Originally Posted by
MDsteve
I've done a lot of research into flights to MSY, and they aren't cheap from anywhere on any airline. Unsure of the reason, but I figure the airport raised what they charge the airlines in order to finance the new airport.
It's got to be a combo of paying for the new airport and airlines realizing that it is one the "it" destinations in the US for well-heeled travelers. It's infuriating as my total spend is going to increase substantially and I'm losing flexibility on my departure timings. If I didn't have strong commitments keeping me in MSY I'd be jumping on cheap transcon fares and touring around California. It's more expensive to fly to MSY than SFO/LAX/SEA any day of the week. 200 seats a day to a major tourist destination seems really low.
Maybe an insider can comment but as you said, I can't even switch airlines to save money/time as the frequencies are low across the board and the coast is jumping up every month.
Sorry for the rant, it's quite annoying spending an extra 40% all of a sudden on routes I've been flying for nearly 15 years.