Shocked at Prices for Flights in December 2024

[Nick Carter icp]

  On 3/9/2024 at 12:49 PM, sirineou said:

It could remain the same, go higher, or go lower .

Can you think of another option? I can't. 

 

 

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   TBH, I was being sarcastic .

Like, the price will either go up or down 

[Chelseafan]

  On 3/9/2024 at 6:43 AM, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Note that BA are only flying three times a week but daily to KL. Might be an option to go via there? Check the fare for both.

 

As for profiteering, it might be because they ran on empty during the pandemic and need revenue to stay operational? And if people are prepared to pay it, why not? I'd call that responsible business practise. Airlines work for themselves, not the passengers. Same as any business.

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And that is exactly why there needs to be competition..

 

 

[pub2022]

Covid+Ukraine+climate scam

[Celsius]

  On 3/9/2024 at 3:33 PM, pub2022 said:

Covid+Ukraine+climate scam

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not so sure. in Canada since February and the weather has been between 5 and 18c all the way. zero snow. normally it's minus 20

[Celsius]

  On 3/9/2024 at 4:35 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

 

Proof...  Eons of data locked into the geological record, millennia of data frozen within the polar ice caps...  this years Canadian anecdote 'not as cold last year, eh'... !!!...     nearly as good as my parents comment... "Its November and we had to put the heating on"...   

 

.... must be climate change when we can compare it to the summer of '76....  

 

 

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You are an anecdote 

[sirineou]

  On 3/9/2024 at 4:28 PM, richard_smith237 said:

 

Clearly you cemented yourself as one of the experts... 

 

.... it could remain the same, go higher, or lower.....  outstanding vision, Nostradamus would have been beside-himself after the manner with which you have shined so much more brightly..... 

 

 

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Clearly you have comprehension challenges, 

[bamnutsak]

If travel is mandatory and dates are firm I'd snap up those TG or BR tix ASAP.

 

You could monitor flights over the next 30 - 60 days, maybe include one stop on EK/QR, set a buy price, and if you see that price, buy.

 

 

[Ben Zioner]

  On 3/8/2024 at 6:17 PM, pj123 said:

Looking at family coming to visit from the UK in Christmas 2024 and taken aback by the prices for economy seats, LHR/BKK

Cheapest option using flexible dates EVA £1,448, TG £1,415. And this is returning 14 January.

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Looks like a fair price to me.

[Dolf]

  On 3/8/2024 at 6:17 PM, pj123 said:

Looking at family coming to visit from the UK in Christmas 2024 and taken aback by the prices for economy seats, LHR/BKK

Cheapest option using flexible dates EVA £1,448, TG £1,415. And this is returning 14 January.

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Well then dont book now. 4 to 6 months ahead is the best time to book.

[Andycoops]

Direct flights are nearly always more expensive.

Try via Qatar, Dubai etc

Often only a 1 hour or so change of planes at the halfway point to BKK.

[Lancelot01]

  On 3/8/2024 at 6:32 PM, HauptmannUK said:

I think there are somewhat fewer seats on this route than prior to Covid.  A friend travelled LHR-BKK on TG at end of Feb and is returning end of March -  booked a few months ago.  Was just over £1000 I believe - quite pricey for low season.  I think the era of cheap long-haul is over - although you do ocassionally see limited promotional offers on indirect flights, but usually only available for a few days and checked baggage an expensive extra.

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You are right, since covid there are fewer airlines coming to Thailand.

Airlines like BA codeshare their Bangkok flights, in their case with Qatar Airways, which means fewer aircraft arrivals, but each flight is full. Hence the airlines can charge what they like because they know their aircraft will be full. 

[RayC]

Aviation is one of the most competitive industries. Profit margins are low (2 - 3%). Fixed costs are high; variable costs e.g. fuel are volatile. The inflation adjusted cost of flying is a faction of what it was 20/30 years.

 

Given all that, imo the cost of flying today is still relatively cheap.

[NoshowJones]

  On 3/8/2024 at 6:22 PM, flyingtlger said:

You're looking at the busiest time of the season.

Supply and demand......

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Capitalism at it's best.

[Tropicalevo]

  On 3/8/2024 at 6:23 PM, pj123 said:

Its never been this expensive

 

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Never had Covid before.

Since Covid, there is a shortage of pilots, airline staff, ground crews and planes.

Less choice. Sorry.

[zhounan]

The cost rises, flight companies don't want to reduce profit. Result? You pay the rest. 

[Seppius]

Still around £900 direct with Thai Airways in selected dates in December

[superal]

  On 3/9/2024 at 7:26 AM, Seppius said:

Been looking for a friend of mine for those dates, while they are still expense not as bad as what you are saying, these are direct, one stop much cheaper

 

 

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You are quoting agency prices . I will never buy from an agency having been ripped off once ( eventually recovered 1000 pounds ) . I buy direct with the airways . It maybe a bit pricier but it is far safer .

