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For a decade it was unheard of to see roundtrip fares to Southeast Asia for under $600. I don’t even bother sharing fares to Europe unless they’re under $500… preferably under $400.
When I first started seeing deep discount international fares popping up last year, I worried they were mistake fares that might not be honored by the airline. But they’re not.
Major airlines are facing:
- Economic challenges and greater uncertainty. There’s Brexit and terrorism, and that’s all on top of issues faced by Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain.
- New competition from low cost carriers. Norwegian and Wow Air, and even LEVEL and Primera, are driving down transatlantic fares.
- Low fuel costs. Airlines are competing aggressively and are able to make money in lower revenue environments.
Copyright: zhukovsky / 123RF Stock Photo
Against this backdrop what we’re seeing are very short term deep discount fares because airlines have a hard time telling the difference between business and leisure travelers and charging them different prices.
Airlines are doing their best to figure out how to price in a way that picks up the cheap leisure travelers who won’t buy at a higher price, without offering tickets to price inelastic business travelers for less than they’d otherwise be willing to pay — and the old ways of doing it don’t work anymore. So with a quick price drop they pick up ‘excess’ leisure business without cannibalizing higher fare purchases too much.
Here’s a great example via Fly 4 Free: Washington Dulles to Kuala Lumpur and back from Bangkok from $396 for travel this fall.
Petronas Towers from the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Here’s an itinerary found with airfare metasearch site Momondo traveling on United partner and Star Alliance member ANA.
I love both Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok, they’re two of my favorite food cities in the world. KL for prawn mee soup, satay, and durian (in nearby Singapore I’ll grab laksa, chili crab, and char kway teow). Bangkok for food both at the high and low end as well.
Visit both cities and book a cheap ticket between them, figure about $55 for the 750 mile flight (or redeem 15,000 British Airways Avios for Malaysia Airlines business class if you prefer).
Or if you’d rather just fly in and out of Kuala Lumpur that’s cheap too:
Add a stopover in Tokyo and you’re still under $500 roundtrip.
I’m planning a Japan trip soon myself using 120,000 Virgin Atlantic miles to fly ANA first class.
I know many readers want business class sales, it’s a long way to go in coach, but this is clearly the golden age of air travel.
I could really use anyone’s help. I have eight System Wide Upgrades that will expire January 2018. I have only had three short domestic trips on AA since January 2017. I need $12,000 EQDs and 100,000 EQM before December 2017. I could NOT take advantage of the QR $1,800 business fares to SIN (because I was employed and could not take 7 days off) and keep hoping for another one to come out but none has appeared. My consulting assignment just ended and I have time at this moment. But I am ready to travel on OneWorld this week or next week to any destination in the world and can be gone a week or whatever it takes BUT want to pay only $2,000 to $3,000 maximum (I want to keep costs down since I am unemployed right now) to get the maximum EQDs and EQMs that I can. I know. I know. Impossible man. What are you talking about man. $2k-$3k will get me incrementally closer to 12k EQD spend but not there. But it is step 1. Maybe a nested trip? Maybe two back-to-back trips? Think outside of the box. I am smart and know how to search and search all the time. BUT you are smarter than I am and you know things I do not and you have experience I do not. Would you be so kind as to help me out with a few suggestions for travel on OneWorld, preferably on AA metal with SWU availability, maximizing EQD and EQM? Please? Thank you so much in advance.
Please keep posting economy fares. Even though we love business class, some of us still fly mostly coach.
Where would you credit these miles Gary?
I’d probably credit to Aegean (preferred) or Copa for 50% mileage earning
“I know many readers want business class sales” yea while some people here probably fly long haul economy I would think the bulk of your readers are more interested in business class sales for such a long haul, because seriously I’m not sitting in economy on a long flight like that. Economy flights from east coast of US to europe maybe if its like 7 hours or less but anything longer and it just becomes painful.
Economy fare deals are valuable. Period – Keep posting them, Gary. And yes, long haul flights in economy aren’t fun, but many times necessary when booking awards on a budget. I recently flew 14 hours on Korean Air from ICN to ATL. Thankful for their super courteous staff!
“this is clearly the golden age of air travel” then why on earth do you spend so much time whining about the wrongs visited upon you by evil, spiteful, stupid, racist airlines?
Gary
Thx for your post am a senior citizen.need to fly to Delhi in Dec.hard to get business flt on miles.can’t fly economy at this age and time. Any suggestions
Very thankful in advance
Love your posts
Any good round trip economy tickets for avg or day to mnl is December?
Spell check got me again. I meant cvg or day to mnl
Is there a way to get economy and then upgrade with points or by paying
An exceptional offering and one that I have taken advantage of, albeit from my home port of Toronto. Sadly the dates seem to be left out of all your screenshots as I’m quite curious when/how/where you found BKK-KUL for $55 on RJ/MH? I’m only seeing those carriers in the +$100 range and consider myself somewhat skilled in the hunt. Thanks for any more detail you might be able to offer.
you found BKK-KUL for $55 on RJ/MH?
Wy do these short cuts mean
Curious!!