cresta57

We've just had a call to say Deb's Aunt & Uncle are coming out to visit and were chatting about flight costs etc. They are flying BA/Qantas from Manchester to Brisbane
Using BA's online booking the flights are £508 each return thats a mere $1,275 bucks I thought it sounded cheap so I checked out the BA website and sure enough it's quite accurate.
Checking flights for the reverse journey [Brisbane - Manchester return] using Qantas online booking the flights are a shocking $2,587 bucks or £1,031 quid return.
So in a nutshell it's twice the price for us to make a trip home as it is for family to come and visit.
Can anyone give a valid reason or plausible explanation as to why this is?

windog

probably, like everything else such as cars & cd's in the uk.......because they can!

midgetjan

Just tried your BA link there and flights one way from Aberdeen, Scotland to Perth on 4th July this year are £900.80 each

Simba

I was checking this out last night and was going to post the same question.
On the Quantas UK site return to brisbane is nearly half the price of a Brisbane to UK return on the Quantas OZ site .

Anybody know why ?.

acbh2

No idea why! But has been like this for a long time. Maybe less people travel from Oz to UK so they need to charge more? Lets face it we want to get in not out

A xx

Vash the Stampede

There are two main reasons.

The first is that the UK government subsidises the airlines by allowing them to buy fuel tax-free:
FOTE.

In Australia, all airlines operating in Australia (both foreign and domestic) pay an excise on aviation fuel (introduced in 1957; see point 2.2 here). And all airlines operating in Australia (both foreign and domestic) reduce this cost by passing it on to the punter:
www.news.com.au

Either way, you're still picking up the tab for the airlines. The only difference is in your method of payment; whether through tax (UK) or more expensive plane tickets (AU).

The second reason is that the UK doesn't charge VAT on airline tickets, while Australia charges GST (Goods & Services Tax) on airline tickets purchased in Australia. Result? Tickets are more expensive Down Under.

It's a bugger, but there you have it.

datamile

Guess we're not coming home much. Family of Four

Oz->Brit single - £ 2256.36
Fare for 2 Adults: AUD 2,844.00
Fare for 2 Children: AUD 2,134.00
Taxes & Fees: AUD 738.64
Total Fare: AUD 5,716.64

Brit->Oz single - £1,496.80

Fare for 2 Adults: GBP 588.00
Fare for 2 Children: GBP 440.00
Taxes & Fees: GBP 468.80
Total Fare: GBP 1,496.80

iPom

In the UK, you're subsidising the airline even if you don't fly.

It's a bit like paying for the NHS but never using the doctor or the hospital.

At least in Aus, you only pay for it if you use it.

I'm not sure which is better.

biggy

singapore dont seem to have such a huge diff

BNE to MAN $2067

MAN to BNE 716GBP

kt.2006

Some people I know bought a return flight when they emmigrated to Australia. They intend to return to the UK every year for holidays and so will use the return leg to go back to the UK and then buy another return flight. That way they will be paying the UK fare and will always have a return flight in hand. This makes it far cheaper but it is also good if you ever need an emergency flight home.

I remember reading somewhere that there was a UK agent that allowed you to buy a flight originating from Australia to UK but I cannot now find it. Does anyone know about it and where I can find any more info?

themerlin

Did you only look on the Qantas website ?
Sometimes the website in Oz only show the full published fares, travel agents
normally negotiate much better deals with the airlines so if you walk into travel agent you should get a better price.

Just looking at fares now (on our system) $1598 return to the UK.

jad n rich

Ive mentioned this before, airfares from here to UK are outrageous.

Why, only reason I can think of is because its australia, many things cost more here despite there being absolutely no reason for it, were a long way from rest of world, do people realise how many areas they are being ripped off in? probably not.

jad n rich

Does that include taxes, most fares here are advertised plus taxes. End of last year taxes on singers were around the $550, Qantas almost $600, the cheapest were the asian airlines, not always ones you would fly with but some of them were only $400 on top of the advertised price.

Hutch

Do you have Vash on ignore, or are you just blind? He explained the situation pretty well right here. I know it doesn't fit in with your 'everything and everyone one in Australia is shit' viewpoint, but it has some basis in fact.

cresta57

I looked at all the carriers leaving Australia to Manchester. By the time you add tax the cheapest was Air France at $2,200.

I used BA Qantas as examples because both carriers use each others jets i.e you fly BA to Singapore then get on a Qantas flight to Brisbane.

Vash
I appreciate the fuel subsidies on the U.K side BUT they apply to all carriers as do the fuel taxes in Australia so fairs fair they should cancel each other out as both carriers need to refuel in both countries. That leaves only the GST which should make the Aus departing flights only 10% more than it's U.K counterpart.
I'm still not convinced especially since the Aussie airlines hiked up the ticket cost last year when oil was at it's peak, yet it's now at a record low and those inflated prices are still in place