Crazy Flight Prices

[Tuvoc]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

or a Scoot 787 chock-full of backpackers headed non-stop for BKK

Has anyone flown Scoot to or from Bangkok ? Are they a decent lower cost option to the high fares at the moment ?

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Isn't their business perspective to sacrifice a chunk of the short-haul sector to sustain the long-haul sector?

No it is not, there are multiple problems.

 

All airlines operating out of Heathrow were told by Heathrow airport to reduce there flights by 10%, fairly obvious a straight line approach would mean more short haul than long haul.

 

All airlines operating holiday business were told by the regulator to reduce the number of flights to avoid further chaos, most have done this by consolidating passengers on to less flights. Fairly obvious the bulk of holiday bookings would be short haul. Where companies, like Easyjet, had oversold beyond their existing capacity, they had little alternative than start giving refunds.

 

BA is in dispute with one of the unions and every chance there will be cancellations due to industrial action. Only time will tell if there is to be more effect on one sector than the other.

 

None of the cancellations to date were in any way to benefit of one sector over another.

 

More than 100,000 passengers visiting popular destinations including Faro in Portugal and Malaga in Spain are likely to be affected. BA says that most cancelled flights will be short haul on routes where there is more than one daily departure. 

A spokesperson adds that a majority of passengers are likely to be unaffected and will manage to go abroad as planned. 

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2022/07/07/ba-cancels-hundreds-more-flights-from-heathrow-and-gatwick-this-summer

[gearbox]

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

The oil price has been dropping since the first week of June.

 

Airfares are already lower for September-October, aka the off-peak season.

 

There's no denying that collectively, the whole travel industry got caught on the back foot with the global easing of Covid-related travel restrictions so this isn't just restricted to the airlines. Makes one wonder if all these various business planners, department managers and the like, probably working from home, completely lost touch with reality?

 

The only thing I note is that the era of cheap one-way fares that prevailed for as much as eight years BEFORE Covid, is over for the time being. Right now, the airlines want your bums on their seats on BOTH legs of your vacation travel.

Fly the low cost budget carriers, they are always good for one way. To Europe it would be probably Scoot, to Australia both Scoot and Jetstar. AirAsia X started flying too but the prices are higher than the competitors.

[dj230]

one way flight for bangkok to Toronto now are up to $4000 and were only $600-$700 prior

 

one thing you can do, at least on the air Canada site is use aeroplane point and get special tickets not available to be bought with cash. 
 

not sure why this is the case, I’m not a frequent flyer, but when paying with aeroplane there were a lot more flights available for cheaper, but still around $1000 vs the $600-$700. 

[gearbox]

2 hours ago, Tuvoc said:

Has anyone flown Scoot to or from Bangkok ? Are they a decent lower cost option to the high fares at the moment ?

I flew with them a few times between Singapore and Sydney, no issues, new planes, good service. It would be my option for Europe next year if the prices stay high or go higher.

 

I bought a ticket USM to Istanbul in January this year return 18900 baht with Etihad, at the moment that price looks exceptionally good taking into account that it includes the rip off section Samui - Bangkok with Bangkok airways.

 

Looking at the airfares now the cheapest options are nearly double any time of the year.

 

One thing to note the budget carriers often cancel and reschedule, if the times are constrained better look at the full service airlines (whatever is called full service these days). No issues for me plus/minus couple of days.

Edited July 9, 2022 by gearbox

[KhaoYai]

1 hour ago, gearbox said:

One thing to note the budget carriers often cancel and reschedule,

Yes well thankfully, under UK law they are obliged to book you on another airline if one is available the same day - regardless of the cost (applicable to flights starting in the UK).

 

Its about time that law was enforced more firmly - maybe by adding compensation if they don't book you on the same day and/or make you pay first. In practice, getting them to obey the law can be difficult and although you will win in the end, you need to have enough cash available to book that alternative flight and do the fighting later - not that you should have to fight, the law is quite clear.

 

I had a similar situation with KLM a few years back where they screwed up and I missed my connecting flight from Amsterdam to the UK.  There's a set level of compensation if you have to wait more than a set number of hours.  KLM denied that and tried to wriggle although I'm absolutely certain they knew very well (I'm sure I was not the first person to claim it).  I was advised to write to them quoting the law (can't remember the exact reference) - which I did and received a cheque, almost by return.

[KhaoYai]

2 hours ago, sandyf said:

BA is in dispute with one of the unions and every chance there will be cancellations due to industrial action.

Strike action cancelled for the time being.

[KhaoYai]

6 hours ago, Tuvoc said:

Until oil prices drop again, we are stuck with higher prices. I do get the feeling that there is a bit of profiteering at the moment though,  so maybe they will ease a bit.

I very much doubt the Middle Eastern airlines are paying the same for their fuel as Eurpoean ones are.

