Do domestic sectors now add to the price of international flights ?

[Nizar]

Hi,

Up until maybe last year I flew the MEL-SYD-CGK return quite often. Sometimes I would stop for a few days in Sydney on the way up or the way back and the price would stay the same.

However I am now planning a trip for October and when I search MEL-CGK return (both departures on a Wednesday, 7th and 21st October) I get a price of $2130 per person return in J which is the price that I am after.

But what I am finding is that even though I am taking QF41 and QF42 on those exact same dates, when I try to fly to SYD a few days earlier, the price more than doubles to about $4500 per person return in J.

Does anyone know why this is ?

Is it a recent enhancement that now domestic sectors are chargeable (and at an exhorbitant rate) when added to an international flight ?

Thanks

 

[serfty]

maybe the fare rules have changed to no longer allow a stopover ... or perhaps (more likely) the Qantas.com booking engine is up the creek.

Have you tried calling to check?

 

[wooley]

It may be trying to book it as two separate trips: MEL-SYD-CGK and CKG-MEL instead of one return trip: MEL-SYD-CGK-MEL.. Which will throw out the pricing.

 

[Nizar]

It may be trying to book it as two separate trips: MEL-SYD-CGK and CKG-MEL instead of one return trip: MEL-SYD-CGK-MEL.. Which will throw out the pricing.

Ok so do you have any suggestions on how I could rectify this ?
As far as I remember this is always the way I used to book my trips when I wanted to stopover, by using the multi-city booking option.

 

[Melburnian1]

Why not ring a specialist business class travel agent such as Wall Street Travel in Sydney?

Surely competition from GA and (no nonstop flights) SQ among others should put some sort of a lid on both J and Y fares to CGK.

 

[serfty]

Ok so do you have any suggestions on how I could rectify this ?
...

See if you find the fare on ITA - if so then check the fare rules.

 

[Jimmy124]

It seems as though the fare is available, however, you get to get the correct bucket for the domestic sectors- which for the fare you are after is I class.

------------------------------------------------------------
AL FLGT BK T DATE TIME FARE BASIS NVB NVA BG
MEL
SYD QF 400 I I 03OCT 0600 IXRCG 03OCT03OCT 40
JKT QF 41 I I 07OCT 1450 IXRCG 07OCT07OCT 40
XSYD QF 42 I I 21OCT 2005 IXRCG 21OCT21OCT 40
MEL QF 415 I I 22OCT 0800 IXRCG 22OCT22OCT 40

AUD 1980.00 03OCT15MEL QF SYD QF JKT763.35QF X/SYD QF
MEL763.35NUC1526.70END ROE1.296901
AUD 8.01QR XT AUD 55.00AU AUD 8.01QR AUD 5.53WG AUD
AUD 57.78WY 14.90D5
AUD 83.44XT
AUD 2129.23


=======================

The moment you are unable to get I class, the fare will price on a per sector basis for the domestic sectors - using the same dates above, just changing I class to J class as an example.

------------------------------------------------------------
AL FLGT BK T DATE TIME FARE BASIS NVB NVA BG
MEL
SYD QF 400 J J 03OCT 0600 JBUS 40
JKT QF 41 I I 07OCT 1450 IXRCG 07OCT07OCT 40
SYD QF 42 I I 21OCT 2005 IXRCG 21OCT21OCT 40
MEL QF 415 J J 22OCT 0800 JBUS 40

AUD 3862.00 03OCT15MEL QF SYD725.57QF JKT763.35QF SYD
763.35QF MEL725.57NUC2977.84END ROE
AUD 8.01QR 1.296901
AUD 57.78WY XT AUD 55.00AU AUD 8.01QR AUD 5.53WG AUD
AUD 83.44XT 14.90D5
AUD 4011.23

 

[JohnK]

Mainly economy but I have found the past couple of years adding on domestic sectors to an international itinerary increases the cost of the airfare exponentially. It seems to price in flexible fare buckets rather than discount economy fare buckets.

 

[GalaxyNexus]

I noticed recently that the sale fare (from CGK) sometimes allow only one stopover. If you try doing two stopover it goes to the higher fare.