Emirates ‘Special Fares’ – Specially High

[DrPat 423]

On May 2^nd I received an email from Emirates entitled: Book by 6th May for Emirates worldwide special fares.

 

As is my custom and practice, I have been tracking Emirates prices for the past few weeks for a July LOS trip. During April and up to May 1^st prices were around the £520 to £550 mark for June or July flights. With the advent of special fares it’s now £772 and even more for weekend flights.

 

I think that Emirates has missed a trick here. Instead of special fares they should have called them popular prices (popular with Emirates).

 

Needless to say I will continue monitoring fares until they return to a more reasonable level. Maybe this is just to catch a few who book over the (UK) bank holiday weekend?

 

Incidentally, for my March 2014 trip, Emirates were quoting £704 in early January, £640 in late January and £564 when I actually booked on February 10 (for a March 11 outward flight).

[jacko 8,815]

July is peak season, kids off school. Everyone on summer holidays in Europe, getting away from the heat in the ME.

Always a very expensive time to book.

Also Ramadan and Eid in July.

I also heard Dubai will start construction on a new runway and are reducing flights.

 

Look at Qatar, new airport due to open and they may want to ramp up business.

Edited May 4, 2014 by jacko

[TheFiend 1,181]

2 weeks ago I was checking prices for November and it was coming in at £1570 for 3 of us... just checked again and lo and behold it has shot up to £2300!!!!

[DrPat 423]

Today is the final day to book for the Emirates ‘special fares’. A word of advice – don’t.

 

During this promotion UK to BKK fares have been increased from the £520-£550 range to £772 (£792 for Fri/Sat/Sun departures) for all flights up to 10 December 2014. Fares during August are even higher (£947), but this coincides with the main UK school holidays.

 

My advice would be to wait for ‘ordinary fares’. I’m reasonable confidant that prices will fall back to the £520+ mark, if only to compete with other airlines.

 

Only time will tell.

 

Edit in: Qatar Airways, Manchester to BKK in July from £502, booked direct with Qatar, sub £500 via an agent. Thanks for the tip Jacko.

Edited May 6, 2014 by DrPat

[DrPat 423]

As predicted, now the ‘special fares’ promotion has ended the Emirates UK to BKK ticket prices for July have returned to the £520-£550 mark.

 

I finally got a prediction right! Had to happen one day.

 

PS The only logical explanation I can come up with for the temporary sharp increase in prices was to give the booking staff an easy time over the bank holiday weekend. Perhaps they were short staffed?

[TheFiend 1,181]

As predicted, now the ‘special fares’ promotion has ended the Emirates UK to BKK ticket prices for July have returned to the £520-£550 mark.

 

 

Yep..... just booked tonight.... £523 each MAN-BKK return

[Brown1950 67]

As predicted, now the ‘special fares’ promotion has ended the Emirates UK to BKK ticket prices for July have returned to the £520-£550 mark.

 

I finally got a prediction right! Had to happen one day.

 

PS The only logical explanation I can come up with for the temporary sharp increase in prices was to give the booking staff an easy time over the bank holiday weekend. Perhaps they were short staffed?

Emirates these days don't need to offer 'special fares' when they have just announced profits of $1.1 Billion !

[Grandpollo 366]

Soon you can fly on Etihad in their new super first class. Closed bedroom with double bed, sitting room, and private bath and shower only US$20,000 one way UAE to London. No flight attendant for you - instead you have a personal butler for the flight. On the 380 shortly. US$500,000 per suite to add to the 380, one per plane. Can't imagine they will not be met by Emirates with something similar.

 

US$3,500 an hour and they are selling it on the comparison to the US$100,000 for a charter jet.

[DrPat 423]

Another thing!

 

Emirates have just changed their Ts&Cs. Up until recently you could cancel a ticket for a’£100 penalty’, in other words you’d get back the original fare minus £100. Now the basic saver fares are non-refundable, although it has to be said that this is in line with the majority of other airlines. You can, however, still pay a penalty (and any difference in price) and change the flight to any available date within a year of the original booking.

[TheFiend 1,181]

Just had another email off Emirates with "special" fares for booking by 2nd of June...... This time the prices haven't gone up.

 

Just checked my upcoming trip..... worked out £200 more than what i paid for the flights I wanted but cheaper if I went with different flights , and for my November trip came in at £13 cheaper per person for the same flights.

[cisco999 0]

On May 2^nd I received an email from Emirates entitled: Book by 6th May for Emirates worldwide special fares.

