SFO-YYZ - Pricing error?
Sep 11, 2016, 3:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC E; Marriott Platinum
Posts: 2,409
SFO-YYZ - Pricing error?
Hi all,
Been a while, but something has me stumped.
Looking to purchase a one way fare, Dec 2nd, from SFO-YYZ. Pricing out at $500+, fare basis G21Q6TP. However, if I make a dummy booking YYZ-SFO-YYZ (also G21Q6TP), the returning base fare is over $100 less than the original one way fare.
Any ideas? Air Canada phone agent is useless.
Been a while, but something has me stumped.
Looking to purchase a one way fare, Dec 2nd, from SFO-YYZ. Pricing out at $500+, fare basis G21Q6TP. However, if I make a dummy booking YYZ-SFO-YYZ (also G21Q6TP), the returning base fare is over $100 less than the original one way fare.
Any ideas? Air Canada phone agent is useless.
Sep 12, 2016, 9:03 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,629
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-...cketing-2015-4
Sep 12, 2016, 9:07 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: LAS, ZQN
Programs: UA PP (2MM), BA gold
Posts: 2,199
If you skip the first leg won't AC system cancel the return?
I am seeing $186 (USD) one way economy on Dec 2 on AA.
https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...016-12-06;tt=o
I am seeing $186 (USD) one way economy on Dec 2 on AA.
https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...016-12-06;tt=o
Sep 12, 2016, 11:22 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: *G^2, Bonvoyed, NEXUS
Posts: 3,516
Looking to purchase a one way fare, Dec 2nd, from SFO-YYZ. Pricing out at $500+, fare basis G21Q6TP. However, if I make a dummy booking YYZ-SFO-YYZ (also G21Q6TP), the returning base fare is over $100 less than the original one way fare.
Any ideas? Air Canada phone agent is useless.
US Transborder fares are priced the same CAN-USA and USA-CAN, just in different currency. A YYZ-SFO fare for example could be $200 CAD. That same fare SFO-YYZ is $200 USD. So if you book SFO-YYZ, it will take $200 USD and change that to CAD. If you book YYZ-SFO-YYZ, it will take $200 CAD for both segments because the fare originates in Canada.
This is not unique to AC.
Example - YYZ-SFO 02DEC CAD
Code:
YTO-SFO CXR-AC FRI 02DEC16 CAD
AC-ACR/TG - TANGO
AC YTOSFO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 T21S1TG T X 262.00 R30AP T13SE 21/1 -/ - 4
2 S30NQ5TG S X 312.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
3 S30Q5TG S X 331.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
AC-ACR/TP - FLEX
AC YTOSFO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
4 G21NQ6TP G X 366.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
5 G21Q6TP G X 381.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
Code:
SFO-YTO CXR-AC FRI 02DEC16 CAD
AC-ACR/TG - TANGO
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 T21S1TG T X 338.00 R30AP T13SE 21/1 -/ - 254
2 S30NQ5TG S X 402.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
3 S30Q5TG S X 427.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
AC-ACR/TP - FLEX
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
4 G21NQ6TP G X 472.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
5 G21Q6TP G X 491.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253‡
Code:
SFO-YTO CXR-AC FRI 02DEC16 USD
AC-ACR/TG - TANGO
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 T21S1TG T X 262.00 R30AP T13SE 21/1 -/ - 254
2 S30NQ5TG S X 312.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
3 S30Q5TG S X 331.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
AC-ACR/TP - FLEX
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
4 G21NQ6TP G X 366.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
5 G21Q6TP G X 381.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
Sep 12, 2016, 11:40 pm
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,331
This is not an error.
US Transborder fares are priced the same CAN-USA and USA-CAN, just in different currency. A YYZ-SFO fare for example could be $200 CAD. That same fare SFO-YYZ is $200 USD. So if you book SFO-YYZ, it will take $200 USD and change that to CAD. If you book YYZ-SFO-YYZ, it will take $200 CAD for both segments because the fare originates in Canada.
This is not unique to AC.
