Fares in many cities could be on their way up

0 Comments | USA TODAY, January, 2006 | by Marilyn Adams and Mindy Fetterman

After Independence Air shuts down Thursday, airfares in many of the more than 30 cities it serves could double or even triple, airfare experts predict.

"We're going to learn the true meaning of 'sky high,'" airline consumer expert Tom Parsons, CEO of Bestfares.com, said Monday. "People who live in places like Charleston, W.Va., are going to wish they had supported Independence Air."

Independence's shutdown announcement Monday should give most of its passengers time to get refunds or make other plans before the Washington area-based carrier stops flying Thursday night. Independence Air says passengers holding tickets for flights after Thursday will qualify for refunds from the airline or their credit card companies.

Under federal law, passengers with tickets...