Is it ever cheaper to buy tickets separately rather than together?
Sep 6, 2019, 9:24 am
#1
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Join Date: Nov 2017
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Is it ever cheaper to buy tickets separately rather than together?
Hi all, I hope this isn't a really daft question. I'm heading to Helsinki with two of my friends later in the year. One business class ticket is £210 return, whereas buying three works out at £240 return each (£720 in total to save you the arithmetic).
It appears there are only two of the cheaper tickets left. Is it the case that:
(a) the first two tickets are priced at £210, and the next at £300 (total £720), with the cheaper tickets booking into one fare class and the more expensive ticket booking into a higher fare class, or
(b) do all three tickets book into a higher fare bucket and cost £240 each?
I suspect it's (a) but am not sure if you can have mixed fare buckets in one booking. If it's (b) then it seems I can get the tickets cheaper by buying the first two separately, then the third, and TCPing.
Many thanks and apologies if this has been covered before - was hard to know what to Google!
It appears there are only two of the cheaper tickets left. Is it the case that:
(a) the first two tickets are priced at £210, and the next at £300 (total £720), with the cheaper tickets booking into one fare class and the more expensive ticket booking into a higher fare class, or
(b) do all three tickets book into a higher fare bucket and cost £240 each?
I suspect it's (a) but am not sure if you can have mixed fare buckets in one booking. If it's (b) then it seems I can get the tickets cheaper by buying the first two separately, then the third, and TCPing.
Many thanks and apologies if this has been covered before - was hard to know what to Google!
Sep 6, 2019, 9:26 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,770
It's (b). And yes you are correct, book separately then TCP.
It's possible however that after booking the first two, the inventory available for the third one could change, although it should still be there if you do it immediately. (On the other hand if you wait a while another ticket may even open up at the lower price - you never know.)
Also, do look at Skyscanner using e.g. US, France etc country setting - there may have 3 seats available through another POS at the lower price.
It's possible however that after booking the first two, the inventory available for the third one could change, although it should still be there if you do it immediately. (On the other hand if you wait a while another ticket may even open up at the lower price - you never know.)
Also, do look at Skyscanner using e.g. US, France etc country setting - there may have 3 seats available through another POS at the lower price.
Sep 6, 2019, 9:29 am
#3
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Option B - all priced in the higher fare bucket
So yes buy the 2 cheaper tikets then 1 as a separate booking. In some cases that does get repriced in the lower bucket but not always.
So yes buy the 2 cheaper tikets then 1 as a separate booking. In some cases that does get repriced in the lower bucket but not always.
Sep 6, 2019, 9:34 am
#5
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Some people might suggest tying to buy the two and one at the same time, on different computers.
Sep 6, 2019, 4:23 pm
#7
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I may have done something wrong but it was (a) in this case. I had the two bookings going simultaneously on two separate devices, and the 2nd booking errored saying the ticket had sold out during the payment process.
Sep 6, 2019, 5:04 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: East Berlin
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You can always cancel the first booking and get you money back, if you cancel within 24 hours of the booking, if you’re not happy but it might be a case of sucking it up. See what the price is in the morning?
Palmer
Sep 6, 2019, 5:12 pm
#9
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That is pretty much to be expected if availability has been taken
Sep 6, 2019, 9:15 pm
#10
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These buckets are also dynamic and constantly adjusting. So if you were looking at D2, then if you leave it a short time, or maybe a long time, it may come back as D1 or even D3. Now the uncertainty isn't helpful, and I'm not entirely convinced the switching PCs is going to help either, given the way that availability gets pulled from Amadeus / Pegasus. So what I would do is book the first two tickets at D, buy the next ticket at (presumably) the higher R cost, maybe leaving it 20 minutes or so. Use the Hold fare button if it is offered, but then cancel / rebook, given the 24 to 72 hour time frames for doing this should the cheaper fare re-appear.