Eugdog From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2001, 518 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3520 times:
I am going to Denver for my vacation!
I want to know why are domestic air fares to and from Denver are so expensive.
Flying from Las Vegas to Denver (600 miles) cost at least $330 for a Friday eve departure - Monday return. This is is incredibly expensive for such a short flight.
Can anyone explain why it is so expensive to go to denver!
BA From United States of America, joined May 2000, 11141 posts, RR: 61 Reply 2, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3467 times:
PROSA hit the nail on the head.
DEN is also a very expensive airport airlines to operate to aswell. The reason for this is Denver Airport was such an expensive airport to build. Infact it went over the budget, so the Federal Govt. cut funding short and as a result some projects had to be canceled such as a few more taxiways, rail-link to the city, 528-room hotel, and a 6th runway which would've been 16,000ft.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
Eugdog From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2001, 518 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 3458 times:
Well that is a shame as Denver must be one the most isolated cities in North America. The nearest city of any size is Phoenix or Albuquerque- both are at least 400 miles away!
DIA From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 3273 posts, RR: 30 Reply 7, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 3427 times:
BA says: "...the 528-room hotel, and a 6th runway were canceled."
Actually, The runway is just a few months away from opening...all 16,000 feet, and the Westin Hotel is almost out the development phase, about to be bid-on by construction firms soon.
Rail-link is still planned within 5 to 10 years.
Just an FYI, DIA
Ding! You are now free to keep supporting Frontier.
Mikeybien From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 3425 times:
Two reasons: DEN is geographically isolated so there are few alternatives to flying (COS frequently has fares that are just as high or worse). The nearest low-fare airport is ABQ, a healthy 6.5 hour drive.
Secondly, travelers going to/from DEN are willing to pay high fares. Put yourself in the airlines shoes: if somebody is willing to pay $330 for a 600 mile flight from LAS-DEN, would you charge any less?
DEN's higher airport costs should really only add a few dollars onto the ticket price. DIA frequently takes the blame for a coincidence: right around the time DIA opened, CO was leaving - ending a 15 year streak of cheap fares because of the fare wars waged by UA, CO and the old Frontier.
BA From United States of America, joined May 2000, 11141 posts, RR: 61 Reply 11, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 3404 times:
DIA,
Yes I know the 16,000ft. runway is only a few months from opening.
But the original plans were to construct it during the airport construction but it was canceled. In 2000, the city finally got funding for the 6th runway so construction started on it. But it's still a LONG ways off. It still has not been paved yet. They're still preparing the land.
And yes the Westin is in final development stages. I know that. Finally the hotel gets off the ground. I made several posts about it on the forum that showed a rendering of it. Looks quite nice.
The rail link will happen if funding is found. And it's not going to be found anytime soon.
Regards
"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." - Khalil Gibran
Convairman From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 3392 times:
Basically, because UA have a stranglehold on DEN and artificially keep the fares higher - it has nothing to do with "Hot and High" - just corporate greed. If it was not for Frontier, the fares would be even worse. It was not too bad when CO were there, but following the pull out, DEN has been pro-rata the most expensive destination in the US, outside of Fairbanks and Hawaii.
Flashmeister From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 2864 posts, RR: 7 Reply 16, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 3320 times:
Maybe the topic should be "Why is United so expensive to fly to Denver on?"
Next week, I go AUS-DEN on Frontier... for $198 round trip. I looked into SAT-DEN on United... $390 round trip.
Is a 60 mile drive each way worth $200? Damn right it is... and, Frontier's making money which is one thing that United can't say.
So, Denver doesn't have to be expensive... just avoid Untied.
Scottb From United States of America, joined Jul 2000, 6373 posts, RR: 34 Reply 17, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3307 times:
Actually, the higher airport costs add quite a bit onto the cost of a ticket; the average cost per enplanement is close to $20 (and this does not include the passenger facility charge of $4.50, the highest allowed by Federal law). Of course, costs need to be high, given that the airport is carrying $4 billion in bonded indebtedness.
I think Continental pulled a fast one on the DIA planners and United, actually. CO was the first hub carrier to sign on to the plan to build DIA (and that's why they ended up in the more convenient Concourse A). Both CO and UA had been reluctant to move from the far more convenient facility at Stapleton and had been dragging their feet on the plans for DIA. I suspect that when CO management made the internal decision to pull down the DEN hub, they decided it would make sense in the long term to basically make United pay for the cost of Denver's boondoggle on the prairie. So, CO bought into the DIA plan (and negotiated an exit clause in the lease), which allowed the plans for the new airport to move forward. Faced with the facts that the new airport was going forward and Stapleton would ultimately close, United was forced to make a commitment to DIA as well.
There's a pretty good paper on DIA at:
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~dew/civi/paper/
AeroGlobeAir7 From United States of America, joined Jan 2001, 586 posts, RR: 2 Reply 18, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 3298 times:
two reasons:
United has a very large share of the market, and Frontier's fares aren't the lowest around either. Southwest doesn't fly to Denver which would significantly lower prices.
Second, United has the worst ticket prices I've ever seen, besides Northwest ($550 dollars roundtrip Kansas City to Tampa is absurd I wanna know what the management was thinking at NWA with that one).
Blink182 From Azerbaijan, joined Oct 1999, 5431 posts, RR: 19 Reply 20, posted (11 years 2 months 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3245 times:
DEN after CO dropped out and F9 had really posed as a threat cost an arm and a leg. Prices have gone down considerably, but you also have to find competitive routes. Flying AUS-DEN does not have more than 1 or 2 airlines, but if you found a route like ORD-DEN or DFW-DEN fares might be cheaper. For DFW atleast, I know of 3 airlines flying that route, and posssibly a 4th(Delta). So you really have to find routes with several carriers out of DEN.
blink
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