Higher prices just before flight
Jul 3, 2018, 10:30 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 117
Higher prices just before flight
allthough i understand the economics and the shorter before booking the flight the prices will be the highest. Unfortunatly that also means that sometimes a trip is canceled as prices are to high.
this morning my boss asked me if i could fly to London tomorrow evening and fly back on thursday evening to spend a day in meetings.
i looked up the price but this close before filght they are ridiculous high.
to bad as i am not going to book. Prices do not make sense to fly in.
isnt there a way that in specific circumstances a short notice flight can be booked with somewhat normal prices?
this morning my boss asked me if i could fly to London tomorrow evening and fly back on thursday evening to spend a day in meetings.
i looked up the price but this close before filght they are ridiculous high.
to bad as i am not going to book. Prices do not make sense to fly in.
isnt there a way that in specific circumstances a short notice flight can be booked with somewhat normal prices?
Jul 3, 2018, 10:36 am
#3
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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I suspect your two options are
- Flight Pass, which has ticket prices frozen in advance, using the Freedom option which allows a 4 hour before travel window (allegedly)
https://britishairways.optiontown.com/
however see the thread on FT on some of the clunkiness of this scheme.
- ask the congregation gathered here today on FT who can usually use their skill and judgement to find a good alternative. Just be precise on your dates and times.
- Flight Pass, which has ticket prices frozen in advance, using the Freedom option which allows a 4 hour before travel window (allegedly)
https://britishairways.optiontown.com/
however see the thread on FT on some of the clunkiness of this scheme.
- ask the congregation gathered here today on FT who can usually use their skill and judgement to find a good alternative. Just be precise on your dates and times.
Jul 3, 2018, 10:37 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 576
An award flight is your best chance.
Most pricing is very high just before departure as revenue management know that there will be travellers willing to pay to be on a flight regardless of cost.
Most pricing is very high just before departure as revenue management know that there will be travellers willing to pay to be on a flight regardless of cost.
Jul 3, 2018, 10:37 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 289
Unpacking madfish's answer a little: "Reward Flight Saver" tickets cost GBP 35 + some amount of avios to book a return flight. If you have very short notice flights you need to take, it's quite common for you to see the same ticket sold for > GBP 300 that you can also get as a "Reward" flight.
Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't, and you're going to be spending your own personal points, not ones that belong to your company (your points are yours). The advantage here is that the price doesn't change for reward tickets like the prices change for revenue tickets.
I have a lot of sympathy for you: airline pricing is weird, and makes last minute decisions harder than they need to be.
Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't, and you're going to be spending your own personal points, not ones that belong to your company (your points are yours). The advantage here is that the price doesn't change for reward tickets like the prices change for revenue tickets.
I have a lot of sympathy for you: airline pricing is weird, and makes last minute decisions harder than they need to be.
Jul 3, 2018, 10:40 am
#7
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
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It's not that weird if you think of the fundamental principle behind it: the system operates to try to screw out of you every last penny that you're prepared to pay (which in some cases is substantially more than the amount that you'd like to pay).
If at short notice, the airline has 3 seats left, and it could sell them to each of three travellers for Ł100 each, but one of them is actually prepared to pay Ł500 because they really really need to get there (whereas the other two are on a budget and, like the OP, will pass on the trip), then the airline makes more money by taking Ł500 from one passenger and flying two empty seats.
If at short notice, the airline has 3 seats left, and it could sell them to each of three travellers for Ł100 each, but one of them is actually prepared to pay Ł500 because they really really need to get there (whereas the other two are on a budget and, like the OP, will pass on the trip), then the airline makes more money by taking Ł500 from one passenger and flying two empty seats.
Jul 3, 2018, 10:40 am
#8
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Jul 3, 2018, 10:45 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 117
Unpacking madfish's answer a little: "Reward Flight Saver" tickets cost GBP 35 + some amount of avios to book a return flight. If you have very short notice flights you need to take, it's quite common for you to see the same ticket sold for > GBP 300 that you can also get as a "Reward" flight.
Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't, and you're going to be spending your own personal points, not ones that belong to your company (your points are yours). The advantage here is that the price doesn't change for reward tickets like the prices change for revenue tickets.
I have a lot of sympathy for you: airline pricing is weird, and makes last minute decisions harder than they need to be.
Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't, and you're going to be spending your own personal points, not ones that belong to your company (your points are yours). The advantage here is that the price doesn't change for reward tickets like the prices change for revenue tickets.
