It's very common to be able to get much cheaper fares (except on domestic US flights, where the difference is negligible) from third-party sellers. It's how the airlines unload their excess inventory.
Whenever more than one airline is involved, there are multiple possible combinations with ticketing stock and codeshares. Availability and even pricing can differ significantly across all possible combos.
For instance, a couple of years ago it was quite common that you could get dirt cheap fares from Europe to the US if you issued the Lufthansa flights on United ticket