It is far from simple economics.. it is a clear illustration of how the monopoly power of the airlines is used to the detriment of the customer. Whilst all goods are priced to some degree by demand, they are also influenced by the elements which go into the overall price. Airfares, logically, would be considerably more expensive with multiple stops, as these require more fuel and incur additional fees and staff to handle the aircraft at each stop. However, the airline may not have a monopoly in the Miami market. US Air has a virtual monopoly in Charlotte however, and this is the reason they can gouge you. Delta does the same with the Atlanta market, Continental in Newark, AA in Dallas and so on. There is not a true market... it is a series of carefully crafted "carved up" markets, which the majors have colluded to dominate. A few stars, such as Southwest challenge this, but the majors work hard not to compete properly in the market and pay huge sums to Washington to keep things that way.
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