BA flight price fluctuations - any experts here?

BA flight price fluctuations - any experts here?

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MitchT

Original Poster:

15,788 posts

208 months

Tuesday 30th June 2015
quotequote all
Looked at LHR-PHX flights for late August/early September just over a week ago. I can't remember what the exact prices were but the total return cost for two people was £1224 (equivalent of £306 pp each way, though it was more one way and less the other). We should have reserved them at that point, but we were still deliberating about accommodation. Since then they've been fluctuating significantly - as high as £530pp each way. Currently they're showing as £409pp each way, though weirdly if I run the search on a different browser it returns £478pp one way and £321pp the other way! According to a banner on the BA homepage there's a flight sale on, but they're no cheaper than they were before this appeared. Is there any likelihood of us seeing £306pp each way again? Does anyone have any inside knowledge of how BA's prices move?

danzltiu

585 posts

201 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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The more you search for a particular flight their system thinks it more popular so the price goes up.Simple economics.

Lubermans

201 posts

174 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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I'd have bought at £1,200 for two (not that that is much help now!) - we've flown to Phoenix a few times in the last five years and think the cheapest has been about £550 each in late August (economy). If you add hotels for part of your trip and/or car hire sometimes offers a pretty good saving. You should be able to do this with Expedia etc too.

If you're flexible with dates then I'd suggest using matrix.itasoftware.com and have a play about. £798 seems to be the cheapest right now in late August/early September. If you flew into LAX though and back from PHX it drops down to £675! At least that's one leg that's not on an old knackered 747 for 11 hours smile












CAPP0

19,532 posts

202 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
Clear your cache and cookies before you check the price again wink

BigBen

11,610 posts

229 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
CAPP0 said:
Clear your cache and cookies before you check the price again wink
Yep, was about to suggest the same. I worked for me with a holiday booking (or was a coincidence)

MitchT

Original Poster:

15,788 posts

208 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
Tried deleting the BA cookies. How do you empty the cache though? Also, when I try a browser that I've never used before I still get the same prices. Surely that browser's cache doesn't need emptying.

CAPP0

19,532 posts

202 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
It will be a combination of both the trail left on your own PC, the number of times "anyone" has searched for the flight, the general popularity of the flight, how close it is to the planned travel date, etc etc. But more searches = more interest = higher price.

MitchT

Original Poster:

15,788 posts

208 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
CAPP0 said:
It will be a combination of both the trail left on your own PC, the number of times "anyone" has searched for the flight, the general popularity of the flight, how close it is to the planned travel date, etc etc. But more searches = more interest = higher price.
Would they not factor in that a lot of searches which don't convert to sales is indicative of an excessive price though? People are interested in the flights but don't bite when they see the price.

CAPP0

19,532 posts

202 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Yes, it might also go that way. Basically, if you see a price which you are remotely "happy" with, probably best to go for it!

Chucklehead

2,729 posts

207 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
quotequote all
go through an intermediary.. if you book on www.expedia.co.uk and do the hotel at the same time you should see a saving overall.