Minimum stay requirement to get the lowest pricing on the HKG-TPE route?
Feb 21, 2024, 8:38 pm
#1
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Minimum stay requirement to get the lowest pricing on the HKG-TPE route?
Just last month when I was last in Hong Kong, I could easily search GF and see sub-US$200 rt flights on this route for stays of less than 24 hours. Now it seems that I need to stay at least a full day in Taipei in order to get the lowest pricing. Did CX just change the fare rules?
Feb 22, 2024, 4:21 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, BA Silver, Hertz President's Club
Posts: 498
Category 6: Minimum stay requirements
TRAVEL FROM LAST STOPOVER MUST COMMENCE NO EARLIER THAN 2
DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE FROM FARE ORIGIN.
TRAVEL FROM LAST STOPOVER MUST COMMENCE NO EARLIER THAN 2
DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE FROM FARE ORIGIN.
Feb 23, 2024, 2:30 pm
#4
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Feb 28, 2024, 4:45 pm
#5
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: HK
Programs: MPC DM
Posts: 57
If you travel to TPE quite regularly, it may make sense to buy TPE - HKG return. Even if you don’t know the date of the next trip to TPE, the change fee is quite reasonable (I think around HK$250) even on the lower priced tickets. Note though that you will probably not be able to check in at HKG unless you have your next ticket out of TPE issued.
Feb 28, 2024, 7:15 pm
#6
Join Date: May 2023
Programs: QRPC Silver
Posts: 58
If you travel to TPE quite regularly, it may make sense to buy TPE - HKG return. Even if you dont know the date of the next trip to TPE, the change fee is quite reasonable (I think around HK$250) even on the lower priced tickets. Note though that you will probably not be able to check in at HKG unless you have your next ticket out of TPE issued.
HKG-TPE-HKG
And then TPE-HKG-TPE...
Change fees buying HKD is just incredibly expensive, and the jump from Essential to Flex is just bonkers (HKD900 > HKD0) , whereas the increments in TWD makes more sense and also kind of justifies the price differences.
Buying one way tickets makes all the more sense. Being based in HKG I bought a HKG-TPE and then a TPE-HKG later that evening, both on separate tickets. I noticed I got to TPE a lot earlier than I expected that evening. I asked if I could be put on an earlier flight at check in. Being on a light ticket form TPE-HKG they said it cost me TWD800 (about HKD200) which was justifiable for me. If I bought a HKG-TPE-HKG return 1) it would have costed me way more expensive plus 20 another change fee of HKD1100 at TPE...
Feb 28, 2024, 8:24 pm
#7
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It is common among all airlines that the change/cancel fees differ across point of sale/origin.
Frequent travelers between two points tend to buy return tickets from the cheaper origin as chater stated.
What is less usual is that you can buy two one-way ticket for cheaper than a return ticket. Could you elaborate? Or is it just that the change/cancel fee is more attractive in doing so?
Frequent travelers between two points tend to buy return tickets from the cheaper origin as chater stated.
What is less usual is that you can buy two one-way ticket for cheaper than a return ticket. Could you elaborate? Or is it just that the change/cancel fee is more attractive in doing so?
Feb 28, 2024, 9:19 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: HK
Programs: MPC DM
Posts: 57
A same day or next day return from HKG to TPE is HK$5,403. A return 2 days later drops the price to HK$2,003.
These appear to be the minimum/maximum stay rules for fare class Q (the cheapest economy ticket) (already pointed out by CarefreeBA, but confirmed by ExpertFlyer):
Last edited by chater; Feb 28, 2024 at 9:33 pm Reason: added information