BATS666

I know there have been a few threads recently about the disparity between flights from the UK to Oz being cheaper than heading the other way. There was a detailed reply from someone explaining why this was so, and, try as I might, I still couldn't REALLY get my head round the argument 100%.
Current fare (May departure) on Emirates PER - LHR return = £1,202. Other direction (same days) £598. Don't kid me someone isn't making a killing here ! No wonder WA residents never go anyhwere. Too damned expensive!!
I'd have thought that this disparity would have improved over the last 12 months. The AU$ is strong against every currency in the world theoretically making imports (incl intl airfares) cheaper. Not so apparently.

Even stuff imported from the US$ zones around the world has not got any cheaper, viz. Bacardi, Corona, tequila, rum...just the same price as 2 years ago when it was 0.65 rather than the current 0.92 US$ exchange rate.

Not to mention how expensive drinking out is...$10 for a bottle of Corona...that's £6.25 to us Brits (OK the exchange rate doesnt help!). $2 MORE expensive than a year ago when the AU$ was worth 25% LESS against the US$ than it is now!! Nearly choked on my slice of lime!!

mulben

I sort of agree with you except for sand gropers not going any where, it is the busiest airport -pro rata in Australia and has the highest growth in passenger numbers, supposedly running three years ahead of projected growth .

bcworld

Sure the airfare thing is annoying, but it really is a case of supply and demand - the complication, and what makes airfares different from other physical products is that an airline has to work out how most efficiently to fill seats from every market along the way.

Aussies are now conditioned to overpaying for most airfares - start charging £598 * 1.7, say A$1000 and that sounds so much cheaper than £598 in the other direction - heck, there were times last year when my client was having to pay more than that to get me from Melbourne to Darwin at back - much more!

They're running a business - they'll set the fares to achieve the best combination of load factor & profit - can't blame them for that.

Now talking of rip offs - I stayed at the Medina Grand in Sydney this week:

Minibar prices:

Can Premix G&T $12
40g Maltesers $7.50

...I managed to abstain!

pomtastic

Isn't a lot of the flight traffic fly in/fly out workers.

Most people I know in Perth hardly travel, perhaps a Bali holiday or a shopping trip to Melbourne. It is expensive to fly, especially when you add on the flight taxes x 4.

The only people I know travelling lots are the cashed up Baby Boomers, spending their kids inheritance

Everything is rip off here but that what happens when base wages are high, you can't have it all. If you earn and don't spend and go nowhere then you're laughing.

mulben

Flight taxes have to be in the airfare price , not added on, so what is quoted is the actual price. Most I know do a lot of flying and there are those special Air Asia flights which are very cheap - return UK under $800 (just mucking around with connections can be a hassle ) or occasionally $358 one way

BATS666

I checked Air Asia for August. $1,500 return.....so really not much in it....and that was with a cheap fare for the PER - KL leg. and with having to pay for everything on the flight (pillows, blankets, entertainment system, food, water). $2,000 Emirates.
they (Air Asia) have an awful record for reliability and you never get your money back even if it's their fault you missed the flight.

BATS666

I just dont buy that. The demand is exactly the same....same flight, same seat, same airline, double the price. I can understand the maximising profit thing but DOUBLE the airfare ??? Come on ! I'd be interested to know how many seats are the LHR - PER return route rather than PER-LHR, especially if you took out Brits going home (for good or holiday). not many I'll bet.

Perth biggest increase in traffic...probably the Brits coming here on holiday coz the airfare's so cheap....and immigrants !! (Not so cheap when u get here tho!).

More likely to be the huge increase in FIFO mines as stated elsewhere. The only Aussies I know going to Europe are cashed up from mining or on the back of mining. That's where the money is.

The Bloke

Just by the name, I guess the Medina Grand caters for the well-heeled traveller, who would consider $12.50 per can, petty cash.
Out of idle interest, how much did you pay for the room per night?

bcworld

No it's not all that....was $175/night. Cheap(ish) for Sydney CBD.

The Bloke

Fly cheap, expect cheap service, and as Bats666 says, you pay for all the extras and have dubious reliablity.

The Bloke

Fair comment.

BTW, how big was the can mls and what's G &T?
So I can get a rough idea.

pomtastic

What you have to remember is that the Aussie public are a fairly docile and easily manipulated breed. The media here is a joke and goes unchallenged, you couldn't get away with this crap in the UK. Australians on the whole don't question or challenge what they are given or told. Also, the majority of Aussies I know believe that if they pay more for a service or product then it must be superior and worth the extra money, it's a completely different mindset to the UK.

bcworld

375 ml premix Gin & Tonic.

The Bloke

That is expensive.

I was at the Quest East St Kilda from last Tuesday, and they had 375 Jack Daniels/Jim Beam and Cola for $24 a six pack, and that was delivered to suite.

bcworld

That's just around the corner from me.

The same G&T costs $7.50 on Virginblue....so the Medina price is pretty outrageous...I think I was more shocked by the Maltesers tbh!