How Do Airlines Decide Flight Routes?

Airlines choose flight routes like kids picking the best path to their friend’s house. Imagine you have two friends: one lives a little farther away, but there's more candy on the way. Airlines pick paths that help them save money or make more money, even if it takes longer.

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Examples

A plane goes from New York to Miami instead of going through Chicago because it saves fuel.
Airlines send more planes to Los Angeles during summer because more people go on vacation there.
Sometimes a flight takes a longer route if the plane is also delivering passengers to another city along the way.

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Categories: Economics · Airlines,Flight Routes,Airline Economics