Sometimes First Class Is Cheaper Than Coach

From the illogical airline logic department, Elliott notes:

Always check the first-class options on a flight. Amazingly, they may be less expensive than the economy class tickets. That’s what reader Joe Farrell discovered when he reserved a flight on Continental Airlines.

“We were looking for a cheap fare from Hartford to Tampa, and I noticed that the airlines were asking for $500 to $600 roundtrip in coach class,” he says. “Then I clicked on ‘first class’. I was surprised to see fares of $450 round trip for the identical flights.”

Hmm. Economy for $500 or first class for $450. Which would you pick?

Lesson learned: “Coach is not always the least expensive ticket — and many people never know that,” says Farrell.

If nothing else … when you’re dealing with an airline, you have to think like one. Which is to say, don’t use logic and make no assumptions. They certainly aren’t.

Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?