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Why is BWI so cheap compared to PHL? Other instances like this?

Why is BWI so cheap compared to PHL? Other instances like this?

Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:03 pm
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Why is BWI so cheap compared to PHL? Other instances like this?

I need to travel from Pittsburgh to a town west of Philadelphia for two days in April, and then fly to MSP. My destination is 50 miles from PHL and 90 miles from BWI.

The cost on DL for PIT-PHL and then PHL-MSP is $470, while the cost of PIT-BWI and then BWI-MSP is $202.

Any others instances like this around the DL system?
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:14 pm
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southwest hub
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:15 pm
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PIT-PHL has always been a premium priced route as long as USAirways/AA has monopolized it. There have been times when fares were competitive when other carriers competed on it, but that never lasted very long. Southwest held out the longest in that market, but ultimately they retreated.

What routing are you getting from PIT - BWI? Southwest does that one nonstop, but I didn't think DL did.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:25 pm
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Originally Posted by dilbertsdaddy
southwest hub
THIS.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:27 pm
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PHL & BWI are different markets. PHL-PIT is also nonstop blocked at 1:15, while DL is 3-1/2 hours with a connection at DTW. Time is money.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 1:31 pm
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Originally Posted by RRDD
I need to travel from Pittsburgh to a town west of Philadelphia for two days in April, and then fly to MSP. My destination is 50 miles from PHL and 90 miles from BWI.

The cost on DL for PIT-PHL and then PHL-MSP is $470, while the cost of PIT-BWI and then BWI-MSP is $202.

Any others instances like this around the DL system?
Southwest.

In addition, BWI is somewhat of a LCC airport.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 2:23 pm
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NK flies nonstop BWI-MSP. WN does not.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 2:55 pm
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BWI is always cheap.
Sometimes as much as 2x less than same time flights to/from DCA or IAD.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 2:55 pm
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Originally Posted by UpgradeMe
NK flies nonstop BWI-MSP. WN does not.
Not true. WN has two dailies on the route.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 3:04 pm
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deleted post

Last edited by koreanair720; Feb 22, 2018 at 3:04 pm Reason: misread
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 5:20 pm
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Originally Posted by RealHJ
BWI is always cheap.
Sometimes as much as 2x less than same time flights to/from DCA or IAD.
I have not flown Southwest in years, so I have lost calibration on their pricing structure.

When, you are making comparisons, as above, are you basing them on SWAs "Wanna Get Away" prices or the "Anytime" prices.

I used to fly a lot out of BWI before SWA came into PHL. Fares (for example, to Houston) were significantly cheaper out of BWI due to the SWA competition. Fares out of PHL then dropped drastically when SWA moved in.

Now, it appears that SWA fares from BWI to HOU are competitive to DL fares from PHL to HOU only if you grab the "Wanna Get Away" fares.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 5:44 pm
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sounds like a perfect time to oneway hidden city
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 5:55 pm
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Originally Posted by RealHJ
BWI is always cheap.
Sometimes as much as 2x less than same time flights to/from DCA or IAD.
Not cheap enough to get me to drive into Maryland.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 6:08 pm
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BWI is not just a Southwest hub. Spirit flies to something like 20 destinations non-stop from BWI as well.

The fares are generally much lower at BWI than at PHL, DCA, or IAD.
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Old Feb 22, 2018, 7:10 pm
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Originally Posted by StayingHomeIsBetter
I have not flown Southwest in years, so I have lost calibration on their pricing structure.

When, you are making comparisons, as above, are you basing them on SWAs "Wanna Get Away" prices or the "Anytime" prices.

I used to fly a lot out of BWI before SWA came into PHL. Fares (for example, to Houston) were significantly cheaper out of BWI due to the SWA competition. Fares out of PHL then dropped drastically when SWA moved in.

Now, it appears that SWA fares from BWI to HOU are competitive to DL fares from PHL to HOU only if you grab the "Wanna Get Away" fares.
Huh? I am making comparision on ATL-DCA, ATL-IAD vs. ATL-BWI, and MSP-DCA, MSP-IAD vs. MSP-BWI DL flights (I mean the only flights that matter, as you have to go through ATL or MSP to get to almost anywhere on DL). Flying into BWI will be usually significantly less; often that short conneting flight will be $600 to ATL or DCA, under $200 to BWI.

What I said is based purely on DL flights, as this is the DL forum, so I presumed that is what this was discussing (DL pricing to BWI vs. other airports in the area, and as BWI is such an undesirable location, it is much cheaper to fly in and out of than other nearby airports). I mean on F/J fares - in the same fare class - it can easily make $600+ diff.
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