Flight Only price vs Flight & Hotel Package price

Sparky79

Hoping somebody in the travel industry can explain this to me as I cant make it make sense

Looking to book 2 flights to Germany during the Euro tournament on Expedia. The two flights I need are coming to £880(!) given demand is high etc.

However, if I book the exact same two flights as an Expedia package along with the cheapest hotel I can find then the total is £404. Less than half the price! I appreciate there is often a saving to be made when buying a package but surely not over 50%?

I have four eye checked all the details and everything is correct.

Seems a waste to book a room I dont need but its a no brainer. What am I missing here?

MeteredOut

Check the T&Cs in case there's a clause about repricing if you don't use the hotel element of the booking.

DullGreyGuy

Sparky79 said:

Hoping somebody in the travel industry can explain this to me as I cant make it make sense

Looking to book 2 flights to Germany during the Euro tournament on Expedia. The two flights I need are coming to £880(!) given demand is high etc.

However, if I book the exact same two flights as an Expedia package along with the cheapest hotel I can find then the total is £404. Less than half the price! I appreciate there is often a saving to be made when buying a package but surely not over 50%?

I have four eye checked all the details and everything is correct.

Seems a waste to book a room I dont need but its a no brainer. What am I missing here?

What dates? which airports?

Flights are showing at around £175 and flights plus 1 night £260 so about what you'd expect

Alan_Bowen

You can probably get the flights even cheaper if you book directly with the airline rather than through Expedia . One possibility is that the airline offers inclusive tour fares, which must include accommodation or car hire at a much lower price than flight only, or that Expedia has committed to accommodation that hasn't sold

daveyjp

Why use Expedia?  Use google flights to search and book directly with the airlines.

daveyjp

Why use Expedia?  Use google flights to search and book directly with the airlines.

Sparky79

daveyjp said:

Why use Expedia?  Use google flights to search and book directly with the airlines.

Airline website was the same price - £880
Expedia package today (using same flights and cheapest hotel offered) - £430

These specific flights are needed for work purposes but if anyone interested to see its these - 
28th Jun LHR => CGN 20:00
1st Jul CGN => LHR 13:40

I can only assume Expedia block books seats but that still doesn't explain why they offer the higher price flight only and the lower price with a hotel.

Westin

Sparky79 said:

daveyjp said:

Why use Expedia?  Use google flights to search and book directly with the airlines.

Airline website was the same price - £880
Expedia package today (using same flights and cheapest hotel offered) - £430

These specific flights are needed for work purposes but if anyone interested to see its these - 
28th Jun LHR => CGN 20:00
1st Jul CGN => LHR 13:40

I can only assume Expedia block books seats but that still doesn't explain why they offer the higher price flight only and the lower price with a hotel.

Alan_Bowen answered: Alan_Bowen said:

You can probably get the flights even cheaper if you book directly with the airline rather than through Expedia . One possibility is that the airline offers inclusive tour fares, which must include accommodation or car hire at a much lower price than flight only, or that Expedia has committed to accommodation that hasn't sold

Likely an ‘IT’ fare which offers a special low air rate providing another holiday component is booked and packaged into the over all cost (the hotel).

DullGreyGuy

The airline itself is offering "up to 50% off for packages" just isn't listing LHR as one of the airports in their direct offer.  Sounds more like they are loading flights only more than discounting packages given the numbers involved. 

silvercar

I wonder how far you would get in booking it, before a message appears that the price has changed or the actual flight is no longer available and they are using an alternative.

Sparky79

silvercar said:

I wonder how far you would get in booking it, before a message appears that the price has changed or the actual flight is no longer available and they are using an alternative.

Amazingly all booked, paid and confirmed. Flight booking showing on airline app also. Fingers crossed