[NanLaew]

4 hours ago, Tuvoc said:

Has anyone flown Scoot to or from Bangkok ? Are they a decent lower cost option to the high fares at the moment ?

An acquaintance of mine used them and the BKK-LGW leg was on time with good service and knowing it was budget, he packed his snacks and reading material. However, his return flight departure was delayed over two hours, service was very poor and it was chock full of backpackers. He did max out on excess baggage on the return leg which he reckons made up for the generally poor experience.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

under UK law they are obliged to book you on another airline if one is available the same day - regardless of the cost (applicable to flights starting in the UK).

It is not "UK law" as such, never drafted as UK legislation. It is what is known as "retained EU law", the directive EC261 became UK261 with compensation adjusted to GBP as opposed to EUR.

It will come up for review in due course and can only hope it is not watered down.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I very much doubt the Middle Eastern airlines are paying the same for their fuel as Eurpoean ones are.

It is what one might think, but for next summer European airlines are offering better prices than the middle eastern.

[KhaoYai]

16 hours ago, sandyf said:

It is not "UK law" as such, never drafted as UK legislation. It is what is known as "retained EU law", the directive EC261 became UK261 with compensation adjusted to GBP as opposed to EUR.

It will come up for review in due course and can only hope it is not watered down.

I'm aware of that but it is in fact UK law - in as much as it is the law that is used in the UK.

[Dene16]

On 7/8/2022 at 8:49 AM, Tuvoc said:

2 x 23kg ?  My allowance on my Qatar ticket is 1 x 25kg. It used to be 30kg but they have decreased it. Yet another loss in value.

I have just booked EVA economy

Their allowance is also 2 X 23kg which used to be 30kg

[Dene16]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:40 AM, KhaoYai said:

Find me a flight in September that has a reasonable total duration from Manchester for £500 and I'll take an extra holiday and book it.

i Booked 2 weeks ago direct from Eva air £640 return end of October. I have since seen the price for £617, You need to leave on a Monday or Tuesday for the cheapest flights.

From London Heathrow

Edited July 11, 2022 by Dene16
addition

[Tuvoc]

5 minutes ago, Dene16 said:

I have just booked EVA economy

Their allowance is also 2 X 23kg which used to be 30kg

Yes I saw that, it just changed last month I think. Their prices seem pretty good at the moment.

[Boomer6969]

On 7/8/2022 at 3:32 AM, bkk6060 said:

Fl

Fights are around $500 in September and beyond.

Travel now during world peak time and you pay.

Or just wait a few weeks. With BA.5 on the rampage in Europe and US and on the rise in Thailand, it is likely that prices will drop. It'll be risky though, as the drop will be followed by cancellations and quarantines. Covid isn't over, go hiking in Lake District, healthier.

[Tuvoc]

9 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

It'll be risky though, as the drop will be followed by cancellations and quarantines. Covid isn't over, go hiking in Lake District, healthier.

That is why I've been using Qatar for example during the pandemic. One of the airlines that kept flying no matter what pretty much. And while air fares were stable and demand relatively low, I did get two free date changes and a refund of the return leg  in one case when Qatar went onto the UK redlist and I was holding a return ticket. However Qatar prices now are incredibly high, for Aug/Sept anyway.

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I'm aware of that but it is in fact UK law - in as much as it is the law that is used in the UK.

In name only, the British government never had much interest in protecting the public.

Much of the consumer protection legislation in the UK was bought about by Europe, something the brexiteers do not want to acknowledge but more than happy to take advantage.

[sandyf]

44 minutes ago, Tuvoc said:

That is why I've been using Qatar for example during the pandemic. One of the airlines that kept flying no matter what pretty much.

Qatar is the major shareholder in IAG and BA is a subsidiary of IAG. During the pandemic BA suspended direct flights to Thailand but continued to provide flights via Doha with the second leg code share on Qatar.

[KhaoYai]

On 7/11/2022 at 1:50 AM, Dene16 said:

i Booked 2 weeks ago direct from Eva air £640 return end of October. I have since seen the price for £617, You need to leave on a Monday or Tuesday for the cheapest flights.

From London Heathrow

I don't use Heathrow - unless there's a hell of a price advantage as it would add a lot of time and considerable addtional expense.  Mondays and Tuesdays are also out for me if I'm going to make the best use of my time off.  Hopefully there will be some better prices around a little later in the year.  At the moment they are crazy and if you can't be flexible, they're super crazy.

[KhaoYai]

Expect even higher prices at UK regional airports with the latest press release from Heathrow - airlines have been told to stop selling tickets for the summer as they can't cope. 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62136022

[KhaoYai]

On 7/11/2022 at 1:44 AM, Dene16 said:

I have just booked EVA economy

Their allowance is also 2 X 23kg which used to be 30kg

Its dependent of your ticket cost now. I've got 35kg outbound and 30kg inbound.