Example - YYZ-SFO 02DEC CAD
Example - SFO-YYZ 02DEC CAD
Example - SFO-YYZ 02DEC USD
US Transborder fares are priced the same CAN-USA and USA-CAN, just in different currency. A YYZ-SFO fare for example could be $200 CAD. That same fare SFO-YYZ is $200 USD. So if you book SFO-YYZ, it will take $200 USD and change that to CAD. If you book YYZ-SFO-YYZ, it will take $200 CAD for both segments because the fare originates in Canada.
This is not unique to AC.
Example - YYZ-SFO 02DEC CAD
Code:
YTO-SFO CXR-AC FRI 02DEC16 CAD
AC-ACR/TG - TANGO
AC YTOSFO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 T21S1TG T X 262.00 R30AP T13SE 21/1 -/ - 4
2 S30NQ5TG S X 312.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
3 S30Q5TG S X 331.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
AC-ACR/TP - FLEX
AC YTOSFO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
4 G21NQ6TP G X 366.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
5 G21Q6TP G X 381.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
Code:
SFO-YTO CXR-AC FRI 02DEC16 CAD
AC-ACR/TG - TANGO
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 T21S1TG T X 338.00 R30AP T13SE 21/1 -/ - 254
2 S30NQ5TG S X 402.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
3 S30Q5TG S X 427.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
AC-ACR/TP - FLEX
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
4 G21NQ6TP G X 472.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
5 G21Q6TP G X 491.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253‡
Code:
SFO-YTO CXR-AC FRI 02DEC16 USD
AC-ACR/TG - TANGO
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
1 T21S1TG T X 262.00 R30AP T13SE 21/1 -/ - 254
2 S30NQ5TG S X 312.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
3 S30Q5TG S X 331.00 ---- 30/1 -/ - 253
AC-ACR/TP - FLEX
AC SFOYTO 02DEC16
V FARE BASIS BK FARE TRAVEL-TICKET AP MINMAX RTG
4 G21NQ6TP G X 366.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
5 G21Q6TP G X 381.00 ---- 21/1 -/ - 253
Either way, this does not explain how a YYZ-SFO-YYZ round trip would be cheaper than a SFO-YYZ one-way.
Sep 12, 2016, 11:52 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: *G^2, Bonvoyed, NEXUS
Posts: 3,516
There are also tax differences. A ticket starting in the US would not have GST. A ticket starting in Canada will have GST on the entire value of the airfare.
And then there are point of sale differences. On this itinerary, a ticket sold from a US point of sale (i.e. AC.com US edition) will attract 7.5% US Domestic Transportation Tax and US$4.00 per segment tax, but not US International Transportation Tax US$17.80/direction. The same ticket sold from a Canadian point of sale (i.e. AC.com Canadian edition) will have US International Transportation tax only.
OP said the 'returning base fare', meaning the base fare of the SFO-YYZ portion of the YYZ-SFO-YYZ trip, not the entire ticket. A difference of about $100 CAD would make sense based on current FX rates and these fares.
Sep 12, 2016, 11:58 pm
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE MM, BA Gold, SQ Silver, Bonvoy Tit LTG, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond
Posts: 44,331
There are also tax differences. A ticket starting in the US would not have GST. A ticket starting in Canada will have GST on the entire value of the airfare.
And then there are point of sale differences. On this itinerary, a ticket sold from a US point of sale (i.e. AC.com US edition) will attract 7.5% US Domestic Transportation Tax and US$4.00 per segment tax, but not US International Transportation Tax US$17.80/direction. The same ticket sold from a Canadian point of sale (i.e. AC.com Canadian edition) will have US International Transportation tax only.
And then there are point of sale differences. On this itinerary, a ticket sold from a US point of sale (i.e. AC.com US edition) will attract 7.5% US Domestic Transportation Tax and US$4.00 per segment tax, but not US International Transportation Tax US$17.80/direction. The same ticket sold from a Canadian point of sale (i.e. AC.com Canadian edition) will have US International Transportation tax only.
Ah, I misinterpreted that.