Syndicate

By the time you clicked in this thread, you'd recognize the issue.
I have a family emergency, and it requires me and my mother to be present in Hong Kong. We plan on departing on December 17th, 2011 and return to Toronto on January 8th, 2011.
Do you guys know where we can get tickets for the cheapest price and also ensure that these dates can be fulfilled? :\
Appreciating any help. Thinking of travelling on CX :\

Santander

This is probably the wrong thread for this... but anyways.

December 17 is really peak time, there is no such thing as cheap. However, if you leave on the 14th you can catch YYZ-NRT-HKG and back for $1528 ai which isn't too bad. YYZ-NRT segments are on AC, NRT-HKG are either JL or CX. You would return on January 5th. If you spend about $2000-$2200 you have a lot more flexibility with dates. If specific dates are important you might as well bite the bullet and fly when you have to.

Daawgon

ITA is showing the Dec 13th AC nonstop departure YYZ-HKG as $1313. roundtrip

You couldn't possibly have picked a worse time for a bargain

snaporaz

Not that it would be easy, but if you have any credit card points or air miles to burn this might be a good time to do so. You can get lots of help on this in the various Miles & Points fora.

Ancien Maestro

Generally lower fares for Christmas Break if you leave at least by December 15th.. any later, you're paying double/triple.. Sounds like the dates moved earlier to December 14th or 13th this year, probably due to time of week..

Coming back you can afford a bit earlier, say the 5th, 6th, or 7th to get a really good deal as well.. if you're only allowed to do a certain amount of time..

If you have points, this is the high season to use your points, as you'll receive the most value out of your FFP.

Santander

Good luck finding availability to HKG one month out during peak season.

tentseller

High YYZ HKG starts around Dec 15 or a date to coincide with beginning of week or weekend. Dec 17 being a Saturday we can assume that you have employment obligations to fulfill. High season ends about one week after New Years and starts again a few days before Chinese New Year.
Your chosen travel dates of flying out on a Saturday and back on a Sunday is also working against you for last minute seat availability and cost.

As a Torontonian I suggest you go door knocking at all the Chinese travel agencies in Richmond Hill, Scarborough, Markham, North York and Mississauga and be ready with the payment when someone gives you a fair price. I am guessing that most of them are within $5 of each other. Keep an open mind for routing through US and PRC.

Pete838

I wouldn't consider booking more than a month out an emergency. If it was a last minute purchase you would truly discover the cost of an 'emergency ticket'.

If you were more flexible with dates (leaving a week earlier and returning a week later) you could get it down into the $800's on DL (or UA, or China Air)

Ancien Maestro

True.. an emergency, usually you would book quickly for immediate travel.. To be fair, we don't know OPs situation.. for the purpose of airline travel, the protocol is within a week or so IIRC.

Very hard to do no matter what time of year.. but not impossible.. although several attempts need to be made with airline reservations..

clacko

surely you would have some flexability to add or miss a few days....i suspect that many of us are wondering what the emergency is all about....

anyway, talk to a ta & google for discount airfare....