Airlines take full advantage of misery

It doesn't take much of an excuse for airlines to up the price of tickets.

A football final? A long weekend?

Up they go. Which is, of course, disgraceful.

Now the fares for air tickets out of Russia have skyrocketed as young Russian men flee the possibility of being conscripted to join the Russian army on the Ukraine frontline.

Overseas flights have sold out in record time while remaining seats are on sale for the equivalent of several thousand dollars on some routes.

A mass exodus of adult Russian males comes after leader Vladimir Putin announced the mobilisation of army reservists. Russia’s defence minister said up to 300,000 men could be called up for the absurd continued assault on Ukraine, which has been almost universally condemned.

Social media posts have suggested that airlines have now been forced to stop selling tickets to adult males wanting to leave Russia.

Foot and road traffic at border crossings with Finland and Georgia surged.

Still, the airlines made a nice little profit while they could.