Cheaper airfares on reverse routes?

[chompalomp2]

Hi,

I'm looking to fly return to Hong Kong from Adelaide later in the year around July and have just been checking out prices. By chance, I just noticed that flying return from Hong Kong to Adelaide is much cheaper (about 2/3 the price) than flying return from Adelaide to Hong Kong. Just wondering why this is and if there is anyway to obtain this cheaper price when departing initially from Adelaide?

Cheers

 

[Isochronous]

Price discrimination. You could look at buying a one-way ASA (assuming you're QFF) - preferably a JASA - and then buying the return ticket out of HKG, assuming you have a need to go there more than once.

 

[spudseamus]

Hi,

I'm looking to fly return to Hong Kong from Adelaide later in the year around July and have just been checking out prices. By chance, I just noticed that flying return from Hong Kong to Adelaide is much cheaper (about 2/3 the price) than flying return from Adelaide to Hong Kong. Just wondering why this is and if there is anyway to obtain this cheaper price when departing initially from Adelaide?

Cheers

because they can !!! it infuriates me !!

 

[chompalomp2]

Thanks for your response Isochronous, but unfortunately I'm just going once to visit a few friends Is there any possibility for my friends in Hong Kong to purchase tickets at the cheaper price for me?

 

[Moopere]

I check this sort of thing from time to time. Would I be right though to assume that if the price difference is only several hundred dollars that this is probably Australian airport tax/duty of some type?

For example:

PER-BKK return in J is AU$2900
BKK-PER return in J is AU$2600 (after conversion at 31b->1$)


The reason I wonder this is that I've noticed similar goings on at other airports where charges can be high. For example, SIN-BKK return is often more expensive than BKK-SIN return, again, the difference is usually small and it smells like airport or passenger movement type charges.

For large differences, like 30% per the OP, sure, its doubtless just price gouging. I've noticed some airlines seem to be consistently bad at this.

 

[Simo]

Airline fare prices just blow my mind sometimes.

Like why sometimes is the direct flight dearer than a flight with connections not that us AFFer's complain about that.

I once had to go from ROK to TSV and it was cheaper to fly via BNE than ROK-MKY-TSV

Winning for me 25 SC's versing 20SC's and a few more FF points.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Thanks for your response Isochronous, but unfortunately I'm just going once to visit a few friends Is there any possibility for my friends in Hong Kong to purchase tickets at the cheaper price for me?

There would be stuff all difference in you purchasing an ADL/HKG/ADL airfare in Australia vs your friends purchasing an ADL/HKG/ADL fare in HKG as they would be paying the equivalent AUD fare converted to HKD.

The fare you are looking at that is cheaper is a HKG/ADL/HKG airfare so you must fly HKG/ADL first then return ADL/HKG some time after. You cannot travel ADL to HKG on a ticket that says HKG/ADL.

 

[Ansett]

I check this sort of thing from time to time. Would I be right though to assume that if the price difference is only several hundred dollars that this is probably Australian airport tax/duty of some type?

For example:

PER-BKK return in J is AU$2900
BKK-PER return in J is AU$2600 (after conversion at 31b->1$)


The reason I wonder this is that I've noticed similar goings on at other airports where charges can be high. For example, SIN-BKK return is often more expensive than BKK-SIN return, again, the difference is usually small and it smells like airport or passenger movement type charges.

For large differences, like 30% per the OP, sure, its doubtless just price gouging. I've noticed some airlines seem to be consistently bad at this.

It is nothing to do with Airport taxes as they still apply irrespective of the direction of travel ie MEL-LHR same airports same routes just different start point and I am about to do a return in J for loess that $4500. return try get that Mel=LHR.... Remember mine is LHR=MEL return

What it comes down to at the end of the day is the level of competition in the country and or Port where potential custonmers have more choices of destinations and airlines. Take LHR how many destinations are directly serviced from there than say from Sydney and Melbourne? Now we begin tom see the issue toss up between flying to OZ or the Caribeean and QF has to compete against a prestigous routew that is priced well, shorter in distance and most people will go all inclusive whereas OZ isd a long flight and with out the option of All Inclusive etc.

So prices are set to compete to get those customers to OZ. Hopefully that gives a little insight as to pricing for you.

And yes it Peeeeeeees me off too that we dont get the same prices here

 

[JohnK]

The one that gets me the most is airfares during holiday periods.

eg SYD-SIN travelling on Boxing Day can be purchased for ~$700 where as SYD-SIN travelling on Boxing Day as part of a SIN-SYD return can be purchased for ~$450.

Not sure how the same seat and service can be 50% more if purchased in Australia but airlines continue to justify this stupid practice....

