Originally Posted by
findark
Seems a high PRASM for regional - although short hop fares are astronomical I'd figure a lot of their pax are routed onward through a hub.
That, and they're short. Short flights have lower ASMs since there are fewer miles flown. They also generally are on smaller planes.
Take a rock-bottom transcon price, say $100 one way LAX-BWI. Don't get those that often anymore, but they happen. That's 4.29 cents per mile.
Now take that same rate, and apply it to a short-haul, say LAX-SFO. That'd be a $14.50 base fare (4.29 cents x 337 miles). I've never seen such a thing. Rock bottom is about 3 times that.
Shorter flights have better PRASM metrics as a result of higher fares per mile.