malct

I guess i might be one of the lucky people who gets a good few holidays at work every year and who just wants to jump on a plane and head off into the sunshine rather than sitting at home.

I find it surprising that Emirates don't offer last minute deals just to fill up the planes.
I have been on a few flights that have plenty of spare seats and for people like myself who don't mind waiting until the last few days off booking, Might just be a benefit to Emirates with the aim of making that extra bit of money by putting bums on empty seats...
Not sure if any other airline does it apart from charter airlines.

ung1

They do, from some markets. They have special Tuesday deals from the US that are valid only on certain flights within a certain period. It's not a last minute deal per se, but it is an effort to increase loads on some flights.

The reason this isn't done on a wider scale is that if everyone expects lower fares last minute, no one will book tickets early on. Airlines make a lot of interest from money paid for travel 3 - 6 months in the future. It also wouldn't allow them to charge last minute business pax astronomical prices.

This might be something one expects from a LCC, but not from major carriers.

malct

Because i am a Skywards member and rate emirates first class, I dont really want to be jetting off with other airlines.
I am open to go anywhere in the world if the price is right and also very flexable with dates too.

I used to travel LCC years ago when you used to get leg cramps with the pitch of the seat to close.

yyzlhr

Sometimes the special fares listing (from DXB) has some deals. They had BKK for 2300AED from May 30-June 14. And then there are the other 3 month specials- but I have sen others pop in for a twoo week period-- last year was KUL for 2000AED and GCK for 1650. So they do happen you jus thave to look and get lucky I guess.

lokijuh

Where are you based? I assume perhaps DXB, as fares with a lot of airlines from their hubs tend to be the most expensive - even at the last minute, an EK is probably no different. Outside of there, for example from Singapore, EK tend to have some very competitive deals at the last minute (to BNE, MEL & CMB), but that may have to do with their route strategy where I suspect they hold back seats for intermediate sectors that form part of longer flights, and fill left over seats at the last minute.

Even for longer sectors, I can travel tomorrow SIN-MXP return for as little as just under $900USD. By comparison, QR is $1K, SQ c$1470 & $1770 on LH. Although probably not the sort of rock bottom fares you are thinking about, for last minute travel that's pretty good.

ung1

Wait, you're confusing EK being cheaper than other airlines, and EK's fares not changing significantly over time, with the OP's idea of last minute deals, which EK clearly doesn't offer. IIRC he's based in the UK.

EK doesn't deeply discount its fares at the last minute. At an off peak time like now, you can buy very cheap tickets, but they aren't any cheaper than if you were buying a ticket for 5 months hence. Try the same thing mid July and you won't be so lucky. Similarly, fares on SQ, though higher, don't vary as much with loads as do fares of LCC's or US legacy carriers.

lokijuh

My experience differs, yes EK may not "deeply discount" fares at the last minute, but if there are empty seats there it will sell them at the cheapest going prices at the last minute whereas most airlines when running full jack the prices up. And up. On three occasions this year I have booked fares at the lowest available level about 5-6hours out from travel on flights that I had been monitoring for some time (one of them for four months), that up until a few days out from travel had been at least 50% more.

As a recently as last week a SIN-CMB return departing Fri night had been tracking at $750SGD (or greater) for some time (a month or more), on Thu morning it suddenly dropped to $490, making it reasonable for last minute travel. In this part of the world, it's the closest you get to last minute fares. Even the LCC's don't seem to practice it very much.

ung1

Interesting. I haven't experienced reduction in fares at the last minute too often - though it does fluctuate up and down with cancellations and rebookings I suppose. In fact about a month ago I was looking at SIN - DXB fares, which, even though they were much higher on the weekend, remained so up until the date of departure. I guess it depends on whether there are seats in the fare bucket more than anything else. Since EK fares don't usually have any advance purchase requirement, they don't shoot up like those in the US.

lokijuh

SIN-DXB being the no 1 exception to my very vague rule of thumb, as it is to every rule, except the one that say flights from SIN-DXB shall be ridiculously expensive whatever the airline is.

ung1

They were, before the recession. SQ used to be SGD 1700, as was EK. In the reverse direction, they were both about 3300 AED.

roadrunner21

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