Qantas fare gouging

[Hermes]

Yeah, I know, I'm an innocent abroad -- well, at home at the moment -- but I'm blowed if I can see how QF can justify demanding the same fares, across all categories (Red e-Deal to J) for MEL-BME as for MEL-PER-BME. The direct flight is 3100km and takes 4hr 35m. Via PER it is 4380km and takes about 7hr (flying time).

But go via PER in J and you'll need $2345. Go direct, taking a bit more than half the time, and it's, yep, $2345. (In Red e-Deal it's $419 and $419.)

Am I reading it wrongly? Or is there some serious gouging going on?

 

[notzac]

It's the price the market is willing to pay (or that QF feels they can get away with) -- convenience often comes at a price premium.

 

[nlagalle]

Yeah, I know, I'm an innocent abroad -- well, at home at the moment -- but I'm blowed if I can see how QF can justify demanding the same fares, across all categories (Red e-Deal to J) for MEL-BME as for MEL-PER-BME. The direct flight is 3100km and takes 4hr 35m. Via PER it is 4380km and takes about 7hr (flying time).

But go via PER in J and you'll need $2345. Go direct, taking a bit more than half the time, and it's, yep, $2345. (In Red e-Deal it's $419 and $419.)

Am I reading it wrongly? Or is there some serious gouging going on?

The reason why is that they have limited direct flights so the indirect ones end up the same price. If you are after SC's then the indirect method is well worth it as it is 2 segments as opposed to one.

 

[mannej]

Have you factored convenience into the pricing?

 

[Hermes]

Have you factored convenience into the pricing?

I'm not complaining about the $2345 (or $419 or whatever). Of course the direct flight is more convenient. But I'd have thought direct would be cheaper -- or indirect more expensive is probably a better way of putting it.

 

[notzac]

Think of it this way: MEL-BME is probably a fairly limited market, and thus commands a higher price than MEL-PER does. Out of PER, one would assume that QF have more takers for flights to BME than they do from MEL, so they are able to sell it at a lower price than MEL-BME.

It just so happens that MEL-PER and PER-BME together equal the fare that QF charges for MEL-BME.

 

[oz_mark]

I'm not complaining about the $2345 (or $419 or whatever). Of course the direct flight is more convenient. But I'd have thought direct would be cheaper -- or indirect more expensive is probably a better way of putting it.

This is just a side effect of the way some fares are priced. Qantas will have prices for PER-BME, and then they will have valid routings for that fare. There are likely also valid routings for the fare via SYD and BNE.

Try buying the same MEL - PER and PER - BME flights as two separate tickets and you will see what happens!

 

[Hermes]

Thanks all, for your time and input. It does make some sense -- but remember, I said I was an innocent abroad. (I think I'll sweat the time and do MEL-PER-BME for the SCs!)

 

[drron]

There are some weirder examples in the world at large.Flying JFK-MCO on AA is usually dearer than flying JFK-MIA-MCO.

 

[serfty]

Here's the routing rules for the J fare MEL-BME:

Results from ExpertFlyer.com

Fare Routing Search:
Departing MEL on 01/10/11 for BME
Fare basis code J
Flying QF
Routing via Eastern Hemisphere

    V FARE BASIS     BK    FARE   TRAVEL-TICKET AP  MINMAX  RTG
  1   J              J‡X  2289.00     ----      -    -/  - 9845
PASSENGER TYPE-ADT                 AUTO PRICE-YES              
FROM-MEL TO-BME    CXR-QF    TVL-01OCT11  RULE-5629 IPRTPFD/302
FARE BASIS-J                 NORMAL FARE  DIS-N   VENDOR-ATP
FARE TYPE-BU      OW-BUSINESS CLASS UNRESTRICTED
AUD  2111.05  9845  E28APR11 D-INFINITY   FC-J  FN-     
SYSTEM DATES - CREATED 27APR11/0932  EXPIRES INFINITY
 
PUBLISHED RTG MEL-BME/QF9845/TAR-TGRG    EF-28APR11 DIS-INDEF
 
/WITHIN THE EASTERN HEMISPHERE/
 1. MEL-SYD/PER/BNE-BME

 

[nlagalle]

Thanks all, for your time and input. It does make some sense -- but remember, I said I was an innocent abroad. (I think I'll sweat the time and do MEL-PER-BME for the SCs!)

Why fly direct, when you can connect!!

 

[JohnK]

QF isn't the only airline to have weird airfares.

There are times when I have seen BKK-SIN-BNE cheaper than SIN-BNE on SQ.

 

[mannej]

Was there not a time when SYD-PER-PHE was $23 on QF compared to the normal sale fare of $199 of SYD-PER?

 

[dajop]

There are times when I have seen BKK-SIN-BNE cheaper than SIN-BNE on SQ.

That is very common. And vice versa with TG (cheaper ex SIN then ex BKK). And the middle eastern carriers as well, sometimes cheaper ex-Asia to Europe than middle East-Europe. And then there are CX J fares ....

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Why fly direct, when you can connect!!

Now that's the true AFF spirit!