Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Airfare Differences

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Airfare Differences

Flight booked through Delta website costs $995.92. Same flight through flights.com costs $516.00. Why the big difference? Waht am I missing?

The "fare basis" is almost surely different. Why do the same "physical seats" have a different fare basis? Market forces, and voodoo. Best wishes, Rex

Have you used flight.com before to book flights? This is the first I have heard of them.

I have used them quite a lot, and have found them to be substantially cheaper than other sites, however, you must take into consideration their hidden costs.....like charging you to use a credit card when purchasing tickets, as well as not showing you the taxes and fees up front. Other than that. I found there services to be reliable, and pleasant.

Flights.com (formerly TISS), is a consolidator based in Germany that has offices in a number of countries. They only sell tickets for flights that depart from countries that they have offices in, and you have to deal directly with those offices. They also only deal with airlines that they are able to negotiate special deals with. We have used them twice, both times for unusual routings involving one-ways. We have found them to be reliable and much cheaper than anyone else for our routings. Yes, there are inconveniences (such as the credit card fee already mentioned), but we think it's worth it.

Trying to figure out the ratrional and nuances of airfare pricing belies logical thinking...one just need to familarize themselves with this little airline quirks... and work with them or around them as best one can ..or as best on can understand them... Riddle me this...yesterday I was priced a $703 fare to Frankfurt from SLC...on Delta via JFK...while at the same time Lufthansa will fly you nonstop from LAX to FRA for $576.....Go figure ??

There is a dart board in every airline executive conference room and and instead of scores they have prices. Then the executives through darts to determine prices.

guy - - it's all about market forces and competitive forces.

Rex, you're even beginning to get to me, now, and I've been ignoring all the posts that take aim at you. This pious mantra of "market forces" and "competitive forces" -- do you think that actually explains one thing? Or just makes you sound knowledgeable? Frankly, another way of saying that is that they charge what they charge because they can get away with it. Prices are higher from mid-sized airports because of a _lack_ of competition or real, fair market. Prices are higher over "peak periods" and for certain ranges of advance purchase and certain classes of service because travellers don't balk at the higher fares. Prices are lower when there are, indeed, competitors for the same group of passengers but _also_ as fall-back when the plane isn't quite full. But after all is said and done, airlines are in search of the same obscene level of profits most other industries have come to expect. Passengers and the market don't set the rates; they get the rates executives and shareholders demand. Rex, I think you need a better hobby to fill all those hours you no longer practice medicine.

<<Prices are higher from mid-sized airports because of a _lack_ of competition>> In other words, there is more competition to get passengers from LAX to Europe than there is to get passengers from SLC to Europe. In other words - - "competitive forces" - - isn't that what Rex was saying? <<Prices are higher... ...because travellers don't balk at the higher fares>> In other words, price elasticity varies from time to time. In other words - - "market forces" - - isn't that what Rex was saying? What about Rex's use of these two phrases was "pious"? What's with this Rex bashing? He was terse, that's all - - doesn't he get bashed for being too verbose half the time? And last of all - - <<airlines are in search of the same obscene level of profits most other industries have come to expect>> What anti-capitalism side of the bed did you wake up on this morning? I suppose you make a living in some industry where there are no "obscene" profits? What do you for a living, BeJees? How much are you over paid? and when are you gonna start giving some of it back to the poor and downtrodden?