High peak season airfare ripoffs

[ethernet]

As usual the lead-up to Christmas has seen airfares, particularly to Asia go up 300-500%. I would never go Jetstar and pay $1300 for a hop plus extras but there it is.
Sometimes it is cheaper to fly to USA or Europe. Unfortunately I broke a tooth in the silly season, and getting over there is uneconomic presently.
I would like to know if load factors are really 99.8% across the board, or if good old price collusion. I have noticed some dummy bookings using a VPN, the same seats are cheaper if booked from Asian countries, as long as English is not selected, still sky high until Jan 21.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

This is simply demand pricing... what people are prepared to pay to get home for christmas, or go on holidays. The planes don’t need to be 98% full... it could be that the very cheapest seats are being sold for substantially more than ‘off peak’ periods.

 

[jb747]

By the same logic, I guess you’d never want to rip off an airline by accepting discount tickets.

 

[ethernet]

Given I almost without exception take bottom fares, and get away with no changes, I don't mind them ripping off millennials and the bogans off to Bali set. But when to USA is cheaper than Asia return - it looks crook. Maybe the earth is really flat. Even 25 December is high on skyscanner. Web browser discrimination is also setting null div and track settings to record highs.

I don't know if all those grounded Boeings are to blame. I do know I am seeing more wholesaler with accom packages stuffing the stocking. The computer people are using <div> and web tracking to new advanced levels. It will be interesting if aggressive yield engines backfire, with more empty seats to say Malaysia or Japan. Nadi seems cheap though.

Pity Icarus Air and Desp Air to not fly anymore.

 

[albatross710]

Lots of people can book their seats earlier in the year and get seats at good price. In previous years by booking early I've even had point redemption for 4 people travelling round over Christmas.

• Lots of people only have extended holidays at Christmas and will pay what they need.
• Asia is also a hub for Australian's getting to so may places.
• Millions of Australian's have immediate family in countries much easier to connect through Asia.

At the Albatross household we will not travel at Xmas and instead travel in Feb where we can have flights and hotels at a discount.

My biz trip to USA in April I can buy now for $1k. If I left that until the start of April I am sure that would be double the price.

 

[N860CR]

At the Albatross household we will not travel at Xmas and instead travel in Feb where we can have flights and hotels at a discount.

I guess having kids in school makes this hard for some... but that's my usual plan. I take every Feb off and enjoy travelling without the crowds, with a better climate in most of the world and with lower fares. While everyone else is in post-Xmas depression, I'm just getting started!

 

[odysseus]

Given I almost without exception take bottom fares, and get away with no changes, I don't mind them ripping off millennials and the bogans off to Bali set. But when to USA is cheaper than Asia return - it looks crook. Maybe the earth is really flat. Even 25 December is high on skyscanner.

USA is just cheaper now because demand has dropped off. The flights may be cheap, but holiday makers know the accommodation, the food, the entertainment, even the shopping is expensive over there. It's an expensive holiday regardless of the airfare so airlines lower the price to pick up whatever demand they can, as it's really only those small number of rellies and business travel that keep the plans to go.

Asia on the other hand still has the cheap accommodation and food, so travel stays maintained as a holiday destination. And on top of that those sectors also get sales for travellers to Europe which keeps a base amount of demand as well. Whereas very few go somewhere else via the US. Travel is virtually only as a destination so is more volatile based on demand for the US itself. It's not a fair comparison you're making.

 

[Spongbob]

I don't mind them ripping off millennials and the bogans off to Bali set.

How do you know so much about my family?

 

[Forg]

Asia on the other hand still has the cheap accommodation and food, so travel stays maintained as a holiday destination. And on top of that those sectors also get sales for travellers to Europe which keeps a base amount of demand as well. Whereas very few go somewhere else via the US. Travel is virtually only as a destination so is more volatile based on demand for the US itself. It's not a fair comparison you're making.

I’d also venture there are a helluva lot more people here with family in Asia taking advantage of the long school hols or Christmas shutdowns or whatever than with family in the USA.

 

[laffer]

SQ wanting $4k+ for a trip to Sin in J is putting me off.

Virgin for $3k to HKG is not so bad but need some ideas of destinations to go post that for a beach holiday perhaps?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

SQ wanting $4k+ for a trip to Sin in J is putting me off.

Virgin for $3k to HKG is not so bad but need some ideas of destinations to go post that for a beach holiday perhaps?

This is where Lifemiles or UA miles can come in handy. Lifemiles ~AUD2000 return to Bangkok (TG J) and through UA, around AUD2800 return business class to SIN on SQ.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Given I almost without exception take bottom fares, and get away with no changes, I don't mind them ripping off millennials and the bogans off to Bali set. But when to USA is cheaper than Asia return - it looks crook. Maybe the earth is really flat. Even 25 December is high on skyscanner.

