Fare difference due to OTA time zone?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: DXB / WAW
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 726
Fare difference due to OTA time zone?
I was planning to book business class tickets for our family travelling back to UAE, so I checked the fares 2-3 days ago on EK website departing from WAW. Today I wanted to go ahead and book them, the price was unchanged apart from slight currency fluctuations. While booking I was distracted by a phone call. The session has expired so I had to start again and to my surprise the prices went up on all days as I checked flexible calendar as well. So I started checking some others websites which I sometimes book through and it was confirmed the price went up. I then went to Expedia to give it one more check and the price was the same as before EK price increase! Therefore I booked it immediately saving almost $700.
It seems EK was adjusting its fares at around 01:00 CEST time but the old fares were still available in other time zones like Expedia in US. I guess in a few hours time "US" fares will get adjusted as well. Have you noticed something like this before?
It seems EK was adjusting its fares at around 01:00 CEST time but the old fares were still available in other time zones like Expedia in US. I guess in a few hours time "US" fares will get adjusted as well. Have you noticed something like this before?
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: DXB / WAW
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 726
Yes it looks like, however EK does not allow you to book through US website flights originating from Europe but Expedia does. Today's price on Expedia for the same is +$700 in line with EK Europe. Also the credit card was charged by EK directly (Emirates Seattle Tacoma-US), despite booking through Expedia. I thought the fare system is pretty much centralised, so it was interesting to see something like this.
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
I was planning to book business class tickets for our family travelling back to UAE, so I checked the fares 2-3 days ago on EK website departing from WAW. Today I wanted to go ahead and book them, the price was unchanged apart from slight currency fluctuations. While booking I was distracted by a phone call. The session has expired so I had to start again and to my surprise the prices went up on all days as I checked flexible calendar as well. So I started checking some others websites which I sometimes book through and it was confirmed the price went up. I then went to Expedia to give it one more check and the price was the same as before EK price increase! Therefore I booked it immediately saving almost $700.
It seems EK was adjusting its fares at around 01:00 CEST time but the old fares were still available in other time zones like Expedia in US. I guess in a few hours time "US" fares will get adjusted as well. Have you noticed something like this before?
It seems EK was adjusting its fares at around 01:00 CEST time but the old fares were still available in other time zones like Expedia in US. I guess in a few hours time "US" fares will get adjusted as well. Have you noticed something like this before?
Since it works purely on a calendar day, time zone impacts availability
e.g. for today if a fare has to be ticketed by 3rd July , it will have to be purchased within 9 hours in Auckland, but there is still 31 hours left to purchase in Honolulu
Country jumping is a way of dealing with missing it in a local country
#6
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Dubai
Programs: Skywards Plat, QR privilege club Gold, Topbonus Gold
Posts: 106
If there is a fare that has to be ticketed by a specific date / or advance purchase requires purchase N days in advance, I have seen this
Since it works purely on a calendar day, time zone impacts availability
Country jumping is a way of dealing with missing it in a local country
Since it works purely on a calendar day, time zone impacts availability
Country jumping is a way of dealing with missing it in a local country
Country Jumping requires same country IP address or to re-direct the region / country to the new ones does the job?
#7
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
#8
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Dubai
Programs: Skywards Plat, QR privilege club Gold, Topbonus Gold
Posts: 106
#9
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
If there is a fare that has to be ticketed by a specific date / or advance purchase requires purchase N days in advance, I have seen this
Since it works purely on a calendar day, time zone impacts availability
e.g. for today if a fare has to be ticketed by 3rd July , it will have to be purchased within 9 hours in Auckland, but there is still 31 hours left to purchase in Honolulu
Country jumping is a way of dealing with missing it in a local country
Since it works purely on a calendar day, time zone impacts availability
e.g. for today if a fare has to be ticketed by 3rd July , it will have to be purchased within 9 hours in Auckland, but there is still 31 hours left to purchase in Honolulu
Country jumping is a way of dealing with missing it in a local country
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
Is that how it works with Emirates? Years ago I was dealing with this on Northwest Airlines. The ticket had to be issued by midnight. I spoke to a ticketing agent, and she said the deadline goes by the time at the departure city, regardless of the location of ticketing. So it doesn't make any difference (to the old Northwest Airlines anyway) where you are, or your VPN locale, or the ticketing agent's location. Is the deadline reached at the departure city? If so, it's over.
#11
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 556
However, you are correct in that this doesn't mean that it applies to a travel agent, or to all airlines.