Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Travel&Dining > TravelBuzz
Reload this Page >

Happening now: All flights everywhere ~20% off if bought in Rubles.!

Happening now: All flights everywhere ~20% off if bought in Rubles.!

Old Dec 16, 2014, 9:02 pm
  #16  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,378
Originally Posted by keitherson
A bit of a risky arbitrage because you don't know what exchange rate is used. Sometimes they use the settled exchange rate of the day before the transaction for today's transactions.
Yeah, the idea is brilliant: at least in theory. I do finance stuff all day and have been besieged with ruble talk -- but I never thought to try to use the collapse to find discount airfares. The problem is determining the conversion rate from your credit card. I assume you're buying tickets for, say, 10,000 rubles. But you won't know what that will translate to on your credit card bill. Seems risky.
iahphx is offline  
Old Dec 16, 2014, 9:10 pm
  #17  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: west coast best coast
Programs: TINDER GOLD, STARBUCKS GOLD, COSTCO EXECUTIVE!!
Posts: 3,987
Originally Posted by iahphx
Yeah, the idea is brilliant: at least in theory. I do finance stuff all day and have been besieged with ruble talk -- but I never thought to try to use the collapse to find discount airfares. The problem is determining the conversion rate from your credit card. I assume you're buying tickets for, say, 10,000 rubles. But you won't know what that will translate to on your credit card bill. Seems risky.
Yeah but then again, if you were going to buy the ticket anyways, why not? It's very unlikely that you would lose money, it's just a matter of how big a discount
keitherson is offline  
Old Dec 16, 2014, 9:37 pm
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
I'm trying this anywayanyday site and not coming up with any discount, it was 7$ cheaper using rubles, but odds are that's just cuz i'm rounding a bit.
drvannostren is offline  
Old Dec 16, 2014, 9:51 pm
  #19  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,272
Happening now: All flights everywhere ~20% off!

You say deal, I say great way to get your credit card account closed.
Adam1222 is offline  
Old Dec 16, 2014, 10:13 pm
  #20  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: HNL <-> BOS
Posts: 382
Anyone tried booking anything with this?
reverted is offline  
Old Dec 16, 2014, 10:30 pm
  #21  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KATL
Programs: DL DM/2MM
Posts: 2,032
Hi TProphet- Thanks for participating in the Mileage Run forum. Our guidelines reserve this forum for straightforward postings of mileage runs found and steer other topics related to mileage running toward the Mileage Run Discussion forum.

However, I don't think this topic is actually related to mileage running at all so I will move this to the Travel Buzz forum, and I encourage you and others to follow the discussion there.

-18sas
Moderator, Mileage Run forum
18sas is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 1:11 am
  #22  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: C2w
Programs: FB Gold, CC Gold, Accor Platinum
Posts: 49
It seems they fixed it by just raising all prices thorougly. For a KLM ticket within Europe that costs 130 on KLM.com, the website charges 193.
frequentflyingdutchman is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 2:17 am
  #23  
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: CMH
Posts: 231
Isn't this what people in Venezuela did when their economy collapsed in order to keep their money from deflating?
iruvmattree is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 4:27 am
  #24  
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Terra Australis Cognita
Posts: 5,350
Originally Posted by dubbdc
be careful here. from flyerguide.com, "The exchange rate applied to a transaction is usually the rate on the transaction posting date, which can be up to 10 days after the actual transaction date".
Sure, but unless the ruble suddenly decides to start un-collapsing, the exchange rate 10 days from now is likely to be even more in your favor than it is right now.
jpatokal is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 6:20 am
  #25  
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,334
Originally Posted by jpatokal
Sure, but unless the ruble suddenly decides to start un-collapsing, the exchange rate 10 days from now is likely to be even more in your favor than it is right now.
This assumes that the government doesn't intervene.
MSPeconomist is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 6:27 am
  #26  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: All around the world
Programs: Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 607
Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
This assumes that the government doesn't intervene.
To be fair there isn't much they can do at this point that won't be desastrous for their economy at least in the short term. 10 days is a pretty small time-frame...
valdor is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 11:22 am
  #27  
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: smf
Posts: 18
Originally Posted by jpatokal
Sure, but unless the ruble suddenly decides to start un-collapsing, the exchange rate 10 days from now is likely to be even more in your favor than it is right now.
the ruble has recovered more than 10% today. so anyone who booked at yesterday's rate, with transactions typically posted the next day or two, will be paying 10% more than they thought.
dubbdc is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 12:57 pm
  #28  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: The Internet
Programs: Alaska Mileage Plan
Posts: 714
I did this myself through a Russian OTA and paid with an HSBC MasterCard. The conversion happens immediately when your transaction is authorized, it's rare that banks fiddle with the rate afterwards. You won't know the rate used until it hits your card. My savings was about 20%, but it should have been around 25% based on the actual exchange rate in play at the time.
TProphet is offline  
Old Dec 17, 2014, 2:12 pm
  #29  
 
Join Date: May 2000
Location: smf
Posts: 18
good job out of you 31b! now if there is free cancellation and if it was that LAX-SJO route that you bought. you may be able to cancel at a favorable exchange rate, and rebook that route that went on sale today. maybe make a hundred bucks or more on the deal. ymmv.

also thanks for your review of the Greenwich Inn, I was considering that orbitz deal for SantaCon last Sat. happy travels.
dubbdc is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.