Air Fares – Change Is Coming?
Today on my morning commute I read an article in The Independent regarding the standard practice of airlines cancelling return flights if you now show for the original outbound flight. This practice has obviously some how reflected on a city publisher and now its all of a sudden got some seriously publicity.
“Travelling in Sync” What does this mean?
For along as I can remember and as far as my research has taken me, tickets purchased for travel to a destination always have to be used “In Sync” in a clearer way, this means all coupons or “Parts” have to be used in chronological order. Unless you have the most expensive ticket, usually an IATA F or J, you will need to fly your outbound flights and then utilise the return or be at risk of getting a call from the airline questioning why you haven’t abided by the terms and conditions of a ticket and utilised all sectors. Or if you are an agent, face getting an ADM due to unused sectors on the ticket.
It’s cheaper to fly round trip than one way?
When someone purchases a one-way ticket at a higher price than the cost of half of the same round-trip journey, the airline is able to adjust flight schedules without losing money whether the passenger decides to book a one-way return or not. Airlines prefer that travelers fly round-trip simply because it is more convenient for their scheduling systems. Travelers who purchase one-way flights with the intention of purchasing another one-way ticket for the return journey make it difficult for airlines to make airplane staffing decisions and set flight schedules ahead of time.
The Crunch
If you were to book a ticket today one way from San Francisco to London in Business class you maybe looking at a $7000 air fare for the convenience, however if you start the journey in London, you would find it considerably cheaper and with your corporate travel department, maybe less. If you applied this principal to the above, your corporate travel budget would save many £££’s! But you cannot do it. The thousands of fares that exist on the market deliver air travel to us in an affordable way, start playing with the rules and all of a sudden air costs are going to rise considerably, not forgetting the air taxes that apply on a round trip and one way basis.
This is something that is worth watching.
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