifications, but slim consolation, for my DD who will be flying to Seattle to join me (from Tampa) for an Alaska cruise. Ah well, Alaska will be worth it, whatever it takes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenish Posted April 11, 2009 #9 Share Posted April 11, 2009 I did a quick check of OMA-SEA around your cruise dates. Fares are around $390 (incl fees/taxes). I didn't check low cost airlines (Midwest, Southwest, or Frontier) or other dates. So $390 is a starting point and a little research should bring it down from there. For example, Southwest has a $225 online fare but are only accepting reservations through 8/14/09 right now. (Some may lambaste me for suggesting Southwest, the main point is there's no reason to pay over $400 as mentioned in the OP). OMA seems to be the cheapest airport in the region. If sister is willing to use MCI the fare drops to $250 all-in on the non-discount airlines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamomo Posted April 12, 2009 Author #10 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Where is MCI? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parody Posted April 12, 2009 #11 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Kansas City International Airport (MCI--http://www.kansas-city-mci.com/) is about 185 miles away from Omaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamomo Posted April 12, 2009 Author #12 Share Posted April 12, 2009 THX. She is anxiously awaiting the SWA schedule for the time period she needs. I believe I saw on the SWA site that they will become available on April 14th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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