Air China Meh Website / and Aeroplane Ticket Price Algorhythms

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airchina.com

• 

  stirlo on 03/12/2024 - 00:08

  +1

  Website constantly times out

  Qantas is like this too. All airlines sites are terrible. I use Google Flights to search and get prices then book once I know exactly what I want.

  Does anybody know how airline ticket pricing works?

  Traditionally they have "buckets" of fares for each flight. The first 10 tickets for $=X then the next 10 $=X+50. Then 10 more at $=X+100 and so on. When the fare bucket is sold out they move up to the new more expensive bucket.
  If you're seeing a sudden price jump you just got unlucky and the last tickets in that bucket sold to someone else (or system has reserved those tickets for your failed booking) just as you were about to buy them.

  • 

    ryefig on 03/12/2024 - 09:29

    or system has reserved those tickets for your failed booking

    It is most likely this. This happens all the time with Malaysia airlines who hold your fare in the background for some time, meaning when you try to rebook often its the next 'bucket' available.

    OP give it 30 minutes or so and try again. You will probably find that your original prices have come back.
    Alternatively, try and call the contact centre who may be able to give you a booking reference number for your search and you can log into the "Manage booking" section of the website to make the payment and confirm your flights.

    Also, agree with your observations on the website. I have booked on China Southern (a different Chinese airlines) and their website is thoroughly awful from booking and searching to managing booking.

    • 

      CalmLemons on 03/12/2024 - 11:30

      Tried all methods in last 24 hours.

      Looks like just a bucket system, not holding the fares, not tracking cookies.

      The matrix like fare screen they give you is like some maths puzzle solving question where you try to find the relationship between the squares.

      Feel like the message is fk you lol

• 

  morse on 03/12/2024 - 05:30

  +1

  If you're seeing a sudden price jump you just got unlucky and the last tickets in that bucket sold to someone else

  Not necessarily. Jetstar used to jack up the price if you looked and didn’t book straight away. This is 10-15 years ago. A private browser used to be all it took to get the original price. Might be worth a try OP.

  Although old school, a good travel agent can sometimes be useful. Especially if you quote the prices and dates you’ve seen.

• 

  Duckie2hh on 03/12/2024 - 10:45

  a good travel agent can sometimes be useful

  I see less and less value that they can provide. Especially with the added risk of the travel agents going bankrupt and you losing your shirt, pants and shoes on the "missing" tickets.

  • 

    YetAnotherChris on 08/12/2024 - 00:15

    Travel agents like Flight Center are about as useful as the lowest tier of dodgy OTAs like GoToGate when shit goes wrong. Ten bucks off aint worth the heartache unless its a low cost carrier in the EU where you have statutory protection, or the flight is tomorrow and there's no bankruptcy risk.

    Google Flights and Kiwi are both using ITA Matrix which is all travel agents are using to find the cheap flights.

• 

  Davo1111 on 03/12/2024 - 10:55

  Algorhythms.

  Badum Tish

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  wots on 03/12/2024 - 11:02

  The Chinese have never really used traditional websites and embraced mobile apps, particularly WeChat and Alipay (airlines have mini apps). Chinese airlines’ websites are primarily designed for foreign travelers, and tnot a priority. I like using Trip.com for booking Chinese flights. It’s a Chinese travel agency that offers good integration with Chinese airlines. I was able to select my seats directly from the Trip.com app as well. Never interacted with the airline's app or site.

  • 

    CalmLemons on 03/12/2024 - 20:59

    +1

    omg thank you. the trip.com way was much easier lol. the integration was spot on as you said. they even do that annoying thing with their apps like temu with the bogus vouchers and discount paying through the app. lol

    • 

      wots on 08/12/2024 - 07:51

      Trip.com is also often the cheaper option for hotels in China, especially after booking a flight through them (flyer discount). I booked my whole China trip with them, including trains. And a recent booking for a hotel Melbourne, again cheaper in their app even though google hotels showed the same price as other online travel agents. As soon as you’re in their app an extra discount appears lol

  • 

    CalmLemons on 07/12/2024 - 22:07

    Does anyone know how easy it is to upgrade to business class at the airport if the ticket is booked through trip.com?

    • 

      itx on 07/12/2024 - 23:15

      +1

      Doesn't affect it either way for check in counter and departure gate upgrades - within 24 hours of departure, control of the ticket moves from the agent to the airport/airline check in desk.

  • 

    YetAnotherChris on 08/12/2024 - 00:27

    Ctrip (Trip's parent company) sometimes has airfare discounts that Trip and the airline websites don't have, and that aren't pushed to ITA Matrix.

    Their english web and app interfaces for Ctrip are even worse than the airlines, and the chinese miniapp is the most buggy and consumer hostile UX shitshow I've ever encountered. But you can often save fifty or so bucks wading through it.

    I also use Ctrip for HSR because 12306 (app, page, miniapp) doesn't work 99% of the time through the great firewall or with a tunnelled sim card and noone can be arsed to fix it. With 12306 I have to book train tickets after I arrive when I get a local sim at the airport.

    • 

      CalmLemons on 09/12/2024 - 19:12

      Does anybody know with the seat selection whether to actually do it in economy? Party of 5, not really an issue if everyone seats separate but having 5 people separated is a bit weird.

      Anyway to tell or just rock up to the airport early.

      Seat seleciton shows 60% of the seats haven't been chosen yet.