Pricing Anomalies: Buying a BA ticket on AA.com or vice versa
Jun 1, 2006, 9:08 am
#1
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Pricing Anomalies: Buying a BA ticket on AA.com or vice versa
When purchasing a ticket on AA.com to travel on BA, I found a HUGE price anomaly between the two yesterday.
BA.com was quoting £792 ($1,490) for a return flight from LHR-NBO-LHR for July 3, returning October 15. AA.com sold me the same ticket for $935. Both were in discounted Y.
I know that I have benefited from this discrepancy in the past because AA does not have to pay some of the taxes/fees that BA pays, but a 50% pricing anomaly is INSANE.
I am not complaining, but was wondering if anyone has any insights on how/why this happens.
Of course, if this is a loophole that people don’t want BA/AA to pick up on, I am happy to edit this post and ask a moderator to close the thread.
BA.com was quoting £792 ($1,490) for a return flight from LHR-NBO-LHR for July 3, returning October 15. AA.com sold me the same ticket for $935. Both were in discounted Y.
I know that I have benefited from this discrepancy in the past because AA does not have to pay some of the taxes/fees that BA pays, but a 50% pricing anomaly is INSANE.
I am not complaining, but was wondering if anyone has any insights on how/why this happens.
Of course, if this is a loophole that people don’t want BA/AA to pick up on, I am happy to edit this post and ask a moderator to close the thread.
Jun 1, 2006, 9:14 am
#2
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Originally Posted by AAmerican_in_London
..Of course, if this is a loophole that people don’t want BA/AA to pick up on, I am happy to edit this post and ask a moderator to close the thread.
BTW, any chance the higher fare that BA.com offered wasn't in BA -T--class-- WT+?
In any case, I would certainly think it's in a different fare class-- possibly yielding more EQM/EQP.
Last edited by JonNYC; Jun 1, 2006 at 9:26 am
Jun 1, 2006, 9:22 am
#3
Join Date: Feb 2006
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I've noticed the same. The difference is huge in some cases.
If I must travel by BA, I buy my tickets from aa.com usually.
If I must travel by BA, I buy my tickets from aa.com usually.
Jun 1, 2006, 9:56 am
#4
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More than likely aa.com finds different (US) availability than ba.com's (UK) availability. The $935 fare is the cheaper R class fare, which is not showing as available if you go onto ba.com
Usually the fare difference is small, and often just to do with lower taxes charged on aa.com, but sometimes you can find big differences.
Usually the fare difference is small, and often just to do with lower taxes charged on aa.com, but sometimes you can find big differences.
Jun 1, 2006, 9:59 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,296
AA.com also usually finds lower fares than Iberia.com, especially for tickets wholly within Spain, which can also be around 50% lower than at Iberia. You also avoid Iberia.com's ticketing fee (even e-tickets purchased online face fees at Iberia) and lots of hefty European and Spanish taxes.
Jun 1, 2006, 10:04 am
#6
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I'd also call AA before ticketing BA tickets online too. I've generally received lower fares (just a few bucks) over the phone with AA than on AA.com for BA. Then again, if you're not EXP, you have to pay the res fee so it may not be worth it.
Jun 1, 2006, 10:41 am
#7
Join Date: Nov 2005
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Wow.. that is a huge difference. I would say that you got lucky. I check on my August flight. AA.com is $0.02 cheaper than BA.com for the same schedule.
Jun 1, 2006, 4:36 pm
#8
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The flights were in R class on BA.com bith ways, while it was H class for the outbound, and R class for the return on AA.com.
I actually booked on the phone with an EXP agent as I kept getting an "Invalid State Error" online.
You're right though - sometimes the difference is huge, and sometimes non-existent: I was looking for flights for my fiancee for Aug 12/Aug 19, and the difference was only $50.
I actually booked on the phone with an EXP agent as I kept getting an "Invalid State Error" online.
You're right though - sometimes the difference is huge, and sometimes non-existent: I was looking for flights for my fiancee for Aug 12/Aug 19, and the difference was only $50.
Jun 1, 2006, 10:57 pm
#9
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A lot of times there is a discrepency between fares you can find on US websites vs the UK or EU versions. I've found this on expedia.com as well as others. Technically if you reside in the UK you are not allowed to purchase tickets from non-UK websites. Most sites will "read" that you are browsing from the UK and will direct you to the UK version. Nothing a little creative web browsing can't get around.