What's up with ridiculously expensive one-way tickets from CX site?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: HKG, EDI
Programs: MPC Silver
Posts: 33
What's up with ridiculously expensive one-way tickets from CX site?
Out of curiousity, I looked at tickets for Edinburgh <-> Hong Kong, since it's the only route I really fly anyways. Why is one-way much more expensive than returns? I'm looking at £2400 for EDI-HKG but £1500 for a return.
Hypothetically, could I get a return and cancel the return part?
Hypothetically, could I get a return and cancel the return part?
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: HKG, EDI
Programs: MPC Silver
Posts: 33
#4
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Your return is probably the cheapest available, completely inflexible, non-refundable, etc.
When you "not" fly segments, the ticket is not void, but still does have a value, which you can use for a later date. To change the booking for a later date, you have to contact the airline. Depending on the ticket conditions, you have to pay a change-fee and (if you did no-show on the original flight), have to pay the no-show fee. Both fees are subtracted from the remaining ticket value. For low cost tickets, this results in zero remaining ticket value, so your changed date flight will need a new ticket.
Be aware, the new ticket can be significantly more expensive, since often the lower tickets classes are sold-out and you have to purchase a very expensive full-flex ticket at walk-in rate.
I have never heard of airlines chasing after passengers with a no-show, though if you have a missed connection, with separate tickets/PNR's you are probably going to pay a lot more. What might happen, if you intentionally miss a last segment on a cheap married ticket, that the airline will try to "rebook" you to the destination where you dropped off. That can be a significant cost, though they will need to have good reasons to do so.
Given the difference in pricing, it often happens, people purchase a return in-stead of a one-way and just throw away the return leg (ie no show).
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: HKG, EDI
Programs: MPC Silver
Posts: 33
You're right - I mistakenly looked at Standard tickets for the £1500 figure. It's actually £1900 for the Flex return tickets. The figure for one way is Flex however. Still doesn't explain the huge price parity. Could I simply call them after I fly the one-way and cancel the return + ask for a refund? Even if I get zero dollars back I'm still better off.
#6
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
You're right - I mistakenly looked at Standard tickets for the £1500 figure. It's actually £1900 for the Flex return tickets. The figure for one way is Flex however. Still doesn't explain the huge price parity. Could I simply call them after I fly the one-way and cancel the return + ask for a refund? Even if I get zero dollars back I'm still better off.
What you can try to do, is if, you want to fly PE or J, is get the outbound in J and the return in the cheapest Y. That'll result in a return ticket, where you are maybe able to get a low-price J fee and a low-price Y fee. For this, you have to call in. Never mention, you are going to drop the return leg.
#7
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: CX Diamond / OWE
Posts: 277
You're right - I mistakenly looked at Standard tickets for the £1500 figure. It's actually £1900 for the Flex return tickets. The figure for one way is Flex however. Still doesn't explain the huge price parity. Could I simply call them after I fly the one-way and cancel the return + ask for a refund? Even if I get zero dollars back I'm still better off.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: HKG, EDI
Programs: MPC Silver
Posts: 33
When you "change" a ticket, they will recalculate for the new route and you'll be back at the original pricing for the one-way + rebooking fees. So, if the departure of your virtual return is going to be set in stone, and you don't need the flexibility on departure: Just purchase the cheapest return.
What you can try to do, is if, you want to fly PE or J, is get the outbound in J and the return in the cheapest Y. That'll result in a return ticket, where you are maybe able to get a low-price J fee and a low-price Y fee. For this, you have to call in. Never mention, you are going to drop the return leg.
What you can try to do, is if, you want to fly PE or J, is get the outbound in J and the return in the cheapest Y. That'll result in a return ticket, where you are maybe able to get a low-price J fee and a low-price Y fee. For this, you have to call in. Never mention, you are going to drop the return leg.
Like @flubber said, even if I call in to get a cheap "virtual" Y return, I might have to pay on top to cancel the flight? Sounds awful. I wonder what the cancellation fees are in general.
