IAG pricing on London - Madrid
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,847
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From: Confoederatio Helvetica
Tableview: "It's a little more complex than that." I was referring to a passengers entire journey. Most passengers do not travel one-way. I agree once you bring fare construction and combinability into it the use of ow and 1/2 rt fares ads complexity.
WHBM. Complete and sequential use of coupons has gone to courts in the UK and in the EU numerous times. While some lower courts have ruled that these rules are unenforceable higher courts have always overturned them.
In simple terms the airlines have a price for just about every journey a passenger wishes to take. In this case they have one way prices for one way journeys and they have round trip prices for round trip journeys. While it may not be logical that the first is more expensive than the second it is not within the rights of the passenger to substitute the price for a service he is not using for the service he is.
I agree it is difficult to enforce these provisions, but airlines do take them seriously and will take action if they detect persistent and repeated abuse of their rules.
Have a look at LH's (and LX's) pricing model. One of the first questions you get (not exact wording) is "do you agree to 'complete and sequential use'? If so click here. Do you want the option not to be required to use ticket completely and sequentially? Click here. (if you chose the second option the pricing logic will select the most expensive option - the higher ow fare if applicable, higher intermediate fares, etc.)
This resulted from German Senior courts agreeing with LH that they have the right to require complete and sequential use, but their websites should give the passengers the option. Nobody ever choses the second option, but they are given the choice.
WHBM. Complete and sequential use of coupons has gone to courts in the UK and in the EU numerous times. While some lower courts have ruled that these rules are unenforceable higher courts have always overturned them.
In simple terms the airlines have a price for just about every journey a passenger wishes to take. In this case they have one way prices for one way journeys and they have round trip prices for round trip journeys. While it may not be logical that the first is more expensive than the second it is not within the rights of the passenger to substitute the price for a service he is not using for the service he is.
I agree it is difficult to enforce these provisions, but airlines do take them seriously and will take action if they detect persistent and repeated abuse of their rules.
Have a look at LH's (and LX's) pricing model. One of the first questions you get (not exact wording) is "do you agree to 'complete and sequential use'? If so click here. Do you want the option not to be required to use ticket completely and sequentially? Click here. (if you chose the second option the pricing logic will select the most expensive option - the higher ow fare if applicable, higher intermediate fares, etc.)
This resulted from German Senior courts agreeing with LH that they have the right to require complete and sequential use, but their websites should give the passengers the option. Nobody ever choses the second option, but they are given the choice.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 5,691
Likes: 24
From: Blighty
People - many thanks for the informative posts to my original question, but it's possible that general discussion of the often seen habit of buying a cheap return ticket and not using the 2nd sector is probably best discussed in a thread of its own.
Does anyone have any comments particularly relevant to the London-Madrid route, and IAG's pricing policy ? I'm particularly puzzled as to why there are cheap-ish one-way fares on LCY-MAD but the only one-way tickets for LHR-MAD are in business class, particularly given the existence of flights with Easyjet / Ryanair from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. I can't figure out what kind of market segmentation IAG is trying to achieve by this policy.
Does anyone have any comments particularly relevant to the London-Madrid route, and IAG's pricing policy ? I'm particularly puzzled as to why there are cheap-ish one-way fares on LCY-MAD but the only one-way tickets for LHR-MAD are in business class, particularly given the existence of flights with Easyjet / Ryanair from Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. I can't figure out what kind of market segmentation IAG is trying to achieve by this policy.
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 0
From: Confoederatio Helvetica
David, apologise for the thread drift.
I think the obvious answer is the right answer. i.e. Why do BA/IB charge what they do from LHR? A: Because they can.
If they were experiencing low yields / loads they would do something about it.
I think the obvious answer is the right answer. i.e. Why do BA/IB charge what they do from LHR? A: Because they can.
If they were experiencing low yields / loads they would do something about it.
Last edited by ExXB; 10th September 2012 at 17:18.
