Astronomical year-end airfares

[EADG]

Has anyone noticed the cost of flying within Asia and from Asia to the US (and probably elsewhere but I have checked) is exponentially higher than the usual high-season spike? I'm talking mid-December to end-December.

Of course if you book early prices are cheaper blah blah but I've done this for years and never seen prices like these.

It seems as though everything's been moved one decimal point to the right...

.

[Asdracles]

Agree.... I was wondering if I would go to Europe in December, but price is more than double that the amount that I paid last year (and I booked around this time too)

But 10 times is .....

Maybe companies are trying to recover after the volcano earlier this year...

[EADG]

Good point re trying to recover.

I think most people would end up doing staycations and not incur the expense at all, causing the airlines to loose even more money from lost business.

[nakatago]

That's unbelievable! My ANA tickets for Singapore to DC ~1900 SGD...





...booked in August.

[BigSis]

My sister-in-law is coming over for Christmas and her tickets cost about GBP900 with SIA but I checked loads of airlines and they were all around that price,. I know it's usually an expensive time to fly but they do seem more expensive than usual.

[Plavt]

Try this site, found fares well under the prices you mentioned;

http://www.tripadvisor.com

snapshot on 30 October (don't if it will work when you see it but the SIA fare there is £569);

http://www.tripadvisor.com/CheapFlights?roundtrip=yes&Orig=LON&leaveday=07&leavemonth=12%2F2010&leavetime=anytime&Dest=SIN&retday=19&retmonth=01%2F2011&rettime=anytime&adults=1

[x9200]

I don't see such high prices. Just tried zuji (not the cheapest and not my favorite) and ANA to NY a week before Christmas, back directly after new year - prices ~2500 for economy (mid Dec - end Dec , ANA ~4500, Delta, Emirates ~2500). Same to Europe - nothing really surprising, just a normal seasonal increase.

[BigSis]

I also think that fares from Europe to here are higher than from here to Europe - perhaps it is the same for the USA too.

[Asdracles]

Well, last year I booked SG-BCN-SG for 1300+ SGD. The booking was done early November with Singapore Airlines and the trip was something like en November-26 Dec.

Now same trip with SQ would be 2300+, with any other airline I can get it for 2000+.

Well, not double, but still a big difference.

But I guess it depends on the route, the demand, the PSI, the last NBA results, the previous night TOTO lucky numbers and all other parameters needed to calculate airfares

[anneteoh]

In the UK, as from 1 November, the govt's imposing a new aviation tax, as part of the 'green' development plan. Airfares for a family of four will be increased by about 340 GBP for the standard seats and 680GBP for legroom. They hope to raise something to the effect of 3.6 billion GBP from air passengers for the inland revenue. Easy money, come to think of it.
The fares hike bolted down without warning, but did anyone think they'll leave us the free air? For until now, I had believed at least we'll always have free air, unlike water, gas and electricity.
This will curtail family holidays and visits to families, it's said, but does anyone know how much tax they're paying for flying?
I paid 860 GBP for a SIA London - SG return high season flight in 2008 , but with the SIA's new air bus, which was about 580 GBP London-SG return then, I guess I need just pay the same post-November 1 2010, which will be 860 GBP?
Hopefully somethings never change. Or was the Air Bus the SIA's cutting edge economic projection ahead of time?

[carteki]

Haven't looked at long-haul airfares this year, but the daily rag just announced that Changi are upping their passenger fees too

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, it was on the tube last night as well. They will be upping the passenger taxes as well as the landing fees for airlines. This will add around $3 to the passenger tax and who knows how much to the cost of the airline ticket itself as the landing fees will be increased by about 15%. This will hurt the budget airlines the worst.

[Strong Eagle]

Yeah, it was on the tube last night as well. They will be upping the passenger taxes as well as the landing fees for airlines. This will add around $3 to the passenger tax and who knows how much to the cost of the airline ticket itself as the landing fees will be increased by about 15%. This will hurt the budget airlines the worst.

Turns out the charges are pretty complex... can't just drop in a get a price.

[Bart18]

My problem is getting back, the airfare is double the price going out.

Maybe I should try and get on an A 380, with a left hand wing seat!!!

[anneteoh]

My problem is getting back, the airfare is double the price going out.

Maybe I should try and get on an A 380, with a left hand wing seat!!!

Is it worth checking out Air Asia?