How often are there QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

[PaulST]

How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

Hi all, I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this so I'm happy to be moved elsewhere if not.

In Dec last year, I booked EK F (QF flight numbers) CAI-DXB-SYD for $2.9K AUD (EK flight numbers were available for 2.6K) for this coming October.

I was looking at flying Air India for a similar price in J so I was really glad I stumbled across this tip on AFF.

Now my question is, I'm looking at doing the same again early 2018 but I haven't seen any sales since I bought the flights in December so the flights are around $3.5K USD. Any ideas, roughly, how often EK/QF have these sales?

TIA

*FYI the flight = 420 QF SCs.

 

[serfty]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

I think the Egyptian pound went through a rather large devaluation last year which meant many fares charged in that currency became really cheap for a while.

Nowadays most airlines have eaither ceased quoting in EGP or put their fares up.

 

[PaulST]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

I think the Egyptian pound went through a rather large devaluation last year which meant many fares charged in that currency became really cheap for a while.

Nowadays most airlines have eaither ceased quoting in EGP or put their fares up.

Oh that's annoying as my grand plan to get WP again next year was to fly via CAI again.

It was during a QF F sale, though, so fingers are crossed there might be another sale.

 

[moa999]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

Yep. Suspect it was very much a once off due to the massive currency fall

 

[Danger]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

In the dying days (actually, literally the dying hours) after the Egyptian pound was unpegged from the USD and lost about half its value, I got a DONE5 for AUD4578 all in. Well after airlines had lifted their jaws off the floor I got CAI-xDOH-BKK return in F for USD1061. That's 600 status credits, four F legs (two on the A38) and Al Safwa access.

But there are regularly dirt cheap fares ex-CAI (and, often, HBA (Alexandria)).

For example, today I found CAI-xDOH-PHL return in F and J on QR for less than AUD1900. That's 620 status credits. There are similarly prices to JFK and BOS.

My advice is to not restrict yourself to EK and QF but look at QR.

 

[Danger]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

In the dying days (actually, literally the dying hours) after the Egyptian pound was unpegged from the USD and lost about half its value, I got a DONE5 for AUD4578 all in. Well after airlines had lifted their jaws off the floor I got CAI-xDOH-BKK return in F for USD1061. That's 600 status credits, four F legs (two on the A38) and Al Safwa access.

But there are regularly dirt cheap fares ex-CAI (and, often, HBA (Alexandria)).

For example, today I found CAI-xDOH-PHL return in F and J on QR for less than AUD1900. That's 620 status credits. There are similarly prices to JFK and BOS.

My advice is to not restrict yourself to EK and QF but look at QR.

Correction: the DONE5 was ex-MPM (Mozambique), not CAI. My last DONE3 was from there but that was in 2014.

 

[andy2015]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

How do you normally position to CAI?

 

[PaulST]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

My advice is to not restrict yourself to EK and QF but look at QR.

Back when I booked EK/QF, I did notice that QR and EY were reasonably cheap, although not as cheap as EK/QF.
Still, if I feel like spoiling myself (and I am keen to try EY F at some stage), it might be worth paying a little extra to fly EY.

 

[Danger]

Re: How often are there cheap QF/EK F fares x-CAI?

How do you normally position to CAI?

I positioned from HKG to CMB then took a cheap QR/UL fare to CAI. Air Asia flies from KUL reasonably cheaply and I think it's possibly to get some fairly well priced fares with MH ex-South Asia (eg. PEN, SIN, SGN).