ans Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I'm confused, which is easily done, but not on this scale. I'm going away in January for a few days and I just phoned Euromanx to get flight times and prices for two adults to Liverpool. Dunno why, but their website doesn't work for me, so bleh I had to talk to someone. Anyway, I gave him the details and the conversation went like this Him: "There are flights available on that date at 0720, 0945 and 1145" Me: "Ok, I need to check to see which of those times works best for me and my arrangements on the other side. Can you just confirm there is availability on all of them and the price please?" Him: "Yes, there are seats on all of them and the price <clickety click> is £62 each return" Me: "Ok, but I only want a single as I'm returning by boat" Him: "One second <clickety click> that will be £82 each" Me: "Ummm. The single is more expensive than the return?" Him: "Yes sir, that's correct" Me: "So it's cheaper for me to buy a return ticket and then just not turn up for the second part?" "Him: "That's right" Me:"......" I asked him this same question a few times, in different words, and every time he confirmed that it was indeed cheaper to book a return journey than a single. WHY? I mean, I know they're only going to sell my unused return to someone on standby on the day, but surely they can't be relying on that as normal business practice? I was so stunned by what appears to be gross stupidity, I rang off without asking him to email me the details but just wtf is going on? Has this guy made a mistake or is this right? This is, of course, aside from the fact that it will cost me £164 for 2x single tickets to go to an airport where I could walk up to another flight desk and get myself on a plane to a number of European destinations for less than twenty quid. Robbing shylocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Going anywhere nice Ans? If I wasn't so busy working for NASA I'd come with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 phoned Euromanx to get flight times and prices for two adults to Liverpool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Flying or sailing, makes no difference. You may as well bend over and take it up the ar*e. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Seems to be some kind of marketing type thingymajig Single or Return Tickets "Many of the cheap companies just calculate flight-by-flight, singles generally costing half the price of a return. (RyanAir used to follow the stupid British ticket marketing system you also find for trains and coaches, of having very expensive single tickets compared to pretty cheap returns – totally ridiculous – but they too have now abandoned this)." Source: http://www.shef.ac.uk/q/quechua/travel/ukcheap.htm#Airfares I've had the same argument with a smiling ticket muppet at train stations accross the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Git Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I just tried their website for 2 travelling out on 15 Jan Single one way journey is £164.00 for 2 Return ticket, out on 15 Jan, coming back on 18 Jan is £126.00 for 2 Does seem mighty odd Edit to add - their booking page seems to consume a huge amount of CPU resources and makes my mouse all jittery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy One Mate Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Ans I am afraid I had exactly the same experience with them and the reason I was given was that I was getting the return on the lowest price available but the single was being priced out at the highest seat price allocation available. Does that make sense??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Course even if you book a return, the tw4ts will oversell the flight anyway on the hope that not everyone's coming back, and you'll be bunged on standby when everyone does indeed show up for the flight they booked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideways Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Emerald Airways are cheaper and i didn`t have any probs with paying for a single instead of return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 A few weeks ago I was in London and was desperate to get home so I went to Gatwick and gave the the usual 'ill granny, got to get home NOW' story. It was a sunday and I wasn't booked on until monday. The granny story worked and I was given a new ticket, 1st class and a £207 charge. Well there was no way I was paying that for a one way ticket even if it was 1st class. I embellished the granny story a bit further and made out I was going to start weeping. That did the trick, they reduced it to £39 AND told me I could still use the 1st class lounge! Bargain. What's my point? It is this. I'm glad I didn't pay £207 one way because BA's 1st class service to the Isle of Man is crap. All I got was a few free cups of tea, a sunday Times and the Air hostess let me grope her arse. That last bit is made up, but had I have paid the extra £168 then that's the kind of service I'd be looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barby Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 This single versus return pricing is pretty common Here's one to shock you IOM to Bordeaux Depart 06:50 20 January Return 27 January Return Adult Fare 143.20 Including Taxes IOM to Bordeaux Depart 06:50 20 January One way Adult Fare 548.20 Including Taxes British Airways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 Emerald Airways are cheaper and i didn`t have any probs with paying for a single instead of return. Awesome! Total for all passengers £ 37.00 That's for both adults. Thanks for tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 The Eurotunnel day return is currently about £39. So clever-b~llocks books a day return, stays several days in France and then books another day return to get back. Eurotunnel are now legally hounding him for the difference between the two fares. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Old Git Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Eurotunnel are now legally hounding him for the difference between the two fares. And yet they allow immigrants to travel for free Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breadbin Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 A few weeks ago I was in London and was desperate to get home so I went to Gatwick and gave the the usual 'ill granny, got to get home NOW' story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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