Even if worst case I book a virtual PY return for £1900, that would still be a £400 cancellation fee before I break even. Thoughts?
EDIT: It would appear that common sense has eluded me. Of course - the refund fee is deducted from however much the cost of the unflown sectors were.
Last edited by the_emerald; May 28, 2019 at 9:21 am
#9
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Like @flubber said, even if I call in to get a cheap "virtual" Y return, I might have to pay on top to cancel the flight? Sounds awful. I wonder what the cancellation fees are in general.
Even if worst case I book a virtual PY return for £1900, that would still be a £400 cancellation fee before I break even. Thoughts?
Even if worst case I book a virtual PY return for £1900, that would still be a £400 cancellation fee before I break even. Thoughts?
i usually get presented EUR 300 cancellation fee (it's visible in the ticket conditions, when you book). YMMV.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: HKG, EDI
Programs: MPC Silver
Posts: 33
My suggestion is a mixed cabin booking, where your return is in the cheapest flying (and if possible booking) class. Whenever you go the cancel-return route, your WHOLE ticket will be recalculated to the factual one-way flight you fly and expensive again (+ cancel fee). Forget about cancellation, refunds, etc, unless you have pretty flexible tickets (you would know so, since you would have paid a fortune for it). Just buy the cheapest return, when possible/wanted mixed cabin
i usually get presented EUR 300 cancellation fee (it's visible in the ticket conditions, when you book). YMMV.
i usually get presented EUR 300 cancellation fee (it's visible in the ticket conditions, when you book). YMMV.
#11
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
And the rebooking fee is also EUR 300.00.
So, I plan my connections carefully, so I am pretty sure, to be "on-time".
Though these are J class fees.
Just go the no-show route. Though you have to phone in to CX to get a mixed cabin ticket, which in turn would be another nasty experience, sorry, I did not mention this earlier. Unless you are a DM, expect to be on hold for an hour or longer. You may want to try by email, maybe that's easier/faster, I don't know. Expect another fee for "over the phone booking", for items they don't sell on-line. Some EUR 40 or so.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2019
Location: HKG, EDI
Programs: MPC Silver
Posts: 33
The no-show fee would be another EUR 300.00
And the rebooking fee is also EUR 300.00.
So, I plan my connections carefully, so I am pretty sure, to be "on-time".
Though these are J class fees.
Just go the no-show route. Though you have to phone in to CX to get a mixed cabin ticket, which in turn would be another nasty experience, sorry, I did not mention this earlier. Unless you are a DM, expect to be on hold for an hour or longer. You may want to try by email, maybe that's easier/faster, I don't know. Expect another fee for "over the phone booking", for items they don't sell on-line. Some EUR 40 or so.
And the rebooking fee is also EUR 300.00.
So, I plan my connections carefully, so I am pretty sure, to be "on-time".
Though these are J class fees.
Just go the no-show route. Though you have to phone in to CX to get a mixed cabin ticket, which in turn would be another nasty experience, sorry, I did not mention this earlier. Unless you are a DM, expect to be on hold for an hour or longer. You may want to try by email, maybe that's easier/faster, I don't know. Expect another fee for "over the phone booking", for items they don't sell on-line. Some EUR 40 or so.
#13
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: CX Diamond / OWE
Posts: 277
So what that means is, if I buy a mixed ticket with a Y return leg that I will never fly, I will be charged the no-show plus rebooking fee if I try to claim a refund? I assume that they won't charge my card automatically when I no-show. Or can I avoid the no-show fee by calling them beforehand and saying "oops I can't fly haha" (then applying for a refund to see if I get a penny back)
#14
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
So what that means is, if I buy a mixed ticket with a Y return leg that I will never fly, I will be charged the no-show plus rebooking fee if I try to claim a refund? I assume that they won't charge my card automatically when I no-show. Or can I avoid the no-show fee by calling them beforehand and saying "oops I can't fly haha" (then applying for a refund to see if I get a penny back)