 

[Deleted member]

There would be stuff all difference in you purchasing an ADL/HKG/ADL airfare in Australia vs your friends purchasing an ADL/HKG/ADL fare in HKG as they would be paying the equivalent AUD fare converted to HKD.

The fare you are looking at that is cheaper is a HKG/ADL/HKG airfare so you must fly HKG/ADL first then return ADL/HKG some time after. You cannot travel ADL to HKG on a ticket that says HKG/ADL.

Because i am in NZ a lot. I now book my fares AKL - BNE return. Significant saving and I get to fly biz most of he time.

 

[Moopere]

It is nothing to do with Airport taxes as they still apply irrespective of the direction of travel ie MEL-LHR same airports same routes just different start point

I'm really not sure about this. Different air taxes appear to apply depending on whats happening with the passenger (transit, stopover? for example) I started to investigate this, so only a got a smell of it, got bored and moved on.

What it comes down to at the end of the day is the level of competition in the country and or Port where potential custonmers have more choices of destinations and airlines. Take LHR how many destinations are directly serviced from there than say from Sydney and Melbourne? Now we begin tom see the issue toss up between flying to OZ or the Caribeean and QF has to compete against a prestigous routew that is priced well, shorter in distance and most people will go all inclusive whereas OZ isd a long flight and with out the option of All Inclusive etc.

So prices are set to compete to get those customers to OZ.

I see this at work with nationalised airlines. Its the reason in fact to have them government owned. Run the airline, potentially, at a loss, but the gain is to get the paying punters holidaying in your country and spending up. However, as Australia doesn't have a nationalised airline in the same sense, and other airlines like BA shouldn't have any particular interest in filling Australia with tourists, I don't see the impetus. Sure, greater competition at LHR for myriad airlines flying everywhere, so world hubs would see fantastic pricing, but to Aus? Why?

Certainly, I'd agree, once the price difference is more than a few hundred, once it reach 20-30% or more, it can't realistically be anything more than gouging the market, returning shareholder value

 

[oz_mark]

Certainly, I'd agree, once the price difference is more than a few hundred, once it reach 20-30% or more, it can't realistically be anything more than gouging the market, returning shareholder value

In the short term, yes (and that is basically where sahreholders operate, so that is ok).

But look at the situation with retailers in Australia. For years, just like the airlines, they were able to charge higher prices for their goods in Australia than they were in other markets. So the reatilers, distributors, shopping centre developers, local governments all had their snouts in that trough. Along comes the effect of 'price harmonisation' that the internet brings - where people can sumply shop overseas. Retailers start squealing, blame the GST (without explaining that the price difference is not explained by GST).

What we see from the airlines, is just what we had to endure from retailers. My thoughts are that in time it will break down, and the likes of Qantas will go down squealing about how unfair it all is.

 

[juddles]

.... stupid practice....

John, despite some initial unguided perceptions, I dont think that labelling any airline pricing practice as ¨stupid¨is very sensible. They have their reasons. There are experts who spend their entire careers studying pricing methods in order to improve company performance. Happens in every market, not just airlines.

Yes, it is irritating when you see a fare that is cheaper that you cannot get. But tough bikkies. When it works the other way noone ever complains. Personally I enjoy the differences as it makes it fun to seek the best way of moving around and getting better fares. The A-B return vs B-A return phenomenon occurs throughout the world. It would be so boring if there were no tricks to learn!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Because i am in NZ a lot. I now book my fares AKL - BNE return. Significant saving and I get to fly biz most of he time.

The key phrase here is you are "in NZ a lot" so this works for you. Also one way fares ex Aust to NZ are cheap so very easy to position yourself there & just buy AKL/BNE returns all the time.

John, despite some initial unguided perceptions, I dont think that labelling any airline pricing practice as ¨stupid¨is very sensible. They have their reasons. There are experts who spend their entire careers studying pricing methods in order to improve company performance. Happens in every market, not just airlines.

Yes, it is irritating when you see a fare that is cheaper that you cannot get. But tough bikkies. When it works the other way noone ever complains. Personally I enjoy the differences as it makes it fun to seek the best way of moving around and getting better fares. The A-B return vs B-A return phenomenon occurs throughout the world. It would be so boring if there were no tricks to learn!

It's also a seasonal thing too so you can't expect an airfare to be the same LHR/SYD return departing for Oz in June which is winter here so low season when in the other direction it's the Northern Hemisphere summer so it's high season ex Aust.

Rather than people whinge about how unfair it all is, use the abundance of tips on AFF to best take advantage of the cheaper return airfares from other countries which generally means positioning oneself either on a one way ff award ticket or cheap one way options then travel home on the outbound sector of the ticket that commences in the other country.