 

As is my custom and practice, I have been tracking Emirates prices for the past few weeks for a July LOS trip. During April and up to May 1^st prices were around the £520 to £550 mark for June or July flights. With the advent of special fares it’s now £772 and even more for weekend flights.

 

I think that Emirates has missed a trick here. Instead of special fares they should have called them popular prices (popular with Emirates).

 

Needless to say I will continue monitoring fares until they return to a more reasonable level. Maybe this is just to catch a few who book over the (UK) bank holiday weekend?

 

Incidentally, for my March 2014 trip, Emirates were quoting £704 in early January, £640 in late January and £564 when I actually booked on February 10 (for a March 11 outward flight).

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I recently read about a site that does the tracking for you. Simply putting dates and a destination supposedly gets the site to constantly monitor airfares and send the flyer a low fare notification. Sounds good on paper at least.

[TheFiend 1,181]

My upcoming trip corresponds with EK374 DXB-BKK changing over to A380 from Boeing 777.... and I'm on the first day A380 operating the flight.

 

Now all I need is for Emirates to change the early morning flight from Manchester (EK22) to an A380 and I'll be a very happy chappy!!!

 

Sadly for me though in November it's still a 777

[Brown1950 67]

Don't think you will get the morning EK flight changed to A380 as the B777 -300ER is needed for the extra cargo it can carry over the A380.

 

Emirates could operate 3 flights a day from Manchester with no passengers and still make a profit on the cargo they carry !

[teelack 9,640]

I booked my Thai air travel about two days before the coup. I thought at the time that the fare would likely tumble but not a bit of it. I did get a good enough fare, about 555 pounds sterling however the best I can do at the moment with any reasonable airline is in the region of 700/750 pounds equivalent. I am really pleased that I got in while I could but wonder why the fares have not come down. Earlier this year the Thai Air flights were not much over half full and the prices were cheaper than they are now. Go figure. I was wondering if in fact Thai Air was using the downturn to use as a weapon for reducing flights but that hasnt happened either.

[TheFiend 1,181]

Don't think you will get the morning EK flight changed to A380 as the B777 -300ER is needed for the extra cargo it can carry over the A380.

 

Emirates could operate 3 flights a day from Manchester with no passengers and still make a profit on the cargo they carry !

 

There is definitely the potential to have a second A380 rotation to Manchester instead of the current 777/A380/777.

[Gus 97]

Fiend How do you get on with the seat layout in economy? I believe that the 777 is 10 seats across as opposed to Eva's 9.

[TheFiend 1,181]

Fiend How do you get on with the seat layout in economy? I believe that the 777 is 10 seats across as opposed to Eva's 9.

 

If it's just me and the other half travelling I always go for the pairs of seats on the last 4 rows at the back. If my daughter is going with us always book 3 together and never in centre where Emirates have the 4 abreast. I much prefer travelling in the A380's but have to suffer 777's to and from Dubai if we fly from Newcastle and if we fly on the 1st flight from Manchester when returning to Manchester I always book the A380 flight back.

[Fireman Sam 336]

Fiend How do you get on with the seat layout in economy? I believe that the 777 is 10 seats across as opposed to Eva's 9.

 

Gus, Eithad as well as Emirates both operate 10 across on their 777's, the only one of the big three middle eastern airlines that operate nine across are Qatar. Makes a huge difference IMHO.

 

 

Regards

[jacko 8,815]

 

Gus, Eithad as well as Emirates both operate 10 across on their 777's, the only one of the big three middle eastern airlines that operate nine across are Qatar. Makes a huge difference IMHO.

 

 

Regards

I think Qatar will be the airline of choice for those who don't have an anti-Arab stance.

(Particularly for Heathrow avoidance)

My last flight was Etihad, but it looks like they are gearing up for some major work on T1 which was a poor transit airport prior.

Qatar have the new place and I await some feedback on how that looks.

Dubai are already working on the runways and Emirates have cut flights.

Edited June 14, 2014 by jacko

[DrPat 423]

I know it’s luck of the draw, but for my April ’13 trip the Emirates 777 to Dubai was only at about 60% occupancy. I had six rows of seats to myself.

 

As I recall I had (at least) four seats to myself on all four legs of that particular trip. The Dubai to BKK and BKK to Dubai legs are usually ram-jam full.

[firth1974 2,659]

I took this photo on my flight out Vietnam 12 days ago.

 

This is the LHR to DXB leg on the A380.

 

Every single person had a row to themselves to spread out on. If economy had been 40% full! I would be very surprised!!!

 

[Geno 25]

I have been on an Etihad flight before coming back from Bangkok and there was just me and another guy in economy.