Why are there price differences between country sites on flight search engines?
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Why can prices vary wildly between two country versions of the same engine (for example, Expedia US vs JP, or Kayak US vs SG)? I sometimes even find that not all the airlines available in one are available in the other.
flight-search-engines fares
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
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up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Why can prices vary wildly between two country versions of the same engine (for example, Expedia US vs JP, or Kayak US vs SG)? I sometimes even find that not all the airlines available in one are available in the other.
flight-search-engines fares
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
1
Why can prices vary widely between an Apple Store in the US and one in Japan?
– fkraiem
Oct 16 '17 at 8:30
I don't know, I haven't been to either. Please explain.
– keithmaxx
Oct 16 '17 at 8:34
2
@fkraiem Actually, Apple Store prices are surprisingly similar. I haven't checked Japan but the difference between US and Europe is entirely accounted for by taxes, the catalogue price is the same.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:38
1
I suspect it has nothing at all to do with the search engine itself, the underlying booking systems require agents to specify a “sales city†and airlines can use that to practice price discrimination.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:50
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Why can prices vary wildly between two country versions of the same engine (for example, Expedia US vs JP, or Kayak US vs SG)? I sometimes even find that not all the airlines available in one are available in the other.
flight-search-engines fares
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
Why can prices vary wildly between two country versions of the same engine (for example, Expedia US vs JP, or Kayak US vs SG)? I sometimes even find that not all the airlines available in one are available in the other.
flight-search-engines fares
flight-search-engines fares
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
edited Oct 16 '17 at 8:39
user67108
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
asked Oct 16 '17 at 8:22
keithmaxx
1162
1162
1
Why can prices vary widely between an Apple Store in the US and one in Japan?
– fkraiem
Oct 16 '17 at 8:30
I don't know, I haven't been to either. Please explain.
– keithmaxx
Oct 16 '17 at 8:34
2
@fkraiem Actually, Apple Store prices are surprisingly similar. I haven't checked Japan but the difference between US and Europe is entirely accounted for by taxes, the catalogue price is the same.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:38
1
I suspect it has nothing at all to do with the search engine itself, the underlying booking systems require agents to specify a “sales city†and airlines can use that to practice price discrimination.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:50
add a comment |Â
1
Why can prices vary widely between an Apple Store in the US and one in Japan?
– fkraiem
Oct 16 '17 at 8:30
I don't know, I haven't been to either. Please explain.
– keithmaxx
Oct 16 '17 at 8:34
2
@fkraiem Actually, Apple Store prices are surprisingly similar. I haven't checked Japan but the difference between US and Europe is entirely accounted for by taxes, the catalogue price is the same.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:38
1
I suspect it has nothing at all to do with the search engine itself, the underlying booking systems require agents to specify a “sales city†and airlines can use that to practice price discrimination.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:50
1
1
Why can prices vary widely between an Apple Store in the US and one in Japan?
– fkraiem
Oct 16 '17 at 8:30
Why can prices vary widely between an Apple Store in the US and one in Japan?
– fkraiem
Oct 16 '17 at 8:30
I don't know, I haven't been to either. Please explain.
– keithmaxx
Oct 16 '17 at 8:34
I don't know, I haven't been to either. Please explain.
– keithmaxx
Oct 16 '17 at 8:34
2
2
@fkraiem Actually, Apple Store prices are surprisingly similar. I haven't checked Japan but the difference between US and Europe is entirely accounted for by taxes, the catalogue price is the same.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:38
@fkraiem Actually, Apple Store prices are surprisingly similar. I haven't checked Japan but the difference between US and Europe is entirely accounted for by taxes, the catalogue price is the same.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:38
1
1
I suspect it has nothing at all to do with the search engine itself, the underlying booking systems require agents to specify a “sales city†and airlines can use that to practice price discrimination.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:50
I suspect it has nothing at all to do with the search engine itself, the underlying booking systems require agents to specify a “sales city†and airlines can use that to practice price discrimination.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:50
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
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oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Both fare tariffs and flight availability (how busy a flight appears) vary based on the city in which a travel agent is based. This is called the “sales city†or the “point of saleâ€Â. This is simple revenue management practice; for instance a customer living in New York may be willing and able to pay more for a flight than a customer living in Santiago de Chile. Hence the airline must find a way to charge these two groups of customers different amounts.
