I live in Columbus, OH and I travel for work almost every week.

Two weeks ago I got a call on Thursday. I needed to be in Cincinnati on Monday morning.

It's about a hundred miles from here to there- maybe an hour an a half if the traffic is bad- but still, I decided to look at flights online.

The cheapest I could find was for $1100... That's like ten bucks a mile!

Ridiculous. I decided to drive.

Then I got a call from my boss on Friday to tell me that I was not going to Cincinnati- instead, I would be working in Florida.

I again went online to price flights... Flight to jacksonville, Florida: $299- with one stop. And guess where that stop was?

Yes: Cincinnati.

HOW THE FUCK CAN THEY CHARGE $299 TO FLY TO FLORIDA- WITH A LAYOVER IN CINCINNATI - BUT CHARGE $1200 ON THE FIRST HALF OF THAT FLIGHT?!!!!!!

I still don't get it.

Anyway... here's an article about it... please let me know if YOU can figure it out.

CVG earns a bad No. 1
Airport has nation's highest fares once again
BY ALEXANDER COOLIDGE ACOOLIDGE@ENQUIRER.COM

HEBRON - We're No. 1 again. And again, and again, and again.

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport has racked up an entire year atop the list of the nation's most expensive major airports to fly.

The average roundtrip ticket here costs $556 - $80 more than No. 2 ranked San Francisco International with an average fare of $476, according to a new report issued by the Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Analysis. The latest data are from the third quarter of 2006.

Rounding out the top five: No. 3, Washington's Dulles International with an average roundtrip fare of $434; No. 4, Dallas/Fort Worth International with tickets averaging $428; and Newark (N.J.) Liberty International Airport with tickets averaging $422.

With the Hebron airport dominated by Delta Air Lines' second-largest hub, consumers have long complained that ticket prices are sky high. With the exception of six months in late 2004 and early 2005, the airport has consistently ranked among the most expensive major airports in the country. The last time CVG wasn't No. 1 was during the third quarter of 2005 - when it was No. 5.

"If you've got an unlimited bank account, you don't mind living with Cincinnati's fares," said John Banner, a 56-year-old Clifton attorney who frequently catches flights out of Dayton or Indianapolis to save money.

Delta and its Erlanger-based Comair subsidiary operate more than 80 percent of the flights from CVG.

Airport officials have said they've tried to woo low-cost carriers, but the prospect of competing with Delta at its hub has been less than tempting. Spokesman Ted Bushelman added that even when low-cost carriers have come to CVG, Delta lowers its prices on competing routes until the competition abandons the airport. "Fliers stick with Delta," he said.

Delta officials have defended local fares in the past, saying they cover the costs of offering direct service to more than 120 destinations, including Europe, Mexico and the Caribbean.

"Cincinnati customers continue to choose their hometown airport to take advantage of convenient nonstop service," said spokeswoman Gina Laughlin.

Local flyers got a break from the high fares in the summer of 2004 through early 2005 when Delta launched a simplified pricing structure before later filing for bankruptcy in the fall of 2005.