I'm sure this debate has been poked and prodded since airline travel began, but why is it that if I decided to take a short-haul trip to Burbank tomorrow it will cost me $450 r/t? Is it really unreasonable to think that spur of the moment people such as myself might decide at a whim to hop on a flight and not necessarily have this planned for weeks in advance? Who has time any more to plan those kinds of things out? Not to mention the many bereavements out there (which any kind of special fare is apparently is a thing of the past now) which can't be planned...

Anyway, it's probably just another way to add to the bottom line, because at the end of the day I know that's all that matters.

Although I was looking at Spirit, while the thought of flying Spirit irks me, it seems they don't hike up the fares within 7 days. So maybe this is starting to happen.