nk15

This seems about right, they are probably about 20-40 euro difference from one fare class to the next, at least for the lower buckets.

You can see the exact base fares for each bucket for each flight on expertflyer.

Sometimes the make the UPT fares available right away, sometimes a few weeks later, and sometimes never, I believe. I was stalking a summer seasonal fare last year for months, they never posted the UPT fares, I believe, and I was checking regularly and have set up expertflyer alerts for any UPT seat...I ended up buying an S. Such a thing is probably rare though.

Roy853

Today I ring the call centre to book next summer holiday flight because I want to use the upgrade coupon, when I received the first ticket booking class is P. So I ring back and they explain me Felix P can upgrade, I rather to do online and save my €20. The only good they check the business class alivable first and did in one go.

DELLAS

Just to give an example these are OW fares LHR-ATH

Furry

I'm trying to find HEL-ATH-(JTR/CHQ/CFU) on late May/early June (dates really don't matter). I can see availability for HEL-ATH on P,U,T etc. for quite a nice price (~140€ per person r/t) but when adding the island component price hikes to ~300€ per person as the whole ticket books into expensive K class or it doesn't find connections at all. Does anyone remember by experience when A3 loads availability for cheaper classes for domestic segments as well or do they usually have some kind of sale for travel in May/June? Or do they do it at all as it's almost peak season?

Last year around this time I was able to book HEL-ATH-SKG in P for travel in May 2016.

What comes to Flex tickets I see that the difference for my route is always +45€ to GoLight fare per one-way for routes I've checked.

Knobbgb

I WAS going to say that maybe they haven't released the cheaper fare buckets yet but...

It looks like there are some cheaper fares on JTR, for example, (I saw U,T and S) on some days but only early morning and late evening which don't connect with your international flights. So, I'd say it looks like the cheap fares are mostly all gone. The same seems to be true for CFU with the afternoon flight being generally more expensive. I don't know if they'll add more into those cheap fare buckets later - those are all pretty popular routes. I'd be tempted to wait a little while and hope for a sale - A3 do seem to have a LOT of sales! They achieve that by moving seats to the cheaper buckets.

It also doesn't help that there seem to be only K fares on HEL-ATH on the days when the flight leaves early morning. Maybe the same is true there - i suspect they'll release more later. The days you've found cheap RT tickets are for the afternoon or evening departures from HEL yes, such as 26th and 29th May outbound? You could always book for those dates and then buy the domestic legs separately.

Personally I'd wait a little longer as things seem to be changing quite a lot at the moment.

Also, keep an eye on the TLL-ATH flights. I recently took the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn and flew TLL-ATH-CHQ for 48 Euro! Right now, no cheap domestic connections are showing but you can do TLL-ATH on 27th May for 34 Euro retuning 9th June for 49 Euro. Don't be put of by the 03:30 departure from TLL - it saves you a night of accommodation and makes onward connections from ATH easier.

KLouis

Look at the details! A3, in May, flies to HEL od Fridays and Mondays. One way tickets in P(!) are less than 40. The other days the offer combinations with LH, codeshares but simple not partnership flights, which are about 100-150 one way. As suggested by Knobbgb, cheap flight HEL-ATH combined with a second, domestic ticket, may be the way to go.

By the way, nothing to do with the date of release of cheap fares, but I got an email 15 minutes ago saying that their schedule till next October is now entirely loaded.

Furry

Thanks to you both for excellent replies!

I'm looking at Fridays and Mondays when there is a direct A3 flight HEL-ATH. I can see that this morning they have loaded new sales fares. Ie. I can get HEL-ATH-HEL for ~100€ through Momondo (~77€ in April!!!), but when adding connection price bumps to ~300€ because there is no cheap class available (anymore) for these connecting flights.

If I choose to only book travel to ATH right now, and book domestic ticket later when there is a sale, how does A3 treat this as it's on a different ticket. Let's say in case of IRROPS or checked baggage, any experience?

Xandrios

When booked as separate tickets you will not be protected in case of IRROPS. If the first flight is delayed and you miss the second, that missed flight (and its return if applicable) will be void.

You may get lucky with a helpful agent, but they are not obliged to do so.

DELLAS

Risky you will not be covered for missing a flight even if it is A3-A3/OA. Weather/strikes etc... Although you may get lucky and as a goodwill gesture A3 might re protect they would be under no obligation.

Furry

Thanks, I think I'll hold my booking until they release some lower-end of inventory also for domestic segments to get everything in same ticket. It's 7-8 months ahead so think there will be some sales coming. ^

Roy853

Same issue here, for JTR-ATH 1700 one for my connecting flight showing €107

But if I search JTR-ATH-SKG just €46, can I no show for the second flight and request the checked baggage to ATH only?

KLouis

Request? No! Ask kindly? Yes! They're not obliged to do it. You can try by saying that you have something in the bag that you can't take with you (big? heavy? liquid?), which you have to give to somebody in Athens. If you have a long connection and you sound convincing, you may be lucky. Otherwise it's bye bye baggage, or you fly all the way to SKG. Wanna risk it?

Roy853

[QUOTE=KLouis;27402756]Request? No! Ask kindly? Yes! They're not obliged to do it. You can try by saying that you have something in the bag that you can't take with you (big? heavy? liquid?), which you have to give to somebody in Athens. If you have a long connection and you sound convincing, you may be lucky. Otherwise it's bye bye baggage, or you fly all the way to SKG.

Thanks KLouis
I will have 2hours in ATH

Roy853

[QUOTE=Roy853;27403105]Another issue I'm collecting 4 sector, if my booking JTR-ATH-SKG But I didn't board the ATH-SKG do you think I will get 1 sector too? Thanks

KLouis

No way! If you don't board after having checked in they'll start looking for you. If you have no luggage they'll just call your name and they'll eventually fly away without you. If your luggage is on, they'll unload it, and again they'll fly away. In the first case you will get zero miles/sector for it. Exactly the same is true for the second case but, in addition, when you try to retrieve your unloaded piece of luggage they may somehow (you know, they are more clever than we think they are) realize what you did and they may charge you more for the JTR-ATH leg: they still have your CC number and you broke the "contract". Perhaps, even, no miles for the first leg for punitive reasons.

Bottom line: No additional sector/miles, potential trouble including "loss" of the luggage if they don't unload it and that for 61 €. I personally wouldn't do it. But I'm not you...