Prices to Malta in September
Jul 12, 2020, 5:17 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
Prices to Malta in September
Just having a look at Malta for early September and the prices are ridiculously expensive.
On 3rd, ET is sold out and only 3 stupidly priced CE seats are left. Even the week after when the flights return to LGW, only the Y bucket is open. Then all of a sudden from mid Sept the prices drop down to normal levels (~£60 one way).
What’s happening to drive prices so high even when it returns to LGW? This isn’t happening on any other route and it’s literally only for the first 2 weeks of Sept.
On 3rd, ET is sold out and only 3 stupidly priced CE seats are left. Even the week after when the flights return to LGW, only the Y bucket is open. Then all of a sudden from mid Sept the prices drop down to normal levels (~£60 one way).
What’s happening to drive prices so high even when it returns to LGW? This isn’t happening on any other route and it’s literally only for the first 2 weeks of Sept.
Jul 13, 2020, 1:42 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: BD Silver, HH Gold, BA Silver, CX Gold
Posts: 443
There are some big music festivals taking place in Malta the first 2 weekends in September too. Given it is one of the only places hosting this kind of thing I'm not surprised if the limited flights are already getting full
https://www.festicket.com/countries/malta/
https://www.festicket.com/countries/malta/
Jul 13, 2020, 2:07 am
#4
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Location: JER
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I was looking at JER-LGW-MLA a couple of days ago for October. Prices much the same as 'usual' (maybe £100 more for 2 in CE) so I guess the OP has hit a 'hot-spot', as already noted.
Jul 13, 2020, 4:43 am
#5
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,061
BA is going for yield rather than volume on the few summer holiday routes they’re running. Get revenue in while keeping costs under strict control. Not sure it’s the wisest of strategies when there’s clearly volume to be had, but it’s the horse they’ve picked.
Jul 13, 2020, 5:14 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Hertfordshire
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Jul 13, 2020, 8:20 am
#9
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Since BA reintroduced MLA in 2014, its always seemed to be to be a bit of an unwanted child! Yes, it clearly makes money with the daily rotation, but at random times to fit in with the rest of BA’s schedules. And some timings are really quite horrible/inconvenient. I doubt that even at peak times BA would wish to (or indeed could) add another rotation.
“A Tale of Two Cities” - BA in CE, JER-LGW-MLA ... and subsequent TRs!
“A Tale of Two Cities” - BA in CE, JER-LGW-MLA ... and subsequent TRs!
Jul 13, 2020, 8:39 am
#10
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: Confirmed
Posts: 1,091
Once a crew member hand drawn a very nice map of Malta for me when we had a chat in F. She marked all her favourite places to see, eat and drink when I told her that I fancied to go for a holiday. I haven't got the change to go there yet but I am still keeping that map.
A ba/welldone sent and got confirmation that she has been praised by her manager. My best memory on BA.
A ba/welldone sent and got confirmation that she has been praised by her manager. My best memory on BA.
Jul 13, 2020, 8:41 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
Just having a look at Malta for early September and the prices are ridiculously expensive.
On 3rd, ET is sold out and only 3 stupidly priced CE seats are left. Even the week after when the flights return to LGW, only the Y bucket is open. Then all of a sudden from mid Sept the prices drop down to normal levels (~£60 one way).
What’s happening to drive prices so high even when it returns to LGW? This isn’t happening on any other route and it’s literally only for the first 2 weeks of Sept.
On 3rd, ET is sold out and only 3 stupidly priced CE seats are left. Even the week after when the flights return to LGW, only the Y bucket is open. Then all of a sudden from mid Sept the prices drop down to normal levels (~£60 one way).
What’s happening to drive prices so high even when it returns to LGW? This isn’t happening on any other route and it’s literally only for the first 2 weeks of Sept.
This seems to be the case for many BA flights to popular destinations.
Jul 13, 2020, 9:03 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
I would have thought Malta would have done well for BA. I don’t think the times can be used to assess whether a route is profitable or not. It simply could be that BA doesn’t get much connecting traffic, so 6am flights are fine.
Jul 13, 2020, 3:12 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,061
Yep, same with BOD, which has been at stupid o’clock for as long as I can remember.
Jul 24, 2020, 7:35 am
#14
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: London, United Kingdom
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Posts: 4,738
It's a pity MLA is not opened up in August as I sure there would be demand (well from me at any rate 
)
)
Aug 1, 2020, 4:58 am
#15
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OK, we've booked! Much weirdness using Matrix, with some cheap LHR-MLA options routing via ZRH (Swiss) and returning via FRA (Lufty). £653 for 2 pax in J is CHEEEP.
Matrix/BA was giving odd results yesterday (31 July) for JER-LHR-MLA. Searched Y at 1546, which put one pax in J (?) for £1,189. At 1554, refreshed result was both in Y for £877. This morning (1 August) same search (and same flights) was £557.
We pulled the trigger an hour ago with BA on-line. 10-17 Sep, In J all the way for £765, using 72.4k of our Avios mountain (base price was £1125, £28 cheaper than the Matrix quote! Now to wait and see if it all sticks, we can work out the various UK, MT and JE medical/tracing forms, and pray that MT doesn't get a major outbreak of C-19 caused by parties, mass events and illegal immigrants!
Matrix/BA was giving odd results yesterday (31 July) for JER-LHR-MLA. Searched Y at 1546, which put one pax in J (?) for £1,189. At 1554, refreshed result was both in Y for £877. This morning (1 August) same search (and same flights) was £557.
We pulled the trigger an hour ago with BA on-line. 10-17 Sep, In J all the way for £765, using 72.4k of our Avios mountain (base price was £1125, £28 cheaper than the Matrix quote! Now to wait and see if it all sticks, we can work out the various UK, MT and JE medical/tracing forms, and pray that MT doesn't get a major outbreak of C-19 caused by parties, mass events and illegal immigrants!