Flight Prices for 7 pax

[Randel]

We are looking at flights PER to HBA in Mar 2027 for 7 people.

I understand there are different fare 'buckets' - for example when searching Virgin for 2 people there were business class from $668ea, 3 people was $998ea, or 7 people were $1547ea (rough indicators of prices for each class from memory)

Is there anyway we can secure 2 @ $668, 3 @ $998, and the remainder @ $1547. Does that make sense?

Are we better ringing Virgin? Better trying and agent?

If each couple search and try and book at exactly the same time - could they all potentially snag 2 flights @ cheaper prices?

It appears Qantas' only direct flights are Qantas link which I don't think has Business Class. And via Mel are substantially dearer.

 

[oz_mark]

AFAIK, this can't be done on one booking - it would need to be spread across three bookings.

 

[bam71]

AFAIK, this can't be done on one booking - it would need to be spread across three bookings.

This!

 

[Quickstatus]

there anyway we can secure 2 @ $668, 3 @ $998, and the remainder @ $1547. Does that make sense?

Are we better ringing Virgin? Better trying and agent?

Yes, however that would require separate bookings. I do it all the time.

If each couple search and try and book at exactly the same time - could they all potentially snag 2 flights @ cheaper prices?

Can't guarantee as other people are also booking. There might only be one seat left in the cheaper bucket

Questions:
Would separate bookings be problematic?
what are your goals for this booking?

 

[Randel]

Seperate bookings no problems - its just when you are all looking at prices for flights it will suck that one couple will get the flights cheaper than the others.

It is a family trip for MILs 80th birthday.

We had 3 tablets/ipads set up in the same room. Hotspotting off different phones, so different IP addresses.

Everyone searched and could see the flights at the best price.

Tried to tell them start a booking and to get to the point where all details are in, ready to click on pay now. FIL god bless him, didnt understand and just clicked on pay. He got the cheapest, so I quickly clicked on pay and got the prices i was expecting (there are 3 on our booking so we were always going to be paying $988ea). The uncle missed something in his booking, so by the time he went back and corrected it, clicked on pay, he got a message saying the cheaper fares no longer available and now he is paying $1547 or so each way


Oh well, we will probably work out the average price and share the costs

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Everyone pressing ‘pay’ at the same time wouldn’t have worked, as you found out. It will return a ‘seats no longer available’ for all the seats in excess of a category of fare.

You did the right thing though! No need to all of you pay top dollar.

 

[Quickstatus]

Oh well, we will probably work out the average price and share the costs

This can be problematic.
One problem I can see is what happens when someone has to cancel and then either get a refund or a flight credit. Their flight credit may be more or less than the "average price".
Being a travel arranger might put you in an invidious position of having to sort out any unintended issues.

Alternatively get a bricks and mortar travel agent involved.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Alternatively get a bricks and mortar travel agent involved.

The tickets are already purchased.

Relatively simple maths I would have thought in the event of refunds. They’re all family

 

[Quickstatus]

They’re all family

Speaking generally and no insinuation about @Randel 's family , that can be good or bad.

 

[Randel]

Nah, they are all good. If someone has to cancel, we will sort it out after the trip