[PHXFlyer]

Where is your "home" airport, Bluebird9? There are several where DL and NW may have been the "only game in town" and now that they are no longer competing can probably charge whatever the market will bear, however airlines which serve certain smaller airports which are designated to provide Essential Air Service by the DOT are subsidized to keep fares affordable.

The Airline Deregulation Act, passed in 1978, gave airlines almost total freedom to determine which markets to serve domestically and what fares to charge for that service. The Essential Air Service (EAS) program was put into place to guarantee that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before deregulation maintain a minimal level of scheduled air service. The Department currently subsidizes commuter airlines to serve approximately 140 rural communities across the country that otherwise would not receive any scheduled air service. For more information contact the EAS and Domestic Analysis Division at (202) 366-5903.

If the airport you fly from is not subsidized for EAS it is probably because there is a larger airport within a reasonable driving distance. If this is so you need to makea choice between convenience and price.