I traveled a ton in the 90s and 00s. Due to change in job and life circumstances, I have traveled virtually none in the 10s. I wanted to take a spring break trip for family and after some research, I have been shocked -- SHOCKED, I say!!! -- at the current price of airfare.

I am origination STL. (used to be MCI, but same difference). When I used to pay for travel, I could make it anywhere except some of the West Coast cities for < $200 RT, especially if I applied myself in searching. Often, I could find "deals" somewhere good for around $100 RT. Maybe Florida. Maybe somewhere in Texas. But usually no problem. I would fly numerous airlines, including WN. It was extremely common for WN to throw a sale out there for $39 or $49 OW.

But now, I find no deals.....anywhere.....at any time....on any airline. I look in the mileage run deals here and none of them ever seem to apply to STL. Flying to Florida for spring break, multiple destinations checked, is > $300 RT. Not gonna happen for my family of 4. Last time I bought STL-MCO tickets, 2008 or 2009, I got them for $118 RT all-in, I think.

What the heck is going on with airfares? Have prices finally been "rightsized" because airlines decided to stop bleeding money? Are there "deals" or hot sales to be found any more?