I can't tell you what the demographic is of cheap flights, but I do fly a lot and I see LOTS of people off on weekend jaunts "taking advantage" of things like Priceline and last-minute web fares. About the only time in the last year where the cabin I was in was dominated by business types was when the cabin was appreciably empty.
> If a relative were to suddenly take ill in New
> York and I were to have to fly there ex-Chicago, the
> fare would be outrageous.
I doubt it.
I just took a quick look on orbitz.com for one-way flights (notoriously "high-end") tomorrow morning, here's what I found:
- Continental will fly you from Midway to Newark for $151 - ATA will do it for $156 to either Newark or LaGuardia - American will even do it from Midway to LaGuardia for $188
Two hours later, you'd be in NYC; these are all non-stop flights.
I could join you from Oakland to JFK on JetBlue for $244.
If you want to leave tonight at 7pm, Amtrak can get you to Penn Station by 1:50pm tomorrow for $133 ...
/jordan