I have a lot of sympathy for you: airline pricing is weird, and makes last minute decisions harder than they need to be.
what happens now is that i do not fly at all. I have no problem paying for a ticket when i need to travel, but in the current situation its like "if you get decent pricing hop on a flight". Pricing now is more then double what i usually pay, so i do not travel. I regularly hop between BRU-HEA in Club Europe. Even do B2b flights taking an early flight in and a late flight back. It maximises my time in the UK give me plenty of room to do my business, but with double the price it doesnt make sense for me. I have multiple trips scheduled in advance, actually over 12 flights planned in the next 10 weeks and still have to book my end august, begin september flights.
i would actualy really like if BA gave me an option to book flights on short notice when there is availability. Usually Club World is not sold out, so that empty spot could have been my spot.
Jul 3, 2018, 10:50 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 289
It's not that weird if you think of the fundamental principle behind it: the system operates to try to screw out of you every last penny that you're prepared to pay (which in some cases is substantially more than the amount that you'd like to pay).
If at short notice, the airline has 3 seats left, and it could sell them to each of three travellers for Ł100 each, but one of them is actually prepared to pay Ł500 because they really really need to get there (whereas the other two are on a budget and, like the OP, will pass on the trip), then the airline makes more money by taking Ł500 from one passenger and flying two empty seats.
If at short notice, the airline has 3 seats left, and it could sell them to each of three travellers for Ł100 each, but one of them is actually prepared to pay Ł500 because they really really need to get there (whereas the other two are on a budget and, like the OP, will pass on the trip), then the airline makes more money by taking Ł500 from one passenger and flying two empty seats.
The OP is actually in a very simple circumstance: Last minute travel. My laymans understanding here is that the 'cheaper' fare buckets have been drained and only the expensive ones remain, which causes the price to jump by a quantum to a higher level, because only the more expensive tickets are still for sale.
From what I understand airlines could do much more dynamic and interesting pricing based on supply and demand if they weren't constrained to continue to use the legacy computer system that was invented in 1960 and still used today (Sabre).
Jul 3, 2018, 11:01 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,162
Airlines price their flights precisely to take maximum advantage of (amongst other things) these sort of situations - where there is a short notice need for business travel, typically not being paid from any individual's pocket...I have experienced this several times, paying north of Ł500 to fly to Amsterdam, Frankfurt or other cities for the day (or 12k for Chicago...no, really!). I would not dream of paying those prices for my own travel, but for work it's a necessity and no-one even seems to bat an eyelid at the cost, relative to the upside earning potential.
Same reason the "Saturday night stay" rules exists and hugely affects fare prices: a very easy way to differentiate between leisure / self-funded travel and business travellers who want to be home for the weekend and have a bigger corporate budget.
Airline economics 101 - make money where you can get away with it.
Same reason the "Saturday night stay" rules exists and hugely affects fare prices: a very easy way to differentiate between leisure / self-funded travel and business travellers who want to be home for the weekend and have a bigger corporate budget.
Airline economics 101 - make money where you can get away with it.
Jul 3, 2018, 11:01 am
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 117
Usually i pay around 300€ for the roundtrip in club europe. With RFS i can book for 60€ and 15500 avios. If there was a must to fly i would grab it allthough i do not think its a great deal. I rather pay around 300 for the trip with no avios. Now the price is around 600, so almost double the regular price.
If that flight leaves with an empty chair in club world, i could have been on it.
If that flight leaves with an empty chair in club world, i could have been on it.
Jul 3, 2018, 11:08 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
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I find airline pricing muuuuch weirder than merely raising the price at the last moment. The very classic If Airlines Sold Paint article is what I feel like linking in every post about it, but I fear if I did that would get slightly repetitive.
Jul 3, 2018, 11:14 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: South East, UK
Programs: BA Gold / GfL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,431
Usually i pay around 300€ for the roundtrip in club europe. With RFS i can book for 60€ and 15500 avios. If there was a must to fly i would grab it allthough i do not think its a great deal. I rather pay around 300 for the trip with no avios. Now the price is around 600, so almost double the regular price.
If that flight leaves with an empty chair in club world, i could have been on it.
If that flight leaves with an empty chair in club world, i could have been on it.
Did you also check the pricing for Economy? If it is the BRU-LHR route you are looking for I can see some not too ridiculous prices in Economy. Still over €300 return, but that's what you expect if booking the day before.
I think everyone would love to get cheap deals the day before a flight, unfortunately, that doesn't seem such a good deal from the perspective of airline revenue management and profitability!