Longhaul flights from LHR...cheaper if buying first leg from Zurich...?????

Hazzabee

I am planning a trip to Japan with a friend who will be travelling from Zurich.

He intends to fly BA from ZRH to LHR where I will join him on the next flight LHR to HND.

For some unknown reason, the BA website quotes his return fare as £300 cheaper than mine, even though he is taking more flights. Why is this????? Taxes are about the same - it is the "fare" bit which is significantly less if travelling from Zurich.

bagand96

The way airline pricing works. The market for Switzerland to your destination will be different than the market from London to your destination. So even though so your friend is getting an "extra" flight the fare may be more attractive.

It may work the other way too. You might get it cheaper going LHR-ZRH-HND with Swiss than he can get direct.

Hazzabee

Hmmmm thanks that is is crazy.
I'm considering buying a one way Easyjet ticket to Zurich as it is so much cheaper starting the BA itinerary in Switzerland.
If I do this and buy the same tickets as him and fly BA from Zurich, on the way back would I be able to get off at Heathrow and retrieve my hold luggage?

alanrowell

Hazzabee wrote: »

For some unknown reason, the BA website quotes his return fare as £300 cheaper than mine

Hardly unknown, it's called marketing.

There will be several routes from Zurich to Japan via somewhere else and BA wants you to choose them. Thus they price it so you use them.

For London to Japan it'll be a direct flight and hence people pay a premium for not having to change planes - and of course there's less competition on direct routes

Whatever you do DON'T book yourself on the Zurich to Japan route to "save money" as once you don't show for Zurich to London all your remaining flights will be cancelled.

As for "getting off at Heathrow", it's extremely difficult to do unless you have no checked luggage as most airlines won't short check luggage unless there's an overnight stay involved. Additionally you might find that for operational reasons your flight from Japan to Zurich is changed to another airline flying via a totally different country. If you want to save money then visit your friend in Zurich for a couple of days before and afterwards

Alternatively see what a "multi-city" ticket would cost so you fly Zurich-Japan & Japan-London. Use something like Kayak to see to check all airlines just in case BA isn't the best option

getmore4less

These deals comes up lot on Hotukdeals and holidaypirates


price it open jaw Zurich->Japan->LHR


also look for other starting points.

Doshwaster

Nothing crazy at all. It's how pricing works. In BA speak these are known as "ex-EU fares".

You could get a cheap flight to ZRH to pick up the BA service from there but you have to factor in the extra time, hassle and the risk of missing your connection. In Economy this isn't often worth the savings but in Business then it can be much cheaper.

See http://www.airtravelgenius.com/ar/ex_europe_business_class.htm

silvercar

Hazzabee wrote: »

Hmmmm thanks that is is crazy.
I'm considering buying a one way Easyjet ticket to Zurich as it is so much cheaper starting the BA itinerary in Switzerland.
If I do this and buy the same tickets as him and fly BA from Zurich, on the way back would I be able to get off at Heathrow and retrieve my hold luggage?

You can ask for your bag to be available to you at heathrow; if you don't request it then it would be ticketed through to Zurich. The way to guarantee your bags would only be ticketed through to Heathrow is if you booked your last leg from Gatwick or London City to Zurich.

Lots of discussions about ex-EU routes on flyertalk

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club-446/

dickydonkin

Doshwaster wrote: »

Nothing crazy at all. It's how pricing works. In BA speak these are known as "ex-EU fares".

You could get a cheap flight to ZRH to pick up the BA service from there but you have to factor in the extra time, hassle and the risk of missing your connection. In Economy this isn't often worth the savings but in Business then it can be much cheaper.

See http://www.airtravelgenius.com/ar/ex_europe_business_class.htm

I am doing my first 'ex EU' trip later this year from Amsterdam - London - Doha - Bangkok in J and as you alluded the savings are significant even factoring in a positioning flight and hotels.

The 640 BA tier points are also bonus.

Doshwaster

dickydonkin wrote: »

I am doing my first 'ex EU' trip later this year from Amsterdam - London - Doha - Bangkok in J and as you alluded the savings are significant even factoring in a positioning flight and hotels.

The 640 BA tier points are also bonus.

Yes, ex-EU fares can be very handing in collecting Tier Points if you are chasing a status renewal. Qatar joining One World also opens up some interesting TP runs too.

The last time I flew to Bangkok I considered going on Royal Jordanian as their J class is often comparable in price to BA's WTP. You don't get the flat bed but you do get 4 x 140 = 560 TP.

marsman802

Saving £400 on my vegas flights by going via Dublin this year in economy.

Ridiculous saving...to just then hand to a casino lol