Cheap Flights

[anniswan]

Specials have come out today from qantas and VB, check out http://www.flightcentre.com.au/

Bugger, the fares are $40 less than I paid on Sat night.

[Grant]

Its for travel between 12 october and 16 december though, bugger.

[anniswan]

Strange how the flights I booked on Sat night are now cheaper with the specials that came out. Weird!!!!!!

[Grant]

That is weird,and i am still surprised there is $168 return with decent travel times,still available...

[j s]

Originally posted by anniswan
Strange how the flights I booked on Sat night are now cheaper with the specials that came out. Weird!!!!!!

It's all to do with "yield analysis". Ideally the airlines want every plane to take off with every seat filled at the highest price possible. An airline seat is the ultimate perishable good. Once the flight takes off an empty seat has no value whatsoever.

So, initially the only offer some cheap seats and hold back whatever number they predict the can sell later at a higher price. As you get closer to the flight date they re-evaluate their predictions which can sometimes lead to the release of more cheap seats.

Airlines spend a lot of money on "yield analysis" and the methods they use are amongst their most closely guarded secrets.

[Cher]

Flights home on Monday are now cheaper than when I checked them last night.

[j s]

They were probably holding seats back in case the bummers were playing in Sydney.