Continental pays you to fly!!!

[GrumpyOldGuy]

It all comes down to their computer programs trying to maximize the profit for each flight. The ticket cost have little to do with distance. They don't care if it makes sense to the customers, they use the pricing to fill each flight with the most expensive fares possible. For example on domestic flights I can fly from AMA to LAX or AMA to SNA (orange county), same distance. If I choose American, its often a couple hundred dollars cheaper to go into SNA, if I choose Continental it is reversed (cheaper to fly to LA). Both service either airport and distance is not a factor.

Learn to play their game. Swapping airports and times can save you a ton of money. Then on the flight be ready to be bumped (volunteer) and collect the $300-$400 credit. Last year I collected $1500 in credits on business trips which pays for a lot of fun stuff. The really cool thing was when I was bumped on an award flight, so they actually did pay me to fly.

 

[RJP]

The really cool thing was when I was bumped on an award flight, so they actually did pay me to fly.

Not long ago I gave up my coach seat Newark-LAX in exchange for $500 travel voucher, $25 meal, and hotel stay voucher and a seat on a flight the next day. Then an incoming connecting flight from Europe was delayed, so they didn't need my seat on the original flight, so I flew standby on the original flight, for which I was upgraded. So I got upgraded free, got free dinner, voucher for a free night at a Marriott, and $500 towards a future flight.

 

[Mike]

One time waiting for our connection is Chicago on our way home, they began looking for people to give up seats. It started at about $150, by the time it was over it was $400, a free hotel stay overnight in a nice hotel and dinner and transportation. My wife and I came this close to doing it.

For whatever reason we didn't. The next day Chicago was snowed in and flights were backed up for a solid week, people sleeping in the airport and eating each other. People were buying cars to drive home to get the hell out of there.

Somebody was looking out for us.

 

[beaverdivers]

Roatan... what else were we going to do, walk?

RoatanMan,

I drove down there in the 70's. My VW camper van broke down at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.

It chose a beautiful spot! I tried to fly from Guat. City to San Pedro Sula, but customs would not let me leave because of my car. A week later & a lot of money I finally got to the Bay Islands.

It might be better to fly!