OF THE
TIMES
Some took to social media with screenshots from retailers, which appear to indicate drastic price hikes for goods like water and airplane tickets.Some airlines are charging up to $3000 to escape the hurricane:
As thousands are trying to escape Florida ahead of what could be a devastating force of nature, many have complained about steep airfares.
Miami native Lissette Diaz is frantically trying to fly her family out from South Florida in case Hurricane Irma hits. But it may cost her thousands of dollars.
By Wednesday, prices for flights out of South Florida skyrocketed as high as more than $3,000 per person for domestic flights that would otherwise cost a fraction of the price during what's typically one of the slowest times of the year for air travel.
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In Florida, price gouging is illegal following a declared state of emergency. However, airlines are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation and are not subject to Florida's price gouging statute.
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But the laws of supply and demand apply in hurricanes as they do year round and the hefty price tags aren't unusual for last-minute tickets, said Seth Kaplan, managing partner at trade publication Airline Weekly. Prices can change dramatically when tickets are purchased less than three days before departure.
"The situation is that there just aren't enough seats for everyone who wants to fly," Kaplan said. "What we're seeing, with the very expensive fares for the few seats that remain, is just their standard pricing for any flight anywhere that's in high demand... It basically becomes an auction for the few seats that remain."
Kaplan said it's clear airlines aren't price gouging because most flights are completely sold out. Without a way to anticipate a storm, the airlines didn't start charging higher prices until the last second - as they would with any last minute seats.
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