Obscene flight prices from HK/Asia to CAN/USA

[Cornmeal]

Wanted to do a last minute trip back home but the flights from HKG are absolutely obscenely priced starting at 25k+ for very long flights with multiple stops. In past never paid more than 12k.

Points for AC are astronomical @265k for 1 way economy when usually 59k.

Yet checking united for Chicago to HKG only USD2000, but in reverse USD7000! Simply Outrageous.

Cheapest option home seems to be via EU for about usd2600 but long and inconvenient as it's doing 2 separate bookings.

Anyone else been looking at these prices? Is demand to CAN /USA that high they can just rip us off here or is it a lack of regulations on maximum prices in HK/Asia? Or do I need to get a burner phone and head to SSP to get different pricing? Tried different VPNs and almost no change....

[ByeByeEngland]

I think you hit nail on head with last minute (less flights) and it is nearly August.

[Cornmeal]

Original Post Deleted

So what? Have zero sympathy for airlines, they still have fuel surcharges in the added fee from 2012? When oil was$120/barrell....

This is about a specific route(s) and when done in reverse it's 3x cheaper, same planes, fuel etc. Also like I mentioned before visa EU also less.

It's gouging, plane and simple.

Not everyone is some 50-60yo usually flying biz class / finance type who can shrug of this kind of price difference, but always nice to hear your contrarian POV.

[ByeByeEngland]

18000 1 stop each way SkyScanner HK, selected 31 Jul as departure via FFT outbound SFO return. Lufthansa/United

[ByeByeEngland]

So what's your point? Nothing to add?

sorry was multitasking - in fairness we’re all feeling the pain. And a bloody 14 hour flight for me back to UK tonight due to Ukraine diversion. And I just checked, booked weeks ago 20K economy! I used to cry if it was over 10K. Ive done Business class for 25K a couple of times before with Finnair.

[Cornmeal]

sorry was multitasking - in fairness we’re all feeling the pain. And a bloody 14 hour flight for me back to UK tonight due to Ukraine diversion. And I just checked, booked weeks ago 20K economy! I used to cry if it was over 10K. Ive done Business class for 25K a couple of times before with Finnair.

Fair enough, haven't looked at UK, but flights to Frankfurt at $1000USD are reasonable for last minute high season flights.

edit: just checked last minute flights to London (Aug 2-28) only 10-13k, not great but reasonable...

[Cornmeal]

Original Post Deleted

What acknowledgment?

So explain the reason for the massive gulf in prices if flights originate in opposite direction.

Expected some increase but compared to 2021 it's 200-500% up, but of course why have any regulations, just let corporations charge WTF they want, right?

AFAIK none of the airlines in CAN, even the low cost ones that recently started, went bust... likely thanks, in part, to government subsidies (but regulations are bad M'kay)

[Cornmeal]

Original Post Deleted

No, they haven't.

Lived in Korea for a decade and always flew back via Narita on JAL (via US) as it was the cheapest option, including a free overnight stay where I got to enjoy some ramen! Was much more expensive in reverse.

No surprise folks in finance think letting "the market" level the playing field is the only option, otherwise it's the iron fist of authoritarianism coming to bludgeon you to death if any other ideas are entertained.

Sure you're not American? Sounds a lot like the popular sound bites heard from conservative congress... 'socialism' etc...'you know where the airport is' (although ironic in this context)

[Cornmeal]

Original Post Deleted

There must be a middle ground btw price gouging and industry recovery, no?

[Rachel_]

In June it was $30k return to London for 2 adults and one child. Still an increase but not entirely unaffordable. The service has gone down a lot though.