The system was devised in the 1960s and 1970s when flights were almost always bought through a local sales office.
Many flight search engines and online travel agents base their sales city location on which country website was selected. For instance expedia.de uses a sales city in Germany whereas expedia.co.uk uses London. Other sites always use the origin city as the sales city.
This practice is illegal within the European Union under EC Regulation 1008/2008 Article 23 but it nonetheless continues there.
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
add a comment |Â
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
4
down vote
Both fare tariffs and flight availability (how busy a flight appears) vary based on the city in which a travel agent is based. This is called the “sales city†or the “point of saleâ€Â. This is simple revenue management practice; for instance a customer living in New York may be willing and able to pay more for a flight than a customer living in Santiago de Chile. Hence the airline must find a way to charge these two groups of customers different amounts.
The system was devised in the 1960s and 1970s when flights were almost always bought through a local sales office.
Many flight search engines and online travel agents base their sales city location on which country website was selected. For instance expedia.de uses a sales city in Germany whereas expedia.co.uk uses London. Other sites always use the origin city as the sales city.
This practice is illegal within the European Union under EC Regulation 1008/2008 Article 23 but it nonetheless continues there.
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
Both fare tariffs and flight availability (how busy a flight appears) vary based on the city in which a travel agent is based. This is called the “sales city†or the “point of saleâ€Â. This is simple revenue management practice; for instance a customer living in New York may be willing and able to pay more for a flight than a customer living in Santiago de Chile. Hence the airline must find a way to charge these two groups of customers different amounts.
The system was devised in the 1960s and 1970s when flights were almost always bought through a local sales office.
Many flight search engines and online travel agents base their sales city location on which country website was selected. For instance expedia.de uses a sales city in Germany whereas expedia.co.uk uses London. Other sites always use the origin city as the sales city.
This practice is illegal within the European Union under EC Regulation 1008/2008 Article 23 but it nonetheless continues there.
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
add a comment |Â
up vote
4
down vote
up vote
4
down vote
Both fare tariffs and flight availability (how busy a flight appears) vary based on the city in which a travel agent is based. This is called the “sales city†or the “point of saleâ€Â. This is simple revenue management practice; for instance a customer living in New York may be willing and able to pay more for a flight than a customer living in Santiago de Chile. Hence the airline must find a way to charge these two groups of customers different amounts.
The system was devised in the 1960s and 1970s when flights were almost always bought through a local sales office.
Many flight search engines and online travel agents base their sales city location on which country website was selected. For instance expedia.de uses a sales city in Germany whereas expedia.co.uk uses London. Other sites always use the origin city as the sales city.
This practice is illegal within the European Union under EC Regulation 1008/2008 Article 23 but it nonetheless continues there.
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
Both fare tariffs and flight availability (how busy a flight appears) vary based on the city in which a travel agent is based. This is called the “sales city†or the “point of saleâ€Â. This is simple revenue management practice; for instance a customer living in New York may be willing and able to pay more for a flight than a customer living in Santiago de Chile. Hence the airline must find a way to charge these two groups of customers different amounts.
The system was devised in the 1960s and 1970s when flights were almost always bought through a local sales office.
Many flight search engines and online travel agents base their sales city location on which country website was selected. For instance expedia.de uses a sales city in Germany whereas expedia.co.uk uses London. Other sites always use the origin city as the sales city.
This practice is illegal within the European Union under EC Regulation 1008/2008 Article 23 but it nonetheless continues there.
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
edited Oct 16 '17 at 14:00
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
answered Oct 16 '17 at 9:32
Calchas
32.2k377132
32.2k377132
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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1
Why can prices vary widely between an Apple Store in the US and one in Japan?
– fkraiem
Oct 16 '17 at 8:30
I don't know, I haven't been to either. Please explain.
– keithmaxx
Oct 16 '17 at 8:34
2
@fkraiem Actually, Apple Store prices are surprisingly similar. I haven't checked Japan but the difference between US and Europe is entirely accounted for by taxes, the catalogue price is the same.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:38
1
I suspect it has nothing at all to do with the search engine itself, the underlying booking systems require agents to specify a “sales city†and airlines can use that to practice price discrimination.
– Relaxed
Oct 16 '17 at 8:50