I don't think 2019 Christmas/New Year fares are any more expensive than in previous years? Did you fly at the same time last year?

 

[sjk]

I have noticed some dummy bookings using a VPN, the same seats are cheaper if booked from Asian countries

A few screenshots would go a long way towards making your claims of origin-specific discrimination more interesting...

 

[laffer]

This is where Lifemiles or UA miles can come in handy. Lifemiles ~AUD2000 return to Bangkok (TG J) and through UA, around AUD2800 return business class to SIN on SQ.

Thanks Mel. Yes, I have to confess to dropping off the whole Lifemiles process in recent times. Might be time to brush up on my knowledge again. I did benefit from this forums wisdom many years ago when US Airways had its program available. What a great deal that was. The US dollar was a bit gentler back then though.

As an aside and in response to your other post my view is that fares into Asia this Xmas in J are higher than last year. But it's just a perception. I picked up a J seat on SQ to SGN for about $3,600 last year flying on Xmas day.

 

[hossein_au]

Given I almost without exception take bottom fares, and get away with no changes, I don't mind them ripping off millennials and the bogans off to Bali set. But when to USA is cheaper than Asia return - it looks crook. Maybe the earth is really flat. Even 25 December is high on skyscanner. Web browser discrimination is also setting null div and track settings to record highs.

I don't know if all those grounded Boeings are to blame. I do know I am seeing more wholesaler with accom packages stuffing the stocking. The computer people are using <div> and web tracking to new advanced levels. It will be interesting if aggressive yield engines backfire, with more empty seats to say Malaysia or Japan. Nadi seems cheap though.

Pity Icarus Air and Desp Air to not fly anymore.

Airlines price tickets based on what markets support: for example, try pricing any ticket, on any airline, on any date, from Australia to Europe via Middle East; the same flight from Australia to the Middle East, 99% of the time, is more expensive that going all the way to Europe! Try, for example, SYD-DXB-FRA versus SYD-DXB. They will fly you 6-7 hours beyond the Middle East and they charge you less for it. I am sure there is a logic behind it somewhere/somehow...

 

[p--and--t]

I know this is an airline focused site, but the same comments could be made about local Aussie hotels, car hire , petrol prices etc etc.

I am long past retirement but can remember ever since I was in primary school parents and other people complaining it was so expensive to holiday xmas/new year.

Nothing has changed in 70 years with regards to demand/scarcity pricing except expectations.

 

[jase05]

Airlines price tickets based on what markets support: for example, try pricing any ticket, on any airline, on any date, from Australia to Europe via Middle East; the same flight from Australia to the Middle East, 99% of the time, is more expensive that going all the way to Europe! Try, for example, SYD-DXB-FRA versus SYD-DXB. They will fly you 6-7 hours beyond the Middle East and they charge you less for it. I am sure there is a logic behind it somewhere/somehow...

Yep and don’t get me started on some of the weird one way pricing!
Was searching the other night and QF wanted $6k one way MEL-LAX but if I booked AKL-MEL-LAX it was $2800

 

[trooper]

That seems relatively easy to explain..... non stop flights nearly always command a premium...(How much to fly one way AKL-LAX on the same day?) ….add in the fact its a one way AND the necessity to depart from a different COUNTRY to get the better pricing and Im sure other factors come into play as well. If you can save a bunch by flying to NZ first and picking up THAT fare...why not do it?

 

[V Singh]

It is likely that peak season airfares will remain ridiculously higher in the foreseeable future. With the projected commercial airline pilot shortages contributing to higher employment costs being added factor, chances are that peak season airfares across the board will continue to rise.

 

[ozfflyer]

Given I almost without exception take bottom fares, and get away with no changes, I don't mind them ripping off millennials and the bogans off to Bali set. But when to USA is cheaper than Asia return - it looks crook. Maybe the earth is really flat. Even 25 December is high on skyscanner. Web browser discrimination is also setting null div and track settings to record highs.

I don't know if all those grounded Boeings are to blame. I do know I am seeing more wholesaler with accom packages stuffing the stocking. The computer people are using <div> and web tracking to new advanced levels. It will be interesting if aggressive yield engines backfire, with more empty seats to say Malaysia or Japan. Nadi seems cheap though.

Pity Icarus Air and Desp Air to not fly anymore.

Suggest that maybe the cheap fares you purchase are all loss leaders (airline better off loosing $x than have it go empty & loose much more than $x)

Suspect that many international airlines only make money in peak seasons.

Nadi cheap ? Not cf. flying to NZ, which is about the same distance as BNE/NAN.

Crazy part about Fiji air flights is can often get LAX or SFO return in low season for $800 ish, but NAN return for $600 ish is a sale fare. Admitably, there's no expensive Fiji departure tax of FJ$200 (about AU$136) on fares to USA via Fiji, unless stop for more than 72 hours.

Think many international airlines are struggling to survive the recession.