Stupid Air NZ Sale

cloudy on 29/04/2013 - 20:28

Ok, this is more of a rant than discussion, but has a discussion point.

So I have a wedding to attend to in Auckland, a few friends are taking advantage of the break to travel down by car to Wellington before jetting back.
So the plan is/was to melb to Auckland on the 17th
Return wellington to melb on the 23rd.

I booked flights on jetstar to melb to Auckland already since there was a sale for $130. So all I need is Wellington to melb flights back.

Today I got a air NZ sale email, I mocked a booking melb to wellington return flights, 17th returning 23rd, the total was 260 bucks, I saw the return flight, at 109 bucks, and thought, brilliant. I'll just grab the Wellington to melb flight, 109 bucks is brilliant. But when I try to book the Wellington to melb back, as a one way ticket, it's 260 bucks…..there is no sale price, for the exact same flight.

Is that just stupid, or ami missing something.

Edit: the month im travelling is in October, fyi

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Comments

  • YadaYadaYada on 29/04/2013 - 20:43

    Usually the flight coming back is assuming that it's a return leg when it shows you the ticket prices.

    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but if you book a one way back home, then you'll be paying departure taxes and what not.

    I encountered the same thing when I tried booking one way tickets from Japan through Jetstar from Sydney - Tokyo, Osaka - Sydney a few years back. If you just looked at the flights return, you'd get one price on the return leg that was cheap, but if you booked the leg as a single flight it was quite expensive (like double the price). So I got around it by booking on the phone, as a multi-leg flight, so I got charged the cheaper fare.

    But I would assume that this only works if you book both legs with the same airline for international travel.

  • robbyjones on 29/04/2013 - 22:07

    From my experience, this is a common occurrence with all airlines all over the world. My son wanted to fly from Japan to Phuket, the flight went via Bangkok, booked right through was $1200, booked as separate sectors (exact same flights) $650. The only risk was if the flight out of Japan was delayed and he missed his connection it was on his head and the airline had no obligation to get him on the next flight. When he checked in in Japan they even checked his baggage all the way through. Seems dumb to me too but worth the extra effort in my book.

  • Luminary on 30/04/2013 - 08:52

    I don't know the technicalities or reason but usually buying a return flight is always cheaper than buying the two legs separately as one way flights.

  • battler on 30/04/2013 - 09:37

    try also looking/booking on the .co.nz website. it has worked out cheaper for me in the past.

  • altomic on 30/04/2013 - 12:36

    expedia.co.jp $176 with a stop over in auckland.

    the stop over in auckland is for quite a while.

    http://tinyurl.com/clsba6n

    • cloudy on 30/04/2013 - 15:22

      thanks, yea i did notice flying from Well - Auck - Melb is cheaper than direct, but for the extra 4 hours i'd pay extra, i just found it so silly 2 flights costs almost the same as 1.

      • RockyRaccoon on 30/04/2013 - 16:06

        Did you check another day?

        If these are cheaper, then its probably due to a demand for that flight/day. Rugby team flying, NZ school holiday start?

        Generally Jetstar isnt like the regular airlines where a one-way is often the same price as a return.

        Also this maybe the time to check out if a FF ticket might be a good deal, although that's only if its the same price on other days.

        • cloudy on 01/05/2013 - 17:37

          The few a days around it had sales if booking by return trip, but one way isn't. Not sure if it's rugby days, but it seems like it's not, coz it's sale fare, advertised by air nz.

        • RockyRaccoon on 01/05/2013 - 19:17
          +1

          Then it could be a sale targeted at Aussies.

          1. NZers are all coming here, so one way from NZ might be the higher price.
          2. This is typical of a number of airlines. Going to LA with virgin, its often cheaper to fly from Auckland via Sydney with Virgin than from Sydney to LA also with Virgin.

          They dont want their own people getting the fares.

          Unless of course one way from Aussie to NZ with Air NZ isnt cheap…

          Alternatively you could pick a return from Aussie to NZ with Air NZ with these cheap flights, say 6 months in the future and make a second trip over there sometime then picking up a cheap jetstar return

  • emiko on 10/05/2013 - 08:58

    I have noticed when you book airnz flight. If you booked via .co.nz is cheaper than book .com.au.
    But .co.nz have to pay nz currency.

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