Do Qatar Airways Price match?

[IrishPete]

Do airlines ever price match? The flight I want is $1700 with Qatar but under $1200 with Emirates, with pretty much identical travel times.

 

[elanshin]

Do airlines ever price match? The flight I want is $1700 with Qatar but under $1200 with Emirates, with pretty much identical travel times.

LCC do. But much harder to get premium airlines to do so against competition.

 

[jase05]

Do airlines ever price match? The flight I want is $1700 with Qatar but under $1200 with Emirates, with pretty much identical travel times.

As above, the LCC’s tend to but the premium airlines rarely do.
It’s also not the exact same route so other factors may be at play

 

[IrishPete]

As above, the LCC’s tend to but the premium airlines rarely do.
It’s also not the exact same route so other factors may be at play

None of those factors make it MORE expensive.

It's Dublin to Canberra. Dublin to Melbourne is $450 less on Qatar, $800 less on Etihad. It feels like the "Canberra tax". Of course domestic flights from Melbourne to Canberra that day are also stratospheric, but that's irrelevant to Qatar as they can't sell domestic flights. It just seems like profiteering by them.

 

[RooFlyer]

I'm surprised at the price difference, esp to Emirates. I regularly fly QR, but get my Travel to price other carriers and QR is often the best of the majors (TK is mostly better).

I wonder if the pricing reflects the loading when you looked? As we know, prices increase as the plane fills.

But as above, I doubt that QR would price match.

 

[DC3]

None of those factors make it MORE expensive.

Supply and demand?

 

[IrishPete]

I get that it's loading (cheaper fares have sold out) and supply and demand, but with other airlines undercutting them by 40%, are they ever going to respond to that?

If I add on an unwanted return leg to Dublin, it adds only about $100 to the fare...

 

[jase05]

are they ever going to respond to that?

They might feel they don’t need to
Their loadings are obviously pretty good and they believe that people are happy to pay more and fly with them.

 

[Montien]

Do airlines ever price match? The flight I want is $1700 with Qatar but under $1200 with Emirates, with pretty much identical travel times.

No, they don't price match across competitors. Airlines view their product (seat, schedule, lounge, alliance) as unique inventory, not a commodity.

Check if the Qatar flight is available as a BA or VA codeshare. Sometimes the partner airline has access to a different inventory bucket for the exact same seat, which might bring that $1700 down closer to the Emirates price. Otherwise, unless you specifically need the Oneworld Status Credits, that $500 saving on Emirates is hard to ignore!

 

[jase05]

Otherwise, unless you specifically need the Oneworld Status Credits,

And on QR you normally get penalised so earn stuff all

 

[IrishPete]

No, they don't price match across competitors. Airlines view their product (seat, schedule, lounge, alliance) as unique inventory, not a commodity.

Check if the Qatar flight is available as a BA or VA codeshare. Sometimes the partner airline has access to a different inventory bucket for the exact same seat, which might bring that $1700 down closer to the Emirates price. Otherwise, unless you specifically need the Oneworld Status Credits, that $500 saving on Emirates is hard to ignore!

Virgin doesn't allow you to book paid flights on Qatar, only points.
I'll try Qantas, thanks for the suggestion, but I've been checking on Skyscanner, so I don't think that's gonna work!

 

[jase05]

Virgin doesn't allow you to book paid flights on Qatar, only points.

They do but only ex Australia which is no good for you