Travelling from Perth to Melbourne for GF, simple solution.

[dean33]

This was brought up last week because it affected Melbourne fans flying over for the prelim. Not like it hasn't affected us for 30 years or anything...

The airlines will gouge, and "hacks" like flying via Sydney or Adelaide or wherever aren't as clever as people make out. Don't be surprised to see the flights of Perth to Sydney, Adelaide, Bali etc. suddenly a lot more expensive than they were a week ago for a select couple of days.

Ok let’s try and understand how airlines sell their seats as they don’t gouge. Say a flight has 250 seats, 50 seats are cheap at say $200, then another 50 at $300, than the next 50 at $400 and so on until you get the last 50 which are the most expensive. Now if you are booking these flights during a busy time all the cheap seats will be long gone so you are left with only expensive ones. Just like flights are more expensive during Xmas, or school holidays. It’s the way all airlines sell their seats world wide and the way it’s always been.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

 

[Scotland]

Ok let’s try and understand how airlines sell their seats as they don’t gouge. Say a flight has 250 seats, 50 seats are cheap at say $200, then another 50 at $300, than the next 50 at $400 and so on until you get the last 50 which are the most expensive. Now if you are booking these flights during a busy time all the cheap seats will be long gone so you are left with only expensive ones. Just like flights are more expensive during Xmas, or school holidays. It’s the way all airlines sell their seats world wide and the way it’s always been.

If you look at booking a flight to Melbourne from Perth for the GF the cheap seats don't exist. If I try and buy a ticket to Melbourne in GF week for the following week it will cost me much less than doing it now for this week.

Going with the $200, $300, $400, $500, $600 model per 50 seats, that's an average of $400 per passenger for a full flight. The airlines always put on extra flights and they could sell 250 seats all at $400, but they don't. They could sell 250 seats at $600 (ie the regular premium), but they don't.

It's profiteering, pure and simple. And the airlines are a business not a charity so they aren't breaking any laws. Just don't expect any sympathy from me when Qantas loses market share to Emirates, Singapore, Etihad etc. and cries foul about it.

 

[Rob]

So this "simple solution" is to go via another city?

As if anyone doesn't know this already?

 

[The Plowking]

Hire a mini bus, have rotating drivers.
Nice piss up on the way there and on the way back, that'd be fun AF

That's the spirit!

 

[dean33]

If you look at booking a flight to Melbourne from Perth for the GF the cheap seats don't exist. If I try and buy a ticket to Melbourne in GF week for the following week it will cost me much less than doing it now for this week.

Going with the $200, $300, $400, $500, $600 model per 50 seats, that's an average of $400 per passenger for a full flight. The airlines always put on extra flights and they could sell 250 seats all at $400, but they don't. They could sell 250 seats at $600 (ie the regular premium), but they don't.

It's profiteering, pure and simple. And the airlines are a business not a charity so they aren't breaking any laws. Just don't expect any sympathy from me when Qantas loses market share to Emirates, Singapore, Etihad etc. and cries foul about it.

The prices I gave were just examples, a fully refundable fully flexible one way flight to Perth would be close to $2000 one way, no one pays that cause there are only a few seats at that price however when you have such high demand you are only going to have those seats left. Airlines have schedules they put into place 12 months in advance, they will very rarely put on extra flights as they don’t have planes just sitting in hangers they can just grab, they generally have to take it off another route.
Look it’s not great having to pay such high prices but airlines aren’t doing it to gouge footy fans I can assure you.

 

[Scotland]

The prices I gave were just examples, a fully refundable fully flexible one way flight to Perth would be close to $2000 one way, no one pays that cause there are only a few seats at that price however when you have such high demand you are only going to have those seats left. Airlines have schedules they put into place 12 months in advance, they will very rarely put on extra flights as they don’t have planes just sitting in hangers they can just grab, they generally have to take it off another route.
Look it’s not great having to pay such high prices but airlines aren’t doing it to gouge footy fans I can assure you.

