Jump in Airfare 😶

[Ombud]

I was just surprised by the jump in airfare.  Yes I keep checking to see if I can get a better rate on Princess EZAIR, apparently not!

 

- nonstop SFO to Melbourne/Aukland return: currently 793.77, best online now: 1349 (70% jump)

 

- SFO to LAX rt: currently 98.80 best online now: 119 (20% jump)

Edited July 21, 2019 by Ombud

[Ombud]

[fbgd]

This is very normal...ticket prices aren't increased per se, just the cheaper tickets sell out only leaving more expensive ones left. Airlines may add some cheaper tickets but you don't know if they will or when they will.

 

Think of buying airline tickets as going to the butcher and wanting to buy beef. You show up first thing in the morning and you'll have everything from ground chuck (your Basic Economy) to Wagyu (your full flexible, unrestricted ticket). You show up later just wanting to buy some beef and the ground chuck is sold out, so if you want beef you're looking at some tenderloin or perhaps filet mignon. The butcher may get some more chuck in to sell but you may be left just having to satisfy your beef requirements with the more expensive option.

 

 

[Zach1213]

On 7/21/2019 at 12:05 PM, fbgd said:

This is very normal...ticket prices aren't increased per se, just the cheaper tickets sell out only leaving more expensive ones left. Airlines may add some cheaper tickets but you don't know if they will or when they will.

 

Think of buying airline tickets as going to the butcher and wanting to buy beef. You show up first thing in the morning and you'll have everything from ground chuck (your Basic Economy) to Wagyu (your full flexible, unrestricted ticket). You show up later just wanting to buy some beef and the ground chuck is sold out, so if you want beef you're looking at some tenderloin or perhaps filet mignon. The butcher may get some more chuck in to sell but you may be left just having to satisfy your beef requirements with the more expensive option.

 

 

 

I, uh...I've never seen anyone compare airline pricing to beef. It's not wrong...I've just never seen it.

[johnjen]

I'm looking for cheaper flights to the UK this coming November, but looking during peak summer season isn't helping any...I'm under the assumption (wishing it's more than that) maybe prices might fall a bit after September 30, check then.

[FlyerTalker]

Remember that with some few exceptions, it's the date of travel that matters far more than the date of purchase.  You are seeing pricing for November travel and buying before or after the summer travel season won't be a big factor.

 

Just what kind of "cheaper flights" are you expecting as opposed to the current offerings?  Perhaps more importantly, why do you believe that lower pricing will appear, and are you willing to instead pay higher prices if they do nothing but rise in the interim?

 

Remember....wishing and hoping makes for a great song title, but is quite bad when it comes to travel purchases.

[waterbug123]

19 hours ago, johnjen said:

I'm looking for cheaper flights to the UK this coming November, but looking during peak summer season isn't helping any...I'm under the assumption (wishing it's more than that) maybe prices might fall a bit after September 30, check then.

 

You're not FLYING during peak tourist season, so the fact that you are PURCHASING a future ticket during peak tourist season has nothing to do with it, per se.   It's all about supply and demand for the actual dates that you are flying.

[Shorex]

When I first read the OP's post, my only surprise was that an offered price of $794 for SFO-MEL and AKL-SFO was so low. I would have snapped that up and not looked back. Playing the waiting is game is always a gamble, now OP's options are to cut the losses at $1349 or risk paying even more. IMO, $1349 is still a decent price for a round trip trans-pac journey of over 14,000 total air miles.

 

Not that it matters at this point, but November is the start of tourist season in Australia and New Zealand. OP has likely missed the sweet spot for the lowest fare buckets.

[fluffybunny22]

1 hour ago, Shorex said:

When I first read the OP's post, my only surprise was that an offered price of $794 for SFO-MEL and AKL-SFO was so low. I would have snapped that up and not looked back. Playing the waiting is game is always a gamble, now OP's options are to cut the losses at $1349 or risk paying even more. IMO, $1349 is still a decent price for a round trip trans-pac journey of over 14,000 total air miles.

 

Not that it matters at this point, but November is the start of tourist season in Australia and New Zealand. OP has likely missed the sweet spot for the lowest fare buckets.

I think the OP is using Princess' EZ Air which locks in your price but allows you to refare if the price goes down up to 45 days prior to sailing so the OP has likely locked in the lower fare.

[Shorex]

OP,  did you lock in the lower fare? If so, then no worries. Be happy.

[Ombud]

Yes I did!! Love nonstop and that's just a little more ($200) than my NS SFO to Miami, Montreal to SFO price. But I'm surprised that it was 70% off. Looking for a SFO to LHR rt now and prices are up

[johnjen]

On 7/24/2019 at 9:48 AM, waterbug123 said:

 

You're not FLYING during peak tourist season, so the fact that you are PURCHASING a future ticket during peak tourist season has nothing to do with it, per se.   It's all about supply and demand for the actual dates that you are flying.

Thanks for letting me know, but I thought SOMETIMES what I said was the case....hoping there's less need for flying the first week of November!

[waterbug123]

18 hours ago, johnjen said:

Thanks for letting me know, but I thought SOMETIMES what I said was the case....hoping there's less need for flying the first week of November!

 

If it was, it was purely coincidence.  When you enter dates of travel, the prices you see are based on the supply and demand for travel on the dates you selected.  It has nothing to do with the the supply and demand for travel on whatever day it is that finds you sitting at your computer looking at airline websites.

As for travel to the UK in November, that's not really tourist season, but there will still be travelers who fly for business.  As you are planning to travel the first week of November, if you wait til October to book as you indicated, you will find yourself purchasing within 4 weeks of your travel dates.  If flights haven't sold as well as the airline had hoped, you might find a deal.  If demand has been good, you could be looking at close-to-last-minute pricing.

Edited July 26, 2019 by waterbug123

[sumiandkage]

Also remember that every country has its own holidays and school vacation time periods and sometimes what seems like a surprisingly high week for airfares when you search might be because people from your destination are trying to get Somewhere Else or return to home just as you're trying to get there. 

[FlyerTalker]

1 hour ago, sumiandkage said:

Also remember that every country has its own holidays and school vacation time periods and sometimes what seems like a surprisingly high week for airfares when you search might be because people from your destination are trying to get Somewhere Else or return to home just as you're trying to get there. 

 

Let's just say that pricing for flights to/from or within Asia at the time of Chinese New Year will set your socks off.

 

And most folks in North America would say "It's winter then....why should it be high?"

[fluffybunny22]

I just booked my air using EZ Air on Thursday and today the price jumped $500 a ticket.