Airline Tickets Sell for $1.86 Plus Fees
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - US Airways became the low-cost carrier of all time over the weekend — selling round-trip flights to some U.S. cities for less than the price of a gallon of gasoline — until the carrier fixed a glitch in its computer system.
For several hours, US Airways was selling tickets to smaller cities for $1.86 plus fees. That deal set Internet boards abuzz. With taxes and fees, the round-trip fares averaged about $40 apiece.
After finding the problem Saturday, US Airways had corrected it by that evening. An airline spokesman said the airline doesn't know how many people bought the super-cheap tickets.
"Obviously, if we sold any tickets at that rate, we'll honor them," said airline spokesman Chuck Allen.
A moderator for FlyerTalk-dot-com, an Internet site for frequent fliers, said most of the fares involved flights into Lebanon, N.H., or Watertown, N.Y. But several other cities, including Asheville, N.C., and Hilton Head Island, S.C., were also involved.
The ticket pricing error comes as US Airways is trying to raise money to leave bankruptcy protection in coming months.
Divinity student Randy Besta, 42, of Toronto, Ontario, bought 10 first-class, round-trip tickets from Watertown to Eugene, Ore., for about $64 each.
He doesn't know anyone in the area. And even though he'll fly through two or three other airports to get there, Besta doesn't mind.
"I've always wanted to go to Oregon," he said.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - US Airways became the low-cost carrier of all time over the weekend — selling round-trip flights to some U.S. cities for less than the price of a gallon of gasoline — until the carrier fixed a glitch in its computer system.
For several hours, US Airways was selling tickets to smaller cities for $1.86 plus fees. That deal set Internet boards abuzz. With taxes and fees, the round-trip fares averaged about $40 apiece.
After finding the problem Saturday, US Airways had corrected it by that evening. An airline spokesman said the airline doesn't know how many people bought the super-cheap tickets.
"Obviously, if we sold any tickets at that rate, we'll honor them," said airline spokesman Chuck Allen.
A moderator for FlyerTalk-dot-com, an Internet site for frequent fliers, said most of the fares involved flights into Lebanon, N.H., or Watertown, N.Y. But several other cities, including Asheville, N.C., and Hilton Head Island, S.C., were also involved.
The ticket pricing error comes as US Airways is trying to raise money to leave bankruptcy protection in coming months.
Divinity student Randy Besta, 42, of Toronto, Ontario, bought 10 first-class, round-trip tickets from Watertown to Eugene, Ore., for about $64 each.
He doesn't know anyone in the area. And even though he'll fly through two or three other airports to get there, Besta doesn't mind.
"I've always wanted to go to Oregon," he said.
