weegraeme

I was just pricing a premium economy flight from Brisbane to Aberdeen and trying to compare price to economy.

The Qantas website offered QF flights as well as EK flight. On QF aircraft, the flight was premium economy BNE to MEL or SYD and MEL or SYD to LHR. UK domestic leg was in economy.

On EK aircraft, BNE to DXB, DXB to LHR and LHR to ABZ were all flagged as being in economy, yet they were still charging a fare that sat between Premium Saver and Premium Flexi on QF flight. The flights were QF8435, QF8029 or QF8001 on EK and QF3363 on BA. To book as an economy passenger and sit in economy it would cost $3500 (fwd July, ret Aug) or for $7291, pay for premium and sit in economy anyway.

My understanding is that there's no such thing as premium economy on emirates. Would they be providing anything over economy service to QF passengers on Emirates aircraft? If not, why do they even suggest it as a premium product if it's not.

tt7

More likely, economy. The only flight that would have PE is the once-a-day DFW-BNE-SYD 747.

Correct.

No.

Because they can and someone may be daft enough to pay it.

It's partly the vagaries of the QF website. Look for award seats and you'll be offered J awards in which, for example, only the BNE-SYD leg is in business and the SYD-LHR leg is in economy. Your example though takes the cake - a three-leg itinerary in which all legs are in a lower class even though the higher fare is charged.

Globaliser

But (at least if you book on the QF website), they don't suggest that it's a premium product.

By the price, there's a symbol which, when you hover over it, tells you that (for example) "Your flight from Brisbane to Dubai will be in Economy and your flight from Dubai to London will be Economy."

So it is made perfectly clear that you can buy the PE fare if you wish, but it will only be valid for travel in the EK economy cabin if you choose that particular flight combination.

weegraeme

I searched again, and you were correct. The flights to and from Brisbane are in economy. I've got no issue with that. The flights on either end are only short flights anyway.

I don't know a whole lot about flying, but prior to joining this forum, I knew much less. Until I joined this forum, I might well have been one of the gullible people who didn't know any better.

weegraeme

Yes it does state that, but it's also a little deceptive, and the presence of a hov

To arrive at those fares for those legs, someone has requested a premium product (not business class or first class "premium" of course). If an airline offered to fly someone on the same aircraft for two different fares, and one of the fares is thousands of dollars more, and both fares are still available, I think most people would assume that they were getting something extra for that increase in fare.

I think that for a fare to be listed after a search for a particular class of travel, at least one of the legs should be in that class.

Austman

It doesn't show totally Y only flights if you try booking a PE one-way BNE-ABZ. It can show totally Y only flights for return bookings, allowing you to book with some legs in Y (if you choose).

Globaliser

Surely they can't still think that after seeing the next page, which has immediately above the flights a bright orange panel that says:-And if any further hint was needed, each part of the trip then sets it out in clear text, with no need for hovering, eg:-Or (in the case of a domestic connection on QF that's in economy, even if the QF-operated long-hauls are in PE):-There are benefits to passengers in not being refused these sectors if they wish to use them, so why would you deny them this clearly-marked and clearly-identified choice?

Or to put it another way, when QF has done so much to make this clear to the customer, why should it be obliged to do more to protect some customers from their own stupidity, to the detriment of other customers who are actually able to read?

weegraeme

They should make the search selectable. I also understand that if a particular travel class is not flown to a destination, they also need to mix travel classes in the booking.

If it's such a useful feature, why doesn't it happen when you search first class or business class flights?

I suspect that this is one of those topics, upon which you and I are not likely to fully agree.

nux

EK has no Premium Economy, that is a given. EK and QF both have First and Business class.

Premium Economy passengers flying through DXB will only have the option to fly in Economy if choosing an EK metal flight, whether it is to London (which QF metal also flies), or any other European destination which only Emirates flies.

If searching Sydney to Rome for example, only the SYD-DXB segment could be in PE, then DXB-FCO in Y as this is only served by EK.

If searching Sydney to London, the whole journey can be booked into PE as QF flies the whole route, but other options are available on EK metal in Y. This is useful if QF is already sold out in PE.

It is very clearly displayed on the QF website as to which cabin you are booking in to. The search is selectable in that all options available are shown, with clear indicators as to the cabins available.


Yes, you could search for a Premium Economy fare and select all EK metal flights and end up flying only in Y, or only one leg on QF metal flying PE and the remainder in Y. But its nice to have choice, especially if one or more QF legs is sold out in PE. I don't see why this causes you issue.

Globaliser

But the devil, as always, is in the detail.

What criteria would you specify for the selectability?

Would you have a tick box for "Only show flights with no economy sectors"? That would rule out all flights from BNE.

Would you have a tick box for "Only show flights with no economy long-haul sectors"? Then how would you define long-haul? Is LHR-DXB truly long-haul? What about DXB-SIN? What about SIN-BNE? How would you cater for those who would be happy to be shown an economy option on LHR-DXB but offended by being shown an economy option on DXB-SIN?

Suggesting selectability simply leads you quickly to a mass of difficult choices. Instead, showing (a) a clear warning symbol (plus details when you hover) before you select any flights, and (b) an even clearer warning in plain text when you have been given a price quote for a selection, would seem to meet consumers' needs adequately.I believe that it does happen.

You can see it relatively easily if you search for awards, because that is when you will readily find flights on which there is no space in the higher cabin but there is space in the lower cabin. You get the same warnings.

thadocta

Whilst not addressing your direct question, I will be addressing the part of your post that I have quoted.

In a lot of cases, even though you might be paying a higher fare for the same cabin service, you will be receiving more, namely flexibility and refundability.

The more expensive fares might allow you to change flights without penalty, they might book into a higher fare bucket (thereby also allowing you to change flights far more easily), they might also be refundable, which the lower fare might not be.

Just because you have two fares, grossly disproportinate, booking into the same cabin, does not mean that the fares are the same.

Dave

lokijuh

One could argue this comment applies to both the Y seat on EK and the journey in Y+ all the way on QF metal! A bit OT, but for $7291 (or for what QF are charging all the way in Y+) I'm pretty sure you could stick to oneworld and fly all the way to LHR in J.