Originally Posted by
gfunkdave
On a side note, a friend who works in the business tells me that the business model of airlines is such that you should never expect a sub-$400 fare for an 1800 mile trip.
I think this is way too big a generalization. It depends greatly on the routing, the advance notice, and the time of the year.
For example, I happened to recently book a roundtrip fare from SFO to MHT on CO for $280 roundtrip. That's almost 2700 miles each way. There are many other examples. A roundtrip fare on US from SFO to MCO is available for $249, a distance of almost 2500 miles. Even the itinerary in question - DTW/SFO - is available for $309 in early September on nonstop flights on DL.