I can get to Melbourne on a fully flexible fare for $1300 in November just from a quick search.

Cost me more than that to get a non flexible ticket in 2005. How many people do you think buy $2000+ return airfares Perth to Melbourne other than for the AFL GF?

 

[dean33]

I can get to Melbourne on a fully flexible fare for $1300 in November just from a quick search.

Cost me more than that to get a non flexible ticket in 2005. How many people do you think buy $2000+ return airfares Perth to Melbourne other than for the AFL GF?

There are different tiers of fully flex fares. Companies if they need to send an employee interstate and have no other choice will put them on a high fully flex fare. I’m telling you, airlines don’t just make up new airfares because it’s the grand final or Melbourne is playing in Perth, these airfares are locked in the previous year.

 

[Scotland]

There are different tiers of fully flex fares. Companies if they need to send an employee interstate and have no other choice will put them on a high fully flex fare. I’m telling you, airlines don’t just make up new airfares because it’s the grand final or Melbourne is playing in Perth, these airfares are locked in the previous year.

You're also telling me that the airlines don't put on extra flights. Given I have been on an extra flight put on specifically for the GF I have my reservations about what you are telling me.

 

[Power Raid]

call in the air force

 

[CertIV]

Perth people complaining about Perth things.

Who would hav thought it.

 

[fairfooty]

Yeah, done a road trip from Perth to Brissy before and it can be taxing. If you have a good group and stick to a nice schedule it'd be great, but by God that drive back if eagles lose would be a long and miserable one.

Take it from me, the drive back to Adelaide last year was pretty grim - let alone across the Nullabor to Perth... but hopefully it won't be grim...

 

[Tas]

I guess the airlines feel West Coast supporters will pay whatever price Eagles ask for a membership, they might as well get on that good thing and charge whatever they like as well.

I expect the supporters to be at the airport, booing all the way to Melbourne.

 

[dean33]

You're also telling me that the airlines don't put on extra flights. Given I have been on an extra flight put on specifically for the GF I have my reservations about what you are telling me.

I said they generally don’t, occasionally they will however not usually. Believe me or not, I’ve been in the industry for over 15 years.

 

[Rotayjay]

Driving across the continent and the desert stretches after a grand final loss ... **** that! I would rather pay the extra for non-direct flights, whatever I could afford. The petrol of a round trip between Perth and Melbourne in a family car would be how much? Surely $800 at the very least.

 

[demondavey]

Stay home, we’re full.

Or maybe people actually might be interested in going to watch you get flogged?

 

[Adz]

Or maybe people actually might be interested in going to watch you get flogged?

So bitter.

 

[demondavey]

Yeah but you have stop driving at night when crossing the Nullabor plain or risk having your vehicle taken out by a roo.

3500 kms is a long long way..

 

[demondavey]

So bitter.

 

[maskmcgee]

you know there's a train for like 50$?

 

[demondavey]

$1500 for a return flight Perth-Melbourne is disgusting. I leave for Europe on Sunday, for return flights AND accommodation for 5 nights in Amsterdam, I paid $1400 total.



Can't imagine it being all that more cheaper. Maybe a few hundred dollars.

You are a rat. I am jealous and want to go to Amsterdam and oggle hot Dutch women, smoke pot and drink incredibly large glasses of beer.

 

[demondavey]

you know there's a train for like 50$?

How long would that take?

 

[eddiesmith]

you know there's a train for like 50$?

Where?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Hire a mini bus, have rotating drivers.
Nice piss up on the way there and on the way back, that'd be fun AF

Lol

It’d be fun for about an hour. After that, *in shocking.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

If you are keen to drive however, do yourself a favour and fly to Adelaide. Return flights from Perth can be had for around $500 I think.

Hire your minivan in Adelaide and drive from there. It’s a totally comfortable eight hour trip and you’ll be very glad you did it that way.