Just call me optimistic
Or stupid.
I have a ticket to a Janis Ian show in Cerritos, CA, on 26 March 2008 which I’d bought online late last year. The added attraction is that I can go and see Mama Bai Yun’s latest cub, Zhen Zhen, at the San Diego Zoo. Cerritos is on the outskirts of LA, 3 hours from San Diego, so of course, I won’t pass up the chance if I get to go.
If I get to go. Yup, that’s the issue at hand.
I don’t have an air ticket to LA yet. I’m waiting for a MATTA Travel Fair to get a suitable cheap fare. From the MATTA website, I see the next Travel Fair is scheduled the weekend of 16 March. Will I be able to get a ticket there to fly on such short notice? Or are the tickets sold at that Travel Fair only for travel further in the future?
Meanwhile, I checked a few airlines to see what are the regular not-yet-discounted fares they offer. And I nearly fell off my chair when I found out. Below are the various fares I found, in ascending order:
Malaysia Airlines – RM4,029
EvaAir – RM4,636
Singapore Air – RM6,091
Cathay Pacific – RM9,046
All the above are economy fares, with tax and fuel surcharge already factored in. And that’s really why the fares are so expensive – airport tax and especially fuel surcharge. There have always been airport taxes, but fuel surcharges are a recent (and unwelcome) addition.
I remember, the last time I flew to LA in November 2006, the fare was around, maybe RM3,000/-, which I bought through the MATTA Travel Fair. It’s just a little over a year later, and the price difference is big. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a suitably cheap fare again this time. If not, no worries – I’m sure there’ll be another JI fan who’ll be happy to take my ticket in return for a donation to The Pearl Foundation.
