Originally Posted by
ChocolateFactory
Why are LATAM tickets so extremely expensive?
For example SCL-LIM in business class.
Avianca is already quite expensive for this 4-5 hour flight, at about 1,000 USD. But LATAM charges twice that amount (granted, it's A321 vs. B787, but still).
(Ok, I just realized you can cut the price in half by adding a return flight, what the heck?)
Are there really so many people in South America who can pay these prices?
Or is there a trick to get a "local" fare?
I am interested in flying Rio-Iguazu-Buenos Aires-Santiago de Chile-Lima, and at least the SCL-LIM part I would like to fly in business class... But the prices are really putting me off. :/
Two answers for you: fuel price and market.
The fuel price in Brazil is completely crazy and all companies blame the government about it with good reasons. Also, the fuel price in Latin America is the higest in the world and, for this, you pay more for a ticket (you can see this info here:
http://www.iata.org/publications/eco...-analysis.aspx)
About the mrket, Latin America didn't have so many companies and, for sure, no challenges between them. This situation give a "nobody inside the pool" scenario for the companies and they put any price on the table. For me it's crazy to pay € 100 for an one-hour flight in Brazil and pay the same for a 3~4 hours in Europe. When I say to my family and friends there about the prices in Europe, they say that I'm a lier :-)