Stupidly more expensive to fly less?

[Warks]

Just searching more flights in October (I've already booked myself but looking for flights for a friend) and Air Canada has some great prices for SYD-LAX. Only problem is they all go via YVR. As the final destination is SEA you'd think if it's $801 to fly SYD-YVR-LAX return then it might be something similar just to fly SYD-YVR. Not a chance! I've seen this before and there are various reasons for this that the learned FFers here will be able to expand upon but when the difference is $1000 (!) NOT to fly the extra leg then you've got to wonder... yes $1801 to fly SYD-YVR return on the same dates.

And if you decided to just jump off in YVR anyway you'd encounter all sorts of problems when trying to go back apparently.

 

[TomVexille]

Supply and demand. Lot's of competition (ie seats) to LAX hence the cheap price to try and beat all the nonstop options. Not so much competition SYD-YVR.

 

[Boca68]

As TomVexille suggests, its all about competition.

So, have you looked at other options? Seperate ticket? I.E. SYD-LAX, then LAX-SEA? Or variations?

With the huge increase in Trans-Pacific flights, I'd suggest looking at other options than Air Canada.

 

[Warks]

Well you'd struggle to beat $801 surely so AC would be an option. I was looking at American earlier in the day and it was $830 and they'd had that fare for a few days but by the time my friend confirmed (a matter of an hour) the seats were gone thus looking at these other options. Interestingly I got different results from Matrix - ITA Software by Google to https://www.google.com/flights/ with the former having hardly any cheap options and the latter having a few completely different options. That was yesterday so a lot changes in that time.

 

[theblank]

As the final destination is SEA you'd think if it's $801 to fly SYD-YVR-LAX return then it might be something similar just to fly SYD-YVR. Not a chance!.

Yes i noticed this too, I have just been sprung to go to a Wedding in Vancouver, and the cheapest way to get there is to go BNE-YVR-LAX then LAX-YVR (and then return the same way). An extra 6 hours each way or so for nuthin! I would rather pay more just to not be annoyed.

I found though by doing a multistop, BNE-(YVR)-LAX, then LAX-YVR, then YVR-BNE it works out to ~$1020, roughly about the same as the above nonsense.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Got an email from QF today about $999.00 return fares to SFO.

You could buy a cheap fare SFO/SEA then get the train SEA/YVR.

Another option woukd be to use QF points on AA SFO/YVR award ticket.

There's no way I would waste 1K for SYD/YVR non-stop.

I know FC were flogging a fare BNE/NYC via YVR as AC start flying ex BNE mid-June. They'd surely give you a stopover in YVR in at least one direction?

I'd check if they allow you a stopover in YVR for a fare to LAX.

It maybe cheaper to buy an AC fare ex BNE then purchase a separate ticket SYD/BNE.