Hello US Airways Customer Service, how may I hurt you today?

This Thanksgiving I only need a one way ticket home because I will be traveling on to the old corporate HQ in Cincinnati the following week.

I decided to avoid traveling on “Amateur Days” at the airport on the Wednesday and Sunday of Thanksgiving week ("What do you MEEEEAN I have to take off my shoes and put my toiletries in a baggie?") I'd fly in early in the week and leave on Monday to cut down on unnecessary flying and also maximize the motherly smothering and feeding time.

One Way Flight - DCA to SYR = $564!!!!
(Not even on Wednesday this was for Monday or Tuesday)

Hmmm.
Round Trip Flight DCA to SYR = $100 each way or $200 total

Sucker and glutton for punishment that I am...I just HAD to call US Airways and ask a pitiful and futile "Why?"

"Hello US Airways Customer Service, how may I help you?"

I explain the situation

USACS: "Hem, Haw, um, er, well that’s just how it works. I can book the ticket for you for a $25 charge."

She who just can't let it go (me) "Well, I don't get it, the same exact seat is either $100 or $564 right?"

USACS: "Yes."

SWJCLIG: "Well, I am just gonna buy the roundtrip ticket and not use the return seat."

USACS " Ok, would you like me to book it for the $25 fee?"

SWJCLIG counts to 10 so as not say something that would be used in a future airline customer service training session in the “Dealing with Wackjobs" session.

SWJCLIG: "Um, nooo, but you will have sold a seat that is technically worth $564 to me for $100 and I am not going to use it so you could just sell me the one way ticket and leave that seat open and someone else (obviously a moron) might buy it for $564 so you end up making more for the company!"

USACS: "It doesn’t work that way." And she actually giggled.

SWJCLIG sputtering: "It makes no sense, don’t you want to attempt to try to be profitab...oh forget it..."

Click.

US Airways lost almost TWO BILLION dollars in 2008. Sigh.