Fuel is getting silly now

[TranceAvia]

Hi all @Sami - Enough is enough now in this game world. We've all spent good money and time building our airlines but the unrealistic fuel price and sustained one at that is making it pointless playing this world. Over half the airlines in the game are making no money at all and had I not invested well at the start i'd have BK'd now. All i can do is stop flying and hope cash reserves see me through but thats hardly 'fun'...

[Sami]

That part of the fuel prices reflects actually the real history and real fuel prices - entirely realistic. The first real oil crisis. 

[TranceAvia]

Hey Sami, i dont disagree there was a spike but oil has never been as high as it is in the game:

https://www.thebalance.com/oil-price-history-3306200

Year   Average   Low   High   Causes
1970   $2.96      N.A.      N.A.   Regulated prices
1971   $3.17      N.A.      N.A.   
1972   $3.22      N.A.      N.A.   
1973   $4.08      N.A.      N.A.   
1974   $12.52   $9.59   $13.06    OPEC oil embargo ended
1975   $13.95   $12.77   $15.04   Stagflation
1976   $13.48   $13.26   $13.71   Economy recovered
1977   $14.53   $14.11   $14.76   Fed raised and lowered rates
1978   $14.57   $14.40   $14.94   Fed raised and lowered rates
1979   $21.57   $15.50   $28.91   Iran-Iraq War, fed rate 20%
1980   $33.86   $30.75   $35.63   Iran oil embargo
1981   $37.10   $35.43   $39.00   Reagan cut taxes
1982   $33.57   $32.78   $35.54   Recession ends inflation
1983   $29.31   $27.95   $31.40   
1984   $28.88   $28.02   $29.26   
1985   $26.99   $26.21   $27.60   
1986   $13.93   $10.91   $24.93   

[Sami]

You are probably quoting prices per barrel there(?), which is an entirely different unit.

[Continental Sky]

Hey Sami, i dont disagree there was a spike but oil has never been as high as it is in the game:

https://www.thebalance.com/oil-price-history-3306200

Year   Average   Low   High   Causes
1970   $2.96      N.A.      N.A.   Regulated prices
1971   $3.17      N.A.      N.A.   
1972   $3.22      N.A.      N.A.   
1973   $4.08      N.A.      N.A.   
1974   $12.52   $9.59   $13.06    OPEC oil embargo ended
1975   $13.95   $12.77   $15.04   Stagflation
1976   $13.48   $13.26   $13.71   Economy recovered
1977   $14.53   $14.11   $14.76   Fed raised and lowered rates
1978   $14.57   $14.40   $14.94   Fed raised and lowered rates
1979   $21.57   $15.50   $28.91   Iran-Iraq War, fed rate 20%
1980   $33.86   $30.75   $35.63   Iran oil embargo
1981   $37.10   $35.43   $39.00   Reagan cut taxes
1982   $33.57   $32.78   $35.54   Recession ends inflation
1983   $29.31   $27.95   $31.40   
1984   $28.88   $28.02   $29.26   
1985   $26.99   $26.21   $27.60   
1986   $13.93   $10.91   $24.93

I'm afraid of your post... 

Regardless of units, your table shows that price in 1981 was ~12 times that of 1971.

In game, price in 1971. was ~60 USD/t, which means it should be ~720 in 1981., and it's merely 350 now... So it seems fuel is very cheap, and I suggest you hedge it and take a contract in addition before Sami realizes it... 

[Continental Sky]

[TranceAvia]

thats very useful

[MikeS]

Oil prices is the main game mechanic that challenges the player that I really enjoy. Yes, the spikes regularly clear out a lot of players. They learn and adapt for it next time. That's the fun.

[Chris Spiegel]

Maybe some players on the large airports (speaking about myself ) feel a little frustrated in this incarnation of AoF because we do not only face the oil crisis we always face, but we also face a very low slot multiplier in this GW which led to decade long situations where airports we're basically blocked 24/7 (and I am not speaking of LHR). And since CH isn't the cash cow it once was and you got to have demand for it in your airport in the first place, having large financial reserves ahead of a known crisis is a must. But this was difficult in some airports as there were no slots and the oob limit blocked expansion to elsewhere. This resulted in "too many" players in some airports who then couldn't build up their cash reserves before the crisis.