Odd pricing IAD-OGG, UA and HA
Jul 15, 2023, 12:56 pm
#1
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Odd pricing IAD-OGG, UA and HA
I am looking at IAD-HNL-OGG on 12/21. If I book this as separate tickets it is rougnly 700 cheaper than booking as one ticket. What gives? UA doesn't want me to connect to HA? I would much rather connect in HNL than anywhere on the continent and I would also prefer to have one ticket as opposed to two. TIA
Jul 15, 2023, 1:00 pm
#2
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I am looking at IAD-HNL-OGG on 12/21. If I book this as separate tickets it is rougnly 700 cheaper than booking as one ticket. What gives? UA doesn't want me to connect to HA? I would much rather connect in HNL than anywhere on the continent and I would also prefer to have one ticket as opposed to two. TIA
Jul 15, 2023, 1:28 pm
#5
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At its core, it’s some combination of UA feeling that OGG is a more premium market than HNL and available inventory.
Jul 15, 2023, 1:28 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Connect in whatever location, but personally I’d pick whatever gets me there the fastest, at any cost, within reason. In hindsight my trips to OGG were whatever was cheap, my recent years living in Maui was whatever it is, I pay, in first. Still married after 20 years so I’m not completely delusional.
Jul 15, 2023, 6:20 pm
#7
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To understand airfare pricing, keep in mind that the airline's goal is to maximize revenue. It has nothing to do with cost, distance, or any other consideration.
Jul 15, 2023, 6:52 pm
#8
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As someone who is also living in Maui these days, I agree with COSPILOT - nothing in OGG is cheap.... it is what it is, but:
a) consider separate tickets? (HA and UA dont really play as well together as other *A partners)
b) consider other UA routing, such as IAD-SFO-OGG, IAD-LAS-OGG, or IAD-DEN-OGG
c) I am sure there might even be cheap/easier options going East IAD-FRA-NRT-OGG (just kidding, but kind of)
flying in and out of OGG is always an adventure
-m
a) consider separate tickets? (HA and UA dont really play as well together as other *A partners)
b) consider other UA routing, such as IAD-SFO-OGG, IAD-LAS-OGG, or IAD-DEN-OGG
c) I am sure there might even be cheap/easier options going East IAD-FRA-NRT-OGG (just kidding, but kind of)
flying in and out of OGG is always an adventure
-m
Jul 15, 2023, 7:55 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2014
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I am looking at IAD-HNL-OGG on 12/21. If I book this as separate tickets it is rougnly 700 cheaper than booking as one ticket. What gives? UA doesn't want me to connect to HA? I would much rather connect in HNL than anywhere on the continent and I would also prefer to have one ticket as opposed to two. TIA
Jul 15, 2023, 8:04 pm
#10
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Have you tried booking this as a multi city (ie, searching IAD-HNL, HNL-OGG in a multi-city search vs. IAD-OGG o-d)? Don’t know about this route specifically, but sometimes, searching multi-city can generate a lower fare than just searching where you want to leave and arrive - UA.com is like that. That way, you’d still have the benefit of being on a single ticket.
Jul 16, 2023, 6:58 am
#11
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Have you tried booking this as a multi city (ie, searching IAD-HNL, HNL-OGG in a multi-city search vs. IAD-OGG o-d)? Don’t know about this route specifically, but sometimes, searching multi-city can generate a lower fare than just searching where you want to leave and arrive - UA.com is like that. That way, you’d still have the benefit of being on a single ticket.
Last edited by mander; Jul 16, 2023 at 8:38 am
Jul 16, 2023, 11:34 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2014
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It appears the only connections through HNL that offer a PE fare are also the ones where the economy fares are way out of line with everything else. How can changing the HNL-OGG connection by 30 minutes make a difference on whether a PE fare is available at all? Something seems messed up with UA's pricing system here.
Jul 16, 2023, 11:45 am
#14
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It appears the only connections through HNL that offer a PE fare are also the ones where the economy fares are way out of line with everything else. How can changing the HNL-OGG connection by 30 minutes make a difference on whether a PE fare is available at all? Something seems messed up with UA's pricing system here.
In order to route a PE fare onto an HA flight, UA needs inventory on the HA flight in the fare class pursuant to their agreement. No inventory, no PE fare on that combination of flights.
Jul 16, 2023, 12:09 pm
#15
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That makes sense. Couid I buy economy and then buy an upgrade to PE on the IAD-HNL leg as a work around for this?