[puck2]

It seems you didn't check:  EMIRATES (LHR to BKK).

Prices ~200 GBP  cheaper. And Emirates was a high quality airline, atg least many years ago.

 

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[Chivas]

  On 3/8/2024 at 8:33 PM, Rampant Rabbit said:

Not saying their  good  but try Gulf  Air and Oman Air ive found them way cheaper

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First random date outbound taking into account OP's inbound date and Oman £723

[Rampant Rabbit]

  On 3/13/2024 at 1:11 AM, Chivas said:

 

First random date outbound taking into account OP's inbound date and Oman £723

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 Not sure what youre  saying here, looks  like a one way ticket or do you  mean return, is  it cheaper or as expensive

[Chivas]

  On 3/13/2024 at 2:41 AM, Rampant Rabbit said:

 Not sure what youre  saying here, looks  like a one way ticket or do you  mean return, is  it cheaper or as expensive

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No standard return on Oman Air in fact half the price of what the OP was suggesting

 

Lot of you guys enjoy throwing money away by booking direct with airlines is half the problem and this myriad of spurious information which claims if you book with an agent you cant contact the airline subsequently for any reason

 

Utter boll****

[Chivas]

  On 3/9/2024 at 7:54 AM, moe666 said:

Typically they have no fares until 6 months before.

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Wrong

 

330 days at which point the system will throw out the request if you go couple days over etc

[BenStark]

  On 3/11/2024 at 10:23 AM, superal said:

You are quoting agency prices . I will never buy from an agency having been ripped off once ( eventually recovered 1000 pounds ) . I buy direct with the airways . It maybe a bit pricier but it is far safer .

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If it says "sponsored" that me3an you buy directly from the airline. Click the link and it will direct you to the airline website

[superal]

  On 3/13/2024 at 8:38 AM, BenStark said:

 

If it says "sponsored" that me3an you buy directly from the airline. Click the link and it will direct you to the airline website

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Thanks . I clicked on the link and they only showed Eva Air . So I went to the Thai Air web page direct and their cheapest on the dates shown came to GDP 1255 round trip . Eva were GDP 1337

[BenStark]

  On 3/13/2024 at 9:17 AM, superal said:

Thanks . I clicked on the link and they only showed Eva Air . So I went to the Thai Air web page direct and their cheapest on the dates shown came to GDP 1255 round trip . Eva were GDP 1337

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If you clicked on a sponsored link that said Thai airways, it obviously took you to the Thai airways website, so I guess the link you clicked was for Eva air.

 

I flew in August and also checked through Skyscanner.  Selected several links with multi choice agencies, and at the checkout the price was always worse, or with lesser conditions than directly from the airliner.

 

After 4 tries I gave up and booked directly with Emirates through such a sponsored link

 

Another tip is to always use private browser when searching Skyscanner, and have location disabled. Don't login with Google account when requested.

 

Otherwise the deals will get worse with every search

[BenStark]

This is what it shows me now. The bookings are through trip.com, which has a 5 star rating

 

1281 with EVA and 1245 with British airways and Thai return

 

Can't post screenshot

[BenStark]

  On 3/9/2024 at 7:26 AM, Seppius said:

Been looking for a friend of mine for those dates, while they are still expense not as bad as what you are saying, these are direct, one stop much cheaper

 

 

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Curious why you get such lesser prices

 

[richard_smith237]

  On 3/13/2024 at 8:30 AM, Chivas said:

 

No standard return on Oman Air in fact half the price of what the OP was suggesting

 

Lot of you guys enjoy throwing money away by booking direct with airlines is half the problem and this myriad of spurious information which claims if you book with an agent you cant contact the airline subsequently for any reason

 

Utter boll****

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Not quite... I booked a flight (£2500) through an agent with Qatar Airways. 

Qatar Airways cancelled the flight 2 days before hand...   I put in a claim with Qatar Airways, the response was that I had to put a claim in with the Travel Agent.

 

Of course, travel agent put in their claim, 5 months later offered me 80% of my money back with the excuse that it was not their fault the ticket was cancelled and they still had costs to cover - I reverted to an ombudsman and received a full refund eventually. 

 

The initial issue here was that as the ticket was booked through an agent the Airline simply was not interested in dealing with me.\

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

  On 3/13/2024 at 8:30 AM, Chivas said:

Lot of you guys enjoy throwing money away by booking direct with airlines is half the problem and this myriad of spurious information which claims if you book with an agent you cant contact the airline subsequently for any reason

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Which agents do you use that are giving you a much better price than the Airline Websites ???

[Seppius]

  On 3/13/2024 at 9:51 AM, BenStark said:

 

Curious why you get such lesser prices

 

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BA is now coming up 850 slightly different dates, the Thai ones have gone back up. Search by whole month for depart and return