You will always have the return sector up your sleeve for your next trip & just keep buying return fares from that other country. This will only work if you travel more than twice a year to that country & you need to make sure that the return journey eg the SYD/LHR portion of a LHR/SYD/LHR ticket is travelled on within the ticket validity. Easy to do if ticket is valid for one year however every country is different.

 

[trooper]

I certainly dont complain about being able to buy Premium fares ex-Asia for much, much less than if originating in Oz...

So I fly up to Asia in Economy, then use those fares for onward travel... no brainer.

..nor however do I expect those prices to be available here for all sorts of reasons starting with wage rates and going on from there...

Point of sale is a hugely important factor in pricing of all sorts of products... (if you want "sticker shock".. look at the price of a 5th wheel trailer in the USA.. and then the equivalent price here!!!:shock

When folks make this particular complaint I am tempted to ask what field they are in, and if the work they do is done anywhere else in the world cheaper than they do it.... and if so (as is pretty likely one would think) why they are ripping everyone off "like the airlines"...:shock:

 

[Deleted member]

The key phrase here is you are "in NZ a lot" so this works for you. Also one way fares ex Aust to NZ are cheap so very easy to position yourself there & just buy AKL/BNE returns all the time.



It's also a seasonal thing too so you can't expect an airfare to be the same LHR/SYD return departing for Oz in June which is winter here so low season when in the other direction it's the Northern Hemisphere summer so it's high season ex Aust.

Rather than people whinge about how unfair it all is, use the abundance of tips on AFF to best take advantage of the cheaper return airfares from other countries which generally means positioning oneself either on a one way ff award ticket or cheap one way options then travel home on the outbound sector of the ticket that commences in the other country.

You will always have the return sector up your sleeve for your next trip & just keep buying return fares from that other country. This will only work if you travel more than twice a year to that country & you need to make sure that the return journey eg the SYD/LHR portion of a LHR/SYD/LHR ticket is travelled on within the ticket validity. Easy to do if ticket is valid for one year however every country is different.

Yep. I agree. Otherwise I use ASA and plan ahead.
I am not complaining either. I get that I live in oz and therefore need to pay for stuff at the oz rate. ......usually)

 

[JohnK]

John, despite some initial unguided perceptions, I dont think that labelling any airline pricing practice as ¨stupid¨is very sensible. They have their reasons. There are experts who spend their entire careers studying pricing methods in order to improve company performance. Happens in every market, not just airlines.

I don't know their reasons but I do know for a fact that the airlines love to fleece Australians. We have some of the highest airfares in the world.

Yes, it is irritating when you see a fare that is cheaper that you cannot get. But tough bikkies. When it works the other way noone ever complains. Personally I enjoy the differences as it makes it fun to seek the best way of moving around and getting better fares. The A-B return vs B-A return phenomenon occurs throughout the world. It would be so boring if there were no tricks to learn!

I did my research when i started travelling 7-8 years and I now "exploit" the system to ensure that I pay what "I feel" is the right price for the seat not the airline.

But it still does not stop me from saying the practice is wrong. Perhaps stupid is the wrong word but that is how I feel when "big business" thinks it is OK to exploit and discriminate based on where someone chooses to live.

 

[juddles]

...... I do know for a fact that the airlines love to fleece Australians......that is how I feel when "big business" thinks it is OK to exploit and discriminate ......

I bet you you get ¨fleeced¨ with a much larger margin when you shop at woolies, get tyres from your local Beaurepairs, buy a pie at the corner servo, or get the local Jims Mowing man in for a grass cut.

 

[Ansett]

At the end of the day the way it is the way it is and as long as enough of us look for better options then the more chance of some price equalisation. Who would have thought that the major retailers would match internet pricing? So I say again if enough of us change buying patterns then things will change

 

[JohnK]

I bet you you get ¨fleeced¨ with a much larger margin when you shop at woolies, get tyres from your local Beaurepairs, buy a pie at the corner servo, or get the local Jims Mowing man in for a grass cut.

You are probably right but there are many ways to skin that cat.

Don't buy a pie from the corner servo and buy a lawn mower and mow your own lawn etc.

What gets me the most though is people thinking it is Ok for someone to pay $700 and sit in 41D on an O class airfare and someone else spending ~$450 to sit in 40D on an O class airfare. Same seat, same service, no flexibility.

If Qantas, or other airlines, are not making much out of an "Australian" in that seat on an O class airfare then they are losing money on a "foreigner" in that seat on an O class airfare. But I guess you and I are not going to see things the same on this issue.