bspahn

I'm looking at SFO-TCI-SFO, leaving 12/14 and returning 12/21. When I search on the BA website for premium economy space, I see a business class fare, BA 6895 SFO-ORD (operated by AA), BA 4272 ORD-MAD (operated by IB), IB 3942 MAD-TFN for $672. Amazing fare.

However, on the return, it shows no premium economy fares, and all of the business class fares are very expensive, coming in at $4000+. Is there any way to book that amazing business class fare outbound coupled with a cheaper premium economy or economy fare on the return?

My theory is that most of the costs of the ticket are being bundled into the return flight, and they won't offer a cheap return fare, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

mahasamatman

Book sometime other than the week of Christmas? All airfares jump on 15 December.

wolfeman27

Are you sure it's a business class fare? Looking at the website now for those dates and see $635 for Y and $2214 for J...

bspahn

Fair point. I should have been more specific. There are lots of low-priced SFO-TCI fares in November and December in business, but no returns. I think I've tried returning on every date from 11/1-12/21.

For examples of low-priced outbound dates, you can look at 10/17,12/7, 12/14. There are many others.

bspahn

It's possible that it's a glitch...

But when I search this:



I get this:

Kreative03

Deleted...fares are in eco only on certain segments

Ldnn1

The 'fares' you see above aren't actual fares. They are estimates of fares based on a round trip, but they are dependent on what you select for the return.

I suggest using ITA matrix to get a better understanding of what fares are available.

irishguy28

Last week, when booking one of these, I also saw the BA website show an even-more reduced fare on the outbound, and a correspondingly larger amount for the return, to make up the "correct" overall price.

I don't believe you can trust that that low price on the outbound was entirely accurate, and certainly not achievable without pairing it with a comparatively-increased return.

MSPeconomist

If you can really purchase the cheap fare as a one way, you could get a one way award ticket for the return.

aviwil

bspahn , I have seen this on quite a few sites .
They will quote the outbound ( not return ) for Biz Class very cheap .
If you make it round trip , it suddenly shoots up .
Always wondered , if you could book 2 separate tickets , one outbound and one inbound , cheap , but I imagine they have some way to prevent that .

obduro

Ldnn1 answered the question, as this isn't an actual fare could a Mod please move as appropriate. ^

wolfeman27

Interesting, when I did the same search the $672 was in the other column. Crazy... :-)

Duke787

If you use google.com/flights you can price it out and I can pull it up on BA.com via google flights. Looks like $1370 USD for the RT. Overnight required in both directions in LON and requires LHR/LGW transit. Puts you on PE A380 for the SFO - LHR portion (see bottom for full details). Not sure what is going on here but PE is priced only $15-30 more than the Y cost.

https://goo.gl/flights/GJGU

Also available with a double connect:

https://goo.gl/flights/T7Mh


Check your flight details

Outbound - Wednesday 14 December 2016
20:35
14 Dec 14:55
15 Dec San Francisco International (CA) Heathrow (London) BA0286
British Airways World Traveller Plus
08:40
16 Dec 13:15
16 Dec Gatwick (London) Sur Reina Sofia (Tenerife) BA2730
British Airways Euro Traveller

Inbound - Wednesday 21 December 2016
14:20
21 Dec 18:40
21 Dec Sur Reina Sofia (Tenerife) Gatwick (London) BA2731
British Airways Euro Traveller
10:40
22 Dec 14:00
22 Dec Heathrow (London) San Francisco International (CA) BA0285
British Airways World Traveller Plus


Price

$1,369.49 1 passenger

Email price quote

Baggage allowance

Currency calculator

obduro

Can get that itinerary down as low as $1276 if you depart a day earlier.

The PE/Y fare difference thing happens fairly frequently when BA's cheapest fare buckets sell out.

Worth noting as you mention the LGW - TFS legs are in Y as BA only offers Y or J on these aircraft.