Round-trip from Miami to Chicago: $67. Round-trip from Boston to Barcelona: $196

[dalton99a]

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/3/10/21172001/coronavirus-cheap-plane-ticket-prices

Plane ticket prices are dropping because of the coronavirus
The CDC says Americans should avoid nonessential travel to certain high-risk places, and that older adults and people with chronic medical conditions should consider postponing some travel.
By Terry Nguyen | [e-mail] | Mar 10, 2020, 6:50am EDT

As more and more people grow hesitant to travel by plane because of concerns about the coronavirus, domestic and international fares have plummeted. Expedia is marketing a New York to Los Angeles round-trip flight for $142, which costs, on average, about $300 one-way. A Miami to Chicago flight is usually about $193, but Frontier Airlines is advertising a $67 round-trip ticket. Prices for international flights are also shockingly low: A round-trip fare from Boston to Barcelona is $196, compared to an average of $681.

It might seem tempting to snatch up these deals, if not for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s warning to avoid nonessential travel for certain vulnerable populations, especially long plane trips, and crowded spaces, which is pretty much the definition of every airport. These precautions are extremely important to heed, especially for older and sick people as the outbreak continues, and the CDC has travel alerts for South Korea, China, Italy, Iran, and Japan — places Americans are advised to avoid.

So why the bargain-basement prices? Travelers are postponing if not outright canceling plans, meaning airlines have to scramble to fill those seats. According to Austin Horowitz, senior aviation management consultant at the global consulting firm ICF, cheap airfare is a result of multiple factors, namely the drop in flight demand. “It’s almost a negative price that airlines will have to pay to get people to fly,” he told me. “But there are some takers, and right now, they’ll have to keep prices down until people start traveling again.”

Most US airlines are offering travelers who’ve booked within the past month the opportunity to change or cancel flights without fees, something that has angered customers who scheduled their trips months ahead of time. Airlines aren’t likely to promote discounts during a disease outbreak, Horowitz said, so offering cancellation and change fees is another way to incentivize people to purchase a plane ticket.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/young-people-capitalize-cheap-coronavirus-flights-if-i-die-i-n1154326

Young people capitalize on cheap coronavirus flights: 'If I die, I die'
If coronavirus gets really dangerous, "I might as well be somewhere having fun," one California college student said.
March 10, 2020, 4:31 PM CDT / Updated March 10, 2020, 8:49 PM CDT
By Ben Kesslen

As people around the world canceled their trips because of fears of the new coronavirus, Ashley Henkel booked three.

Henkel, 20, is taking advantage of cheap flights to see North America. She lives in California's Central Valley, but this summer she'll be in Vancouver, New York City and Portland, Oregon.

A college student itching to travel, she's one of many people staring the deadly virus in the face and saying, "Whatever."

As flight schedules are scaled down and airline stocks plunge, carriers are offering deals that have put air travel within reach for people who usually can't fly.

[frazzled]

1. Man, that's almost worth dying for

I’ve been wanting to go to to Barcelona forever. Or I should say, I’ve been dying to go!

[SunSeeker]

2. Under 30 women seem to be the most able to withstand Covid-19.

Men, not so much. And all older than 60 folks are serious danger. I suppose if I was a poor college girl whose clases got canceled, I'd head to Tahiti, or Antarctica, or go see Denali in Alaska. Far away places with amazing vistas and not a lot of people seem like a great choice for those willing to take the risk.

[C_U_L8R]

3. A month vacation on a remote island sounds perfect right now

Wish I could.

[csziggy]

4. My sister is taking a Mediterranean cruise starting this week

Because it is so cheap.

She's 64. Maybe her alcohol consumption will kill any virus she encounters.

[AlexSFCA]

5. not even if they pay me to fly!

[Hekate]

6. No, thank you

[HarlanPepper]

7. I saw r/t Dallas to New Zealand for under to $600 yesterday

It’s excruciating to not be in a position to take advantage.

Yet.