Why Does It Cost So Much to Fly to Eastern Europe?

U.S. citizens find that their tickets to Eastern Europe cost well over $1000. A flight to Moscow, round-trip, can easily cost $1800 for economy-class seating. A Slate article (How Do Airlines Set Their Ticket Prices?, by Melonyce McAfee) points out:

Now, ticket prices have almost nothing to do with how far you're traveling and more to do with how many airlines are competing for your business.

Eastern Europe is not a prime vacation spot for U.S. residents. Domestic travel, the Caribbean, and even Western Europe are more popular and more easily accessed from North America. So relatively few airlines have flights to many Eastern European countries, which means they can charge more.

The upside to this? You may pay more for a ticket to Eastern Europe, but the entertainment, food, and boarding costs are still low. In addition, fewer travelers to these locations means fewer tourists . . . which in turn means you get a more authentic experience.