Richardw From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 3712 posts, RR: 0 Posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1500 times:
FR love quoting them and yes they are high, but surely very few passengers actually book and travel BA on them, with most just booking a return and not using the return portion.
So Fr's comparison is a red herring, why don't they compare high return fares with carriers that still require a saturday night stay for good return fares, LH for example.
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18883 posts, RR: 54 Reply 1, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 1464 times:
FR is comparing a one-way price with a one-way price. If it was a one-way price verses a return price, then that would not be as accurate, even if it was cheaper. It clearly says it’s only comparing one-way fares, so all is fine.
It is normally impossible to give a like-for-like example (BA might not serve the same airport which FR does), so the comparison is a little inaccurate, but it does the job pretty well.
Let’s pretend I want to fly ONE-WAY between Glasgow and Rome on 1st June and could choose either FR or BA. Consider the following:
BA – GLA to FCO via LHR. The total fare, inclusive of tax, is £560.60.
FR – PIK to CIA. The total fare, inclusive of tax, is £51.18.
A bit of a difference, I think you’ll agree, not only in price but also in travel duration.
Even if we unfairly compare a one-way fare with a return (returning on, say, the 7th), then BA's still substantially more expensive:
BA – GLA to FCO via BHX outbound, FCO to GLA via LGW inbound. The total fare, including tax, is £183.30.
FR – PIK to CIA. The total fare, inclusive of tax, is £51.18.
Again, FR is comparing LIKE-FOR-LIKE (as far as possible) in comparing one-way fares.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
Pe@rson From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 18883 posts, RR: 54 Reply 3, posted (9 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 1366 times:
"But comparing more likely scenarios is more useful, practical and credible."
Perhaps, but the average punter isn't likely to know that a roundtrip is less expensive. Also, comparing a one-way fare with a roundtrip fare is neither as good and as illustrative for FR as a one-way vs one-way comparison. If I was the CEO of FR, I'd be doing exactly the same thing, as it would show my firm in a better light.
"Everyone writing for the Telegraph knows that the way to grab eyeballs is with Ryanair and/or sex."
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From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 3712 posts, 
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