Why do airfares rise so quick?

Two days ago, I was checking airfare to Las Vegas for June 5th. Staying four nights it was $506. And while that seemed like a lot, the very next day that same fare was suddenly $726.
Isn't it all totally arbitrary? There were still about a dozen seats left and not as if I decided the night before to buy the ticket. This was still over three weeks prior. It doesn't seem right I could be seated next to someone who paid half as much as me.

Tim

I have always thought all airline passengers should have to wear a sign stating how much they paid for their tickets. Every trip I look around and wonder if I am a winner or a loser.

Keith, I agree. Many times I have found a large price dif between what I paid and what the person sitting next to me paid. I usually don't bring it up unless they start in about it.

Well, that's always my curiosity also.

I always get a free upgrade to 1st class and
am curious to know if anyone else has paid
hard cash for it.

As far as coach fares, I think timing, load
numbers, and oil prices have a lot to do with it.

Of course, if you fly on certain days of the week that will be another factor to consider overall.

A guy flying out of LAX on Friday to LAS and returning on Sunday will pay a lot more than someone flying out on a Tuesday and returning on Thursday.

I do like the idea of everyone on the plane
having a poster wrapped around them exhibiting the price they paid for their fare.

I wonder what will come first, that or reading minds. LOL

i fly allegiant PIA-LAS and i book as far in advance as i can and i live with the variance. its like a craps game and variance. sometimes i win sometimes i lose but i accept it.

Not at all. Airline ticket prices are the product of incredible research and analysis by many of the best business minds our top universities produce.

Airlines are great at making sure each passenger pays as much as he or she is willing to pay as possible. For a business traveler, that can be a lot, because the business really wants that employee on that plane, and thinks it can make money if he or she is on that flight. For a leisure traveler, it might not be much, because the leisure traveler might value that seat far less.

Not many things are less arbitrary than airfares.

I renctly scored airfare from DFW to LAS for $196 plus tax (round trip). This was about $100 less than I found last year and I spent months waiting for that price. Spirit Airlines just came to DFW and has been advertising low rates, so I decided to check with AA to see if they were matching. I usually start checking 4-5 months before my scheduled trip, but once I saw round trip tickets on AA I jumped on it quick.

You can check KAYK.com to get an idea on airfare prices. They can flucuate many times in one day, so the key is to check often and at different times of the day. I have also found that if a plane is full, larger airlines like AA, may add additional flights.