[sandyf]

On 7/8/2022 at 2:40 AM, KhaoYai said:

I can only hope that once people have spent the money they've saved over the last couple of years and fuel prices hopefully drop, airlines will once again return to having to attract customers through competitive pricing. Next year maybe?

I have just booked to go to UK next May, cost 65K for the 2 of us with Emirates. Some of the European airlines were offering cheaper prices but turned out to be carry on only, with the same baggage same price.

In 2016 I was 63K to go to UK , In 2017 that was down to 54K and been around 45K since then till recently.

Hopefully time will see history repeat itself.

[Tuvoc]

42 minutes ago, sandyf said:

have just booked to go to UK next May

Yes, forward planning is the key if you can do it.

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, sandyf said:

I have just booked to go to UK next May, cost 65K for the 2 of us with Emirates. Some of the European airlines were offering cheaper prices but turned out to be carry on only, with the same baggage same price.

In 2016 I was 63K to go to UK , In 2017 that was down to 54K and been around 45K since then till recently.

Hopefully time will see history repeat itself.

Yes, you have to be very careful with luggage allowances and total durations.

[internationalism]

booking well in advance, for the next year, is not good deal.

I was flying to europe with emirates end of february for 22k.

As the other reported, from september prices are going to normal 25-30k.

There are many other airlines, besides emirates (my favourite airline, if not much more expensive than the other comparable airline), which do large hold luggage and don't have too long layover.

I would think that for may 2023 you can get eva, thai and BA (when they start flying) for 65k for 2. Thai do have sales several times per year. The last one lasted the whole June, for bookings up to xmass. Europe was for around 30k. Even without sale I see thai for around the same price, that is from September

[Chris.B]

First week or so in July is when the UK prices go up for the Summer. It is normal and happens every year.

 

[sandyf]

9 hours ago, internationalism said:

I would think that for may 2023 you can get eva, thai and BA (when they start flying) for 65k for 2.

BA are currently quoting a similar economy flight on the same dates at 112K, and EVA at 73K, wouldn't fly with Thai.

Of course you are welcome to live in the believe that prices will improve, but some of us need to plan.

[internationalism]

that I have already explained - if booking so much in advance fares are high. They will fall just several months before date. 

on this thread and on the other ones here, you can see examples of fares below 30k starting from september.

Somebody booked on the recent sale Thai for some 23k. Yes, they are also not my favourite one anymore (I loved them many years ago), but that price is even below flights with connections and long layovers - so worth consideration.

There would be spike for the new year.

But May is low season in thailand and the UK.

Even if there would be some covid restrictions coming back, there would be more airlines expanding their networks and competition will force prices back. Also prices of fuel are falling for many weeks now. 

I do buy my fares just very few weeks in advance and the cheapest possible (not flexible). If they are very high I simply don't fly. I will take advantage when they fall after a seasonal pick and then fly more often.

Yes, I do plan, but I am also very flexible with my travels. I never panic buy. I just take time.

[KhaoYai]

Well it seems that high flight prices are set to continue.

 

There is clearly more than one reason for the current pricing being so expensive but I suspect demand is the biggest contributor.  Many people in the West haven't travelled for 2 years or so and are keen to start taking holidays again.

 

Of course fuel prices have an effect as does the fact that the airlines have lost huge amounts during the Covid 19 pandemic - but so have many of us.

 

I suspect (hope) that once people have satisfied their travel lust again and spent the money they saved through not being able to travel without restrictions that we may see, not a return to 2019 prices but considerable reductions.

 

At the moment, airlines are pricing high and getting it - all my recent flights have been full.  My last flight - MAN-DOH-BKK and back cost over 72,000 baht. That's the highest price I've ever paid and it hurt.  I wasn't able to be flexible and of course it was school holiday time in the UK so a little of what I paid was down to that but there's no getting away from the fact that it was bloody expensive. I saw cheaper prices advertised but every one of them was not actually available, was on multiple airlines or had very long total durations.

 

It seems that Christmas this year is also going to be the same - again, I can't be flexible, well not much anyway and at the moment for MAN-BKK-MAN, 14 December to 2 January I'm getting prices around 56,000 baht.

 

Its tempting to hang on as there is a strong possibility that those prices will drop but I have a court case to attend before Christmas so I really need to book something soon.

 

The last time I flew at Christmas - I got a good deal by arriving on New Year's Eve and I've also obtained sub 30,000 prices by flying on Christmas day - not possible this time.

 

I just can't see this continuing - it will surely hit the recovery of Thailand's tourist trade.  Imagine you're a family with - 2 adults and couple of kids over 12, your total flight bill is going to be around 225,000 - Western families will just book Spain or Greece instead.

 

I use Travelsupermarket - if anyone knows a site that's finds cheaper prices that actually exist, please post details. Please don't post anything from theflightsguru - set of con artists - flights either not available, don't include luggage or both.

 

Whoops, today the price has gone up to 64,500!!

Edited August 24, 2022 by KhaoYai