Got infant, gonna pay. CX slams infants with 25% ticket fare
Dec 1, 2009, 10:19 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: NY/TPE/HKG
Programs: CX DM, Hyatt Platinum, former UA 1K
Posts: 21
Got infant, gonna pay. CX slams infants with 25% ticket fare
I went to book a ticket for my infant today who was going to fly business class, with no seat, and the price quoted on the 26th of Nov was $500 USD (Infant I class). Today when I called back it was $2500USD. I was informed that on Nov 27th, CX raised all X-USA flights infant-on-lap fares to 25% of the ticket price, from the previous 10% of ticket price.
This makes the fare a LOT higher than most other carriers...
Very disappointed. I was under the impression CX is one of the top grossing, most profitable airlines in the world.... clearly their standard ticket prices are higher than everyone else. Why are they pulling this?
Two
to CX for this move.
CLARIFICATION (Dec 11, 2009): ORIGINAL TICKET WAS TO BE IN I CLASS - SO 10% OF A 5K USD TIX X-JFK to TPE; WHEN THE FEE JUMPED TO 25% THE FARE QUOTED ME OVER THE PHONE A J CLASS BIZ TIX X-JFKto TPE SO 25% OF A NEARLY 10K USD TICKET (DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON SO RATES ARE HIGHER, SO I WAS EXPLAINED). So Math does add up, if not a bit confusing
This makes the fare a LOT higher than most other carriers...
Very disappointed. I was under the impression CX is one of the top grossing, most profitable airlines in the world.... clearly their standard ticket prices are higher than everyone else. Why are they pulling this?
Two
to CX for this move.CLARIFICATION (Dec 11, 2009): ORIGINAL TICKET WAS TO BE IN I CLASS - SO 10% OF A 5K USD TIX X-JFK to TPE; WHEN THE FEE JUMPED TO 25% THE FARE QUOTED ME OVER THE PHONE A J CLASS BIZ TIX X-JFKto TPE SO 25% OF A NEARLY 10K USD TICKET (DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON SO RATES ARE HIGHER, SO I WAS EXPLAINED). So Math does add up, if not a bit confusing
Last edited by eightfish; Dec 11, 2009 at 3:30 pm Reason: CLARIFICATION
Dec 1, 2009, 10:38 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,149
I would much rather see the infant fare not be 25% of regular but 250% of regular. But 25% is a step in the right direction. Hope it sets the tone for other airlines to follow.
Dec 1, 2009, 10:38 pm
#4
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: None any more
Posts: 11,017
Eh? Unless the price of the underlying ticket has also doubled then the increase you describe would make the new price $1250, not $2500.
Personally I am also in favour of anything that reduces the number of screaming kids on planes.
Personally I am also in favour of anything that reduces the number of screaming kids on planes.
Dec 1, 2009, 11:20 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NYC/PSP
Programs: AA EXP, A3 Gold
Posts: 4,103
That's a huge increase and seems excessive, as it costs CX essentially nothing to transport an infant without a seat. I would call back just to make sure the phone rep wasn't mistaken. Did CX make this change without any warning? That would be pretty low of them if they did.
Dec 2, 2009, 12:11 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
That's a huge increase and seems excessive, as it costs CX essentially nothing to transport an infant without a seat. I would call back just to make sure the phone rep wasn't mistaken. Did CX make this change without any warning? That would be pretty low of them if they did.
Dec 2, 2009, 12:42 am
#9
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 140
I never understood why so many people need to travel with babies, 'cos it's actually quite hard for them(the babies) to deal with the air pressure change in the cabin.
Dec 2, 2009, 1:27 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 45
"I never understood why so many people need to travel with babies, 'cos it's actually quite hard for them(the babies) to deal with the air pressure change in the cabin"
Dec 2, 2009, 1:40 am
#11
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: PMI
Programs: BA,LH,CX,EK SPG,IC mainly and a few others
Posts: 1,862
I hope they will charge 2000% for all snoring passengers (like the guy I had to suffer on an ORD-FRA flight who kept turning back to my side to make sure that he snore right into my ears)- and 3000% for passengers like the two idiots on my recent flight from DXB who wanted to discuss details of their activities in the past week at 0300 hrs in a J cabin with lights on, demanding booze throughout the flight.
Adult humans are often worse things than crying babies.
Adult humans are often worse things than crying babies.
Dec 2, 2009, 1:47 am
#12
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 6,334
Yes they are... but with adults one can take it up with them directly OR, if necessary - with cabin crew. if they are truly disturbing others or behaving inappropriately one should reasonably expect action to be taken...
With crying infants - no matter how long it goes on - one is (apparently) meant to just suck it up... Any complaint about it here on FT seems to lead to the question "How do you expect the parents to prevent it" etc etc..
Sorry..... Pardon the lack of empathy.....Not my problem. I didn't bring the poor little unhappy baby onto the plane OK?
You did. Responsibility rests... where????
Having said that...
I must agree that the increase in Infant travel costs does seem........ disproportionate!
With crying infants - no matter how long it goes on - one is (apparently) meant to just suck it up... Any complaint about it here on FT seems to lead to the question "How do you expect the parents to prevent it" etc etc..
Sorry..... Pardon the lack of empathy.....Not my problem. I didn't bring the poor little unhappy baby onto the plane OK?
You did. Responsibility rests... where????
Having said that...
I must agree that the increase in Infant travel costs does seem........ disproportionate!
Dec 2, 2009, 2:26 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HKG, BOS
Programs: CX SL, AB Gold, AF/KL FB Silver, HU/HX Silver, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,596
You should know that they posted a record loss in 2008 and a very minimal profit for the first part of 2009, so they are definitely not "one of the most profitable airlines in the world". Basically every airline in the world is desperate for money these days.
Dec 2, 2009, 2:39 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QR/AC Gold, VA Silver, IHG Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,581
25% seems excessive. Afterall, all the migrants have to go back to HK to show off their babies to relatives after they are born overseas. Who would want babies crying? But this is simply human nature, well, baby nature.