Domestic: Why does a connection cost more than two separate one-ways?

[Austman]

I was looking at Qantas domestic flights Melbourne to Dubbo. You must fly via Sydney (T3).

Curiously, a MEL-DBO through connect (same day) ticket costs $20 more than two separate MEL-SYD and SYD-DBO bookings for the exact same flights (January 2022).

Anyone know why?

Using mutli-city booking gets the lower price until payment, when it crashes. If the two sectors are on different dates the lower price goes though to payment.

I called Qantas. They had no idea! They thought separate tickets would be more expensive than a single through connect.

I suppose you can just book two tickets but that might lose any connection guarantee. Is that perhaps the reason?

 

[AIRwin]

I noticed this on VA as well...

 

[defurax]

Married segments probably.

 

[Austman]

Married segments probably.

I see. Thanks!

Still a bit odd though because I did eventually book the flights all on the one booking so the market should be MEL-DBO?

My two outbound flights MEL-SYD and SYD-DBO (on the same day) priced at $20 more than my two inbound flights DBO-SYD and SYD-MEL (on sequential days).

Maybe that splits the market three ways?
1. MEL-DBO
2. DBO-SYD
3. SYD-MEL

I could have bought two tickets, MEL-SYD-MEL and SYD-DBO-SYD for the lower prices both-ways.

I suppose I was more concerned about missed connections if I had done that.

 

[serfty]

There are still some routes "half price". MEL to SYD is one of them; MEL to DBO is not.

So it is possible you are adding half a fare to a normal fare and comparing.

Me if I had the time and wanted to save $20 each way, I'd book cheapest options with at least a two and a half hour gap.

 

[Austman]

There are still some routes "half price". MEL to SYD is one of them; MEL to DBO is not.

I don't think my fares were any "half price" offers. MEL-SYD was $130.00 one-way. SYD-DBO was $188.00 one-way.

Book two tickets and the fare was $130.00 + $188.00 = $318.00.
Book one ticket for the same day as a connection in SYD and the fare became $338.00.
Book one ticket with a stopover in SYD and the fare was back to $318.00.
All on the same flight numbers.

I'd book cheapest options with at least a two and a half hour gap.

The connection in SYD is 55mins which is why I chose to go for a connecting fare. It will be fine for me if it works! There is a later SYD-DBO flight that day if it doesn't.

 

[serfty]

There is a later SYD-DBO flight that day if it doesn't.

It is probably just differing markets and/or different fare bucket availability.

On Jan I see two consistent red e-deals, $338 and $280 - the former books into Q/Q, and the latter E/Q.

 

[Austman]

On Jan I see two consistent red e-deals, $338 and $280 - the former books into Q/Q, and the latter E/Q.

The $280 was not there yesterday! It's a new price from today. Unlucky me.

MEL-SYD one-way has today been reduced from $130.00 to $99.00.
SYD-DBO one-way remains at $188.00.
MEL-DBO one-way today prices at $280.00 which is now $7.00 cheaper than two one-way tickets ($287.00)!

Go figure...

My exact ticket, if purchased today would be $90 cheaper than yesterday. Of course the change fee if a credit voucher is requested is $99

 

[jpp42]

The crazy part about airline pricing is cases where an itinerary like MEL-SYD-DBO can be cheaper than MEL-SYD! In the US this is widespread due to differing levels of competition in different ports - often major hub cities have less competition than smaller cities due to one airline's dominance in a hub. There is a whole set of bargain-hunters aimed at finding these cases of "hidden city ticketing" so that you can buy a ticket for the longer (but cheaper) itinerary, in this example you might purchase MEL-SYD-DBO but then only fly MEL-SYD. The airlines don't like this and will do things like cancel any return segments, even cancel your FF membership, and you can't check bags - but people will do anything to save a buck.

 

[Austman]

"hidden city ticketing"

Yes, I know about that one! The "hidden" end city can sometimes be cheaper than just to the transit city (where you actually wanted to go). Alas, not in my case!

Airline pricing can sure be weird.