Cost of DXB-LHR
May 11, 2006 | 7:46 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2005
Programs: Mucci, BA-GGL, LH-Sen
Posts: 2,245
I am not sure about tickets ex DXB but if what you are describing is true, it would be consistent with the practice across a number of airlines. There are 2 things usually going on:
1. Customers are often more loyal and hence assign a higher value to flying with their flag carrier (e.g. EK ex DXB). This is due to a number of reasons such as higher identification with the culture of their carrier (e.g. speaking Arabic, carrying local newspapers, staff understand their needs etc), preference fo rthe loyalty programme of the home carrier since they have more opportunity for flying the carrier etc. They are hence willing to pay more for flying them.
2. Airlines with strong hubs can get away with charging higher fares for customers who are O&D at the hub than those that they have to fly in from elsewhere. The reason is that passengers who fly in from elsewhere have more choice. For instance, an oft quoted example in the newspapers is that FRA-LHR-JFK tickets tend(ed) to be cheaper than pure LHR-JFK tickets for same flights and class of service. This is because a passenger originating in FRA could always fly directly to New York on LH, SQ or a US carrier. The rationale is that carriers have a captive audience in their own back yards and therefore can get away with charging higher prices. AFAIK this practice has now been declared illegal in the EU so it doesn't happen as much though airlines still find ways around it (e.g. attaching more restrictive terms and conditions for tickets originating outside of their home countries but for much lower charges)
There may be something else at play here as well:
3. The DXB resident may be less flexible about flying to London than the London resident is about flying to DXB. Also,
4. The LON-DXB passenger expects to pay less for the flight than a passenger who continues the journey on to MLE/ BOM/ CMB etc etc. But the DXB-LON passenger would have to fly out to one of those other destinations first in order to benefit from low prices.
Bottom line, the considerations that affect pricing are numerous and complex. The yield management programmes that look after the decisions of how many passengers of each type (LON based, DXB based, LON based continuing to another city, last minute, advance purchase etc) to allow onto any given flight are similarly complex for the same reason.
Then again, you may have just been unlucky with the dates you looked at.
1. Customers are often more loyal and hence assign a higher value to flying with their flag carrier (e.g. EK ex DXB). This is due to a number of reasons such as higher identification with the culture of their carrier (e.g. speaking Arabic, carrying local newspapers, staff understand their needs etc), preference fo rthe loyalty programme of the home carrier since they have more opportunity for flying the carrier etc. They are hence willing to pay more for flying them.
2. Airlines with strong hubs can get away with charging higher fares for customers who are O&D at the hub than those that they have to fly in from elsewhere. The reason is that passengers who fly in from elsewhere have more choice. For instance, an oft quoted example in the newspapers is that FRA-LHR-JFK tickets tend(ed) to be cheaper than pure LHR-JFK tickets for same flights and class of service. This is because a passenger originating in FRA could always fly directly to New York on LH, SQ or a US carrier. The rationale is that carriers have a captive audience in their own back yards and therefore can get away with charging higher prices. AFAIK this practice has now been declared illegal in the EU so it doesn't happen as much though airlines still find ways around it (e.g. attaching more restrictive terms and conditions for tickets originating outside of their home countries but for much lower charges)
There may be something else at play here as well:
3. The DXB resident may be less flexible about flying to London than the London resident is about flying to DXB. Also,
4. The LON-DXB passenger expects to pay less for the flight than a passenger who continues the journey on to MLE/ BOM/ CMB etc etc. But the DXB-LON passenger would have to fly out to one of those other destinations first in order to benefit from low prices.
Bottom line, the considerations that affect pricing are numerous and complex. The yield management programmes that look after the decisions of how many passengers of each type (LON based, DXB based, LON based continuing to another city, last minute, advance purchase etc) to allow onto any given flight are similarly complex for the same reason.
Then again, you may have just been unlucky with the dates you looked at.
May 11, 2006 | 4:09 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Pennsylvania
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, AC *S, Marriott Gold Elite, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 9,791
I think you just got unlucky with dates. The fares are similar.
[KVS Availability Tool 2.1.0/Gold - Sabre: Fares/TCY/CA-CAD]
[KVS Availability Tool 2.1.0/Gold - Sabre: Fares/TCY/CA-CAD]
If you look at the 2 lowest fares on the LON-DXB sector, they are booked in T and L class. These are yet to be introduced on the DXB-LON sector tickets, but they will be soon, so the fares should become similar
Cheers
[KVS Availability Tool 2.1.0/Gold - Sabre: Fares/TCY/CA-CAD]
Code:
DXB Dubai AE [OMDB] LON London Metro UK = LHR LGW STN LTN LCY MON 03 Jul 2006 Carrier From To Fare Cur Fare Basis --------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- -- ---------- EK DXB LON 846 CAD QLE3MAE1 EK DXB LON 924 CAD KE3MAE1 EK DXB LON 1079 CAD BLE3MAE1 EK DXB LON 1173 CAD YLEE3M1 EK DXB LON 1173 CAD BEE6MAE1 EK DXB LON 1266 CAD MHE6MAE1 EK DXB LON 1266 CAD MLE6MAE1 EK DXB LON 1422 CAD MRTAE1 EK DXB LON 1531 CAD WRTAE1 EK DXB LON 1733 CAD YRTAE1 EK DXB LON 1889 CAD YLPX2M1 EK DXB LON 1986 CAD YHPX2M1 EK DXB LON 2160 CAD YEE3M1 EK DXB LON 3468 CAD YRT EK DXB LON 4402 CAD JRT EK DXB LON 5629 CAD FRT
Code:
LON London Metro UK = LHR LGW STN LTN LCY DXB Dubai AE [OMDB] MON 03 Jul 2006 Carrier From To Fare Cur Fare Basis --------- ------ ---- --------- ---- --------- ---- -- ---------- EK LON DXB 619 CAD TE1YGB1 EK LON DXB 743 CAD LE1YGB1 EK LON DXB 878 CAD QE1YGB1 EK LON DXB 1023 CAD KE1YGB1 EK LON DXB 1270 CAD BE1YGB1 EK LON DXB 1562 CAD MRTGB1 EK LON DXB 1787 CAD WRTGB1 EK LON DXB 2011 CAD YRTGB1 EK LON DXB 2026 CAD YLPX2M EK LON DXB 2277 CAD YHPX2M EK LON DXB 2305 CAD CE3MGB1 EK LON DXB 2563 CAD Y2 EK LON DXB 2602 CAD C2E3MGB1 EK LON DXB 3047 CAD YEE3M2 EK LON DXB 3898 CAD J2RTGB1 EK LON DXB 4315 CAD J1RTGB1 EK LON DXB 4315 CAD F2RTGB1 EK LON DXB 4317 CAD YRT EK LON DXB 4560 CAD JRTGB1 EK LON DXB 5050 CAD F1RTGB1 EK LON DXB 5540 CAD FRTGB1 EK LON DXB 5822 CAD JRT EK LON DXB 8820 CAD FRT
Cheers
May 13, 2006 | 6:48 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Programs: BA Gold, M&M Silver
Posts: 445
Thanks for the replies. One trip already made, and there was a consisted pice of c. 600 no matter what dates whenever I booked that one ( a month in advance). Maybe the introduction of VS and competition from Royal Brunei has prompted the introdcution of these lower fares? Any idea when they will come online?