dampfnudel From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 81 posts, RR: 0 Posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 3024 times:
I was thinking about flying from JFK to FRA next month to visit family. I checked out Lufthansa's USA site and got $926 as the lowest fare for travel on 21 September 2011, JFK-FRA, coming back on 11 October 2011. I got a similar amount or higher for travel a week or two later. I noticed that various fees, surcharges and taxes added up almost to $600. When I checked the German site from LH, I got back 555 euros which at the current conversion rate is $790. That's $136 per person less if your travel originates in FRA. Now unless the conversion app I just used made an error, did I miss something or do Americans generally pay more than their German/European counterparts for transatlantic flights?
Any ideas on other sites I could try? I would prefer to fly out of JFK on LH. Delta is the same price, uses a B757 (I have a preference for a wide-body) and Singapore is not much cheaper with the inability to book seat assignments, unless perhaps you need to join KrisFlyer to do so.
Airvan00 From Australia, joined Oct 2008, 712 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2903 times:
Yes, to cover the cost of rebuilding German cities after the war .
Seriously, the cost of international flights have always been different depending on origin point. For a long time London-Sydney London flights were cheaper if booked from the London end. Similarly USA to OZ were always cheaper from the USA end. It is what the market will bear, sometime there is more demand in one direction than the other.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21679 posts, RR: 23 Reply 2, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 2834 times:
It's rare for international fares to be identical in both directions. Fares are set to reflect the local market and competitive situation. The very weak euro exchange rate currently is another factor.
dampfnudel From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 81 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 2658 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 2): It's rare for international fares to be identical in both directions. Fares are set to reflect the local market and competitive situation. The very weak euro exchange rate currently is another factor.
I know that international fares are rarely identical in both directions, but the difference was never as dramatic as it is now, at least not 7 years ago when I last flew to Frankfurt. Oh well, maybe I can dream tonight of dollar-euro parity and $30 a barrel oil (unlikely of course). For some reason, spending nearly $1,000 per ticket to fly economy between New York and Frankfurt in October doesn't sound right to me and I've flown that route close to 30 times since I was a kid during the 70s/80s.
ag92 From India, joined Jul 2006, 1317 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 2637 times:
Quoting dampfnudel (Reply 3): I know that international fares are rarely identical in both directions, but the difference was never as dramatic as it is now, at least not 7 years ago when I last flew to Frankfurt. Oh well, maybe I can dream tonight of dollar-euro parity and $30 a barrel oil (unlikely of course). For some reason, spending nearly $1,000 per ticket to fly economy between New York and Frankfurt in October doesn't sound right to me and I've flown that route close to 30 times since I was a kid during the 70s/80s.
Check out SIN-DEL, about a few years ago
Singapore - Delhi - Singapore -> S$1,300 all in in Y
Delhi - Singapore - Delhi -> S$700 all in in Y
Same route, same flights and same airline. One just originates in Singapore and the other in Delhi
In fact it was so cheap, that often Delhi - Singapore - Delhi could be had for Business on SQ for slightly more than SIN-DEL-SIN and that's what all the frequent flyers on the route did, ticket it DEL-SIN-DEL despite living in SIN
dampfnudel From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 81 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 18 hours ago) and read 2592 times:
Quoting ag92 (Reply 4):
Check out SIN-DEL, about a few years ago
Singapore - Delhi - Singapore -> S$1,300 all in in Y
Delhi - Singapore - Delhi -> S$700 all in in Y
Same route, same flights and same airline. One just originates in Singapore and the other in Delhi
In fact it was so cheap, that often Delhi - Singapore - Delhi could be had for Business on SQ for slightly more than SIN-DEL-SIN and that's what all the frequent flyers on the route did, ticket it DEL-SIN-DEL despite living in SIN
Wow, maybe I shouldn't complain about the $136 price difference bet. what Germans pay and what Americans pay. Besides, Lufthansa probably needs to do this to convince Germans and others that it's worth going through the crap that the TSA puts airline passengers through as well as the enhanced screening by US customs.
fxra From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 683 posts, RR: 2 Reply 7, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 2286 times:
About 10 years ago I was looking for flights inside Australia, I think SYD-CNS return, and wanted to fly Qantas. Shopping online, I found that prices on qantas.com (the US based website) were significantly more expensive than buying on qantas.com.au for the same flights. Didn't even bust me when I put in a US address at purchase.
reifel From Germany, joined Feb 2005, 1153 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 2084 times:
Furthermore, even if the fare in a booking class would be the same no matter which direction you travel, then availability could be different. i.e. on your travel date JFK-FRA only available in a high (and expensive) booking class, let's say H, but the other direction FRA-JFK in S and therefore much cheaper...
DTWLAX From United States of America, joined Aug 2009, 689 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2053 times:
I am assuming you want to say passengers would ticket DEL-SIN-DEL even when they wanted to fly SIN-DEL?
I am not sure how they could do that: does the ticket not get cancelled if you miss the first leg?
And what would they do for the return flight to SIN?
DTWLAX From United States of America, joined Aug 2009, 689 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 2048 times:
Quoting ag92 (Reply 4): In fact it was so cheap, that often Delhi - Singapore - Delhi could be had for Business on SQ for slightly more than SIN-DEL-SIN and that's what all the frequent flyers on the route did, ticket it DEL-SIN-DEL despite living in SIN
I am assuming you want to say passengers would ticket DEL-SIN-DEL even when they wanted to fly SIN-DEL?
I am not sure how they could do that: does the ticket not get cancelled if you miss the first leg?
And what would they do for the return flight to SIN?
something From United Kingdom, joined May 2011, 1633 posts, RR: 24 Reply 12, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 4 days ago) and read 1992 times:
If you are price-sensitive, I suggest you look at secondary markets other than FRA. You can find JFK-DUS-JFK on Air Berlin for about €550 on the dates you quoted. Renting a car at DUS and dropping it off at FRA, including insurances and gas shouldn't cost more than €70. Depending on the number of travellers, the train might be the cheaper alternative.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21679 posts, RR: 23 Reply 13, posted (1 year 10 months 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 1966 times:
Quoting DTWLAX (Reply 11): Quoting ag92 (Reply 4):
In fact it was so cheap, that often Delhi - Singapore - Delhi could be had for Business on SQ for slightly more than SIN-DEL-SIN and that's what all the frequent flyers on the route did, ticket it DEL-SIN-DEL despite living in SIN
I am assuming you want to say passengers would ticket DEL-SIN-DEL even when they wanted to fly SIN-DEL?
I am not sure how they could do that: does the ticket not get cancelled if you miss the first leg?
And what would they do for the return flight to SIN?
No, I think ag92 means that for passengers who regularly flew SIN-DEL-SIN they would buy a one way ticket SIN-DEL. Then from that point on they would purchase DEL-SIN-DEL tickets, using the DEL-SIN sector to return home and the return sector of that ticket for their next SIN-DEL outbound flight. In that way they benefit from the lower price levels from DEL and they're still using all their tickets in sequence.
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