Interesting change this week. Business class fares from MEL to OOL via SYD jumped dramatically from $683.00 to $1452.00 yet economy didn’t. I regularly travel this route and usually cannot make the direct morning service so choose to go via Sydney (and don’t like JQ). Maybe Qantas should offer a direct afternoon service or PAX (like me) will be travelling Virgin, who haven’t incresed their business class fare. I booked just in time at old rate and under the double s/c promotion which pushes me to Platinum, and now will be using the opposition
The change is not just supply and demand or comms games related but actually, a change they've implemented with the base fare (possibly to stop hidden city ticketing).
Instead of pricing it as one single through journey for ~$600-700 they're instead taking the MEL-SYD and the SYD-OOL flights and adding the price of both journeys to create the final price.
An example of this is the 16 May (just a random date I picked). A Single ticket would be $1462 on the 4:15pm MEL-SYD flight then the 6:20pm SYD-OOL flight.
If you purchased these separately it would be $855 for the MEL-SYD flight then $620 for the SYD-OOL flight a grand total of $1475 and only $13 difference from a single ticket. Meanwhile, a direct MEL-OOL is $733 and the option via Sydney probably would have been a similar price.
My best guess is that because a MEL-SYD-OOL ticket is cheaper (by $122) then just the MEL-SYD people have been purchasing the ticket with the SYD-OOL flight included but actually have no intention to board the SYD-OOL flight. Qantas has obviously made the change to stop this as it would be upsetting the MEL-SYD fares.
Hmmm. I'm seeing much higher pricing than previously for e.g. MEL-BNE-CNS too. Hope this is just a temporary thing. MEL-BNE-CNS was my favourite status run route. If this pricing holds then it won't be the attractive option it was anymore.
Then fly Virgin, I do on the TSV- SYD route where we have exactly the same scenario, QF will only offer Jetstar direct and make you fly via BNE if you want to fly QF, VA offer direct service, easy choice to make.
heslop
heslop
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 16 Feb 2018
Total posts 2
Interesting change this week. Business class fares from MEL to OOL via SYD jumped dramatically from $683.00 to $1452.00 yet economy didn’t. I regularly travel this route and usually cannot make the direct morning service so choose to go via Sydney (and don’t like JQ). Maybe Qantas should offer a direct afternoon service or PAX (like me) will be travelling Virgin, who haven’t incresed their business class fare. I booked just in time at old rate and under the double s/c promotion which pushes me to Platinum, and now will be using the opposition
craigj77
craigj77
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 09 Aug 2016
Total posts 12
Commonwealth Games related maybe?
johnaboxall
johnaboxall
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 24 Aug 2011
Total posts 384
Supply and demand :)
Yaf
Yaf
Member since 02 Nov 2012
Total posts 48
Guess Qantas will loose out as passengers will fly Virgin
henrus
henrus
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 23 Oct 2013
Total posts 765
The change is not just supply and demand or comms games related but actually, a change they've implemented with the base fare (possibly to stop hidden city ticketing).
mviy
mviy
Member since 05 May 2016
Total posts 322
Hmmm. I'm seeing much higher pricing than previously for e.g. MEL-BNE-CNS too. Hope this is just a temporary thing. MEL-BNE-CNS was my favourite status run route. If this pricing holds then it won't be the attractive option it was anymore.
GBRGB
GBRGB
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 21 Jan 2014
Total posts 295
Then fly Virgin, I do on the TSV- SYD route where we have exactly the same scenario, QF will only offer Jetstar direct and make you fly via BNE if you want to fly QF, VA offer direct service, easy choice to make.
brinkers
brinkers
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 16 Jun 2011
Total posts 233
It sounds as though they may have removed MEL-SYD-OOL as a valid routing for the MEL-OOL fare.