KLM just became anti-diver

The flight was Stansted - Rome - Regio Calabria. There were passengers who were purchasing a ticket at the counter when I went to pay my excess. They were charged 500 euros just for Stansted to Rome! I paid 130 euros booking a week before for the full distance, now who was shafted!!! And both planes still had plenty of empty seats, Rome to Calabria had 40 people on max, rows of 4 seats at a time empty.