Near Death, Air Berlin Does the Unexpected: Sell Seats at a Profit

In the throes of death, Air Berlin has managed to do what it rarely could in its prime: Sell tickets at prices high enough to ensure a profit. AB6210—the last flight of the insolvent carrier, scheduled to depart Munich for Berlin at 9:35 PM today—has been sold out for two weeks, with some seats going for six times the typical fare.

Since its announcement that today would be its last day of flying, the carrier has seen an outpouring of emotional goodbyes. While social media has no shortage of complaints from travelers stranded by the shutdown, fans have posted selfies on board their last flights and photos of the company’s trademark red-wrapped chocolate hearts broken in half—evidence that Air Berlin failed not due to lousy service, but because for years its ticket prices didn’t cover its costs.