Hi all, apologies if this has been covered before but I just wanted to know while browsing the EK Australia website came accross some random fares, SYD-DXB-AMS = $1704rt while SYD-DXB is $1803rt, so just wandering how & why EK does this differentiation in pricing.... I would think SYD-DXB should be priced less than the AMS leg..

Cheers. ^

LOL! Nice find.

Seems like EK is still trying to get its pricing right. They have been marketing AMS quite heavily in the recent months so I guess fares to AMS will stay low a bit longer until the flights are well established.

It's generally been the case always as far as I can remember, usually when on special SYD-DXB-LHR/AMS/GLA/ & other European gateways are around the $1800-$2200 mark, but DXB always seems to be $1800ish, don't recall seeing it < $1800 with EK... what I can tell you is that EK is really marketing hard is on, Leave Australia in the morning & arrive in Europe the same day, i.e. the EK flight that departs SYD @ 0600 and connects with the arvo flights to the UK...
To top things off, if you choose to fly EY
Mon 19-Jul-10
Sydney (SYD)
Depart 14:50
Terminal 1 to Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Arrive 23:40
Terminal 3
Duration: 14hr 50mn
EY Etihad Airways
Flight: 451
3Economy Class, AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A340-600
flight Tue 20-Jul-10
Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Depart 08:00
Terminal 1 to Dubai (XNB)
Arrive 09:20
Duration: 1hr 20mn
EY Etihad Airways
Flight: 5518
3Economy Class, NOTE: THIS IS BUS SERVICE
Total distance: * (* not available for all flights)
Total duration: 16hr 10mn (24hr 30mn with connections)


Cheers ^

Yea, this has always been the case. No one really flies to Dubai unless its on work (in which case company is paying so they'll happily charge more), or they are willing to pay more for a direct flight (convenience). There's a lot more competition for flights to Europe, from QF, BA, LH etc (usually connecting somewhere in Asia, but one stop) so those are priced at or slightly higher than the flights to DXB.

O&D loads from "___" to DXB are low, so EK gets to jack up prices, and offer the competitive prices to people going beyond DXB.
If you look at QF and compare their price for terminating the journey in DXB, they will be similar or higher, the free market at work.

For people in DXB, looking for a MR, start your journey in MCT and the price drops significantly. Is it convenient , hell no! Does that save you a few thousand AED, once in a while it can.

A good example is:
DXB<>BKK
Compare, EK, EY, GF, QR, TG
TG will be the most expensive, followed by EK, then EY, QR, GF
Look at the trip duration on itamatrix and you will notice that the most efficient flights (aka shorter ) are expensive and the cheapest has long layovers and lousy arrival / departure times.