socialworker

HI--Am I the only one who is somewhat aghast at the fact that buying 2 seats on a flight can cost more than buying each seat individually? To make it a little clearer, I was looking at the price of tickets for a particular LAX-BOS itinerary. One seat was $512 RT, for the cheapest non-stops. When I increased that to 2 seats, the cheapest price available became $582-- for each seat--for the identical flights.

My husband and I have had to buy tickets before simultaneously on different computers for a flight where there were only a few seats left on a particular flight, and the site would not let us buy 2 tickets together, but would sell 2 individual seats.. However, this situation of the price being higher b/c one wants a larger quantity of the product being sold seems to be rather unfair. I know it is supply and demand, but I just wondered if others were aware, and I was just late to catch on.

MikeT

Maybe ticket 1 is $512, but it's the last ticket at the price, thus $582 is the cost of ticket 2.

Suki

I never knew that. I guess it is the market at work. Thanks for pointing it out.

socialworker

I see your point, Mike, but by that logic, if they were being fair, then they should not charge me $582 for *both*. One should be $512 and the other $582.

MikeT

It's pretty standard to price the entire packaage of tickets at the higher price.

AAFrequentFlyer

Each airline sells tickets according to what fare codes are available.

If there was only one (let's call it) a Q fare at $100, and the next fare code available was a S fare code for $200, then the agent/computer will combine the 2 and sell you 2 tickets for $150 each.

The problem with the system, on occasion, whether delibrate or not, I'm not sure but the agent/computer may look at the same fare codes for both tickets, thus charging you $400, while the 1 $100 fare is still available.

Remember the first rule of plane tickets. Not all seats in the same cabin are sold at the same price!!!

With that in mind it should be easy to understand how this pricing anomoly happens.

socialworker

HI--of course I know that not all tickets in the cabin are the same price. However, it is not always the case that one is getting the *last* ticket at a certain fare code, b/c my husband and I have bought tickets simultaneously, but in different transactions and both received the lower price. If there were really only one ticket available at the lower fare, one of us would have been charged the higher fare and this has not happened to us....

My theory is that when they know that you want 2 tickets, and the tickets are in somewhat short supply the price goes up, whereas the singleton still gets the low price....

joan

I have noticed that too, socialworker. Sometimes you are forced to buy the tix individually to get the lower price. Whenever I shop for air tickets online, I always put in "one" no matter what, then when I actually buy, I change it to the multiple number, checking to see if the price is still the same.

I've also noticed: if you buy two tix together, and one person has to change/cancel, the entire itinerary for both persons must be cancelled. So it is often prudent to buy tickets individually anyway, especially if they're bargain price in an expensive market.

ms_go

AAFF - can you have two passengers with different fare bases on the same PNR? I was of the impression you can't, but I don't really have a lot of experience with that. The one time I tried something like that (international child's fare), it had to be booked as a separate PNR. Just curious...

tracys2cents

It's pretty standard, like Mike said, but it's also very unfair. Especially when these sites, these days, keep advertising that you get their lowest available fare online.

I imagine you could buy the two seats, then argue that one was actually available at a lower price and they would have to change it for you because of their low-fare guarantee.

ms_go

I had to call United this morning to confirm a schedule change, so I asked about this out of curiosity. All passengers on a single PNR must have the same itinerary and the same fare basis -- i.e., you can't combine a passenger with a lower fare (e.g., V) and a passenger with a higher fare (e.g., M) in one record. So if you are searching for a party of two, the system will default to the fare class that has two seats available. If you want to book a lower fare for one of the passengers, it will need to be on a separate record.

Suki

I really found this discussion interesting because I was completely unaware of this practice. Thanks for clarifying with the airline, Ms Go.

MaureenB

I ran into this same problem when buying three RT tickets to NYC. I ended up buying them each individually, having three browser windows open on my computer at the same time, with United Airlines website, so I could purchase the tickets almost simultaneously. It worked, but it made for a couple of anxious moments, as I was concerned I wouldn't get all three of us on the same flights.

Airfare prices constantly annoy me. They are completely unpredictable. Sometimes changing literally while you're buying the ticket. Not user-friendly in the least.

tracys2cents

Tickets purchased by credit card can be changed or cancelled within 24 hours with no penalties. At least that's the law in MY state. So if you buy two tickets, then go back into the system and price one ticket and it comes out cheaper than what you paid, you can call the airline, cancel and re-book one of the tickets on a separate itinerary.