Why Some Flight Routes Produce Unreasonably Expensive Airfares

May 22, 2011
Esma Holden

Getting the Cheapest Airfare can Involve Thinking Outside the Square - Plane Geezer

Ever wonder why the flight or series of flights that you want are wildly expensive? It could be because no single airfare exists for it.

Not every route that can be flown has an affordable airfare attached to it. For example, a complicated itinerary may produce a completely unreasonable airfare. This is because behind the scenes, that total may be made up of two or more individual airfares. As illogical as it seems, it may work out cheaper to do the same itinerary but include a few more stopovers, fly an alternative airline and purchase a return ticket when you only need a one-way airfare.

Routing Restrictions on Airfares

Sometimes it can be hard to understand why you cannot just fly direct between A and B. This is because airlines need to maximize profitability and even though it may seem illogical, this is achieved by traveling out of the way to collect more passengers.

For example, a flight between Auckland and London that flies via Seoul, Korea and which involves an overnight stay, is often cheaper than a direct flight. In fact, direct flights commonly attract a premium even though technically, they probably cost less. This is because demand for direct flights is greater. No one wants to stop over unless they absolutely have to. If there is a choice, most people will pay more to get between A and B as quickly as possible.

Flight Number Restrictions on Airfares

Ever wonder why you can’t just fly any flight number you choose? Sometimes specific flight numbers are restricted based on where the ticket is being purchased, the combination of flights being purchased, and whether the airline is the operating carrier or a codeshare flight.

Airlines usually work within alliances to reach destinations that they don’t fly to themselves. This is how an airline can cater to the greatest number of passengers, even if the airline does not service the destinations themselves.

For example, when flying between Sydney and Buenos Aires on Aerolineas Argentinas, any domestic Australia travel must use Virgin Blue and any domestic travel in Argentina must use only Aerolineas or Austral Lineas Aereas.

Airfare Rules and Cost Vary by Place of Purchase

Not all airfares are created equally. For example, an airfare that governs a route sold domestically can vary from an airfare sold from overseas, for the same route. For example, a London to Auckland airfare on Singapore airlines is twice the cost when purchased from New Zealand as it is when purchased from the U.K. This is because airlines decide where they want to sell seats from when setting their airfares.

Sometimes it is cheaper to buy a return airfare than it is to buy a one-way airfare. For example, the cost of purchasing a one-way ticket on Lufthansa airlines between Frankfurt and Manchester can be up to five times more expensive than buying a one-way ticket. It can work out to buy the return airfare and only use the first coupon.

How to Avoid Expensive Airfares

Airfares are not calculated in the way that a normal person would expect. The most direct route is rarely the cheapest even though it might be the shortest. A return ticket can be cheaper than a one-way airfare, and some seats on an aircraft are likely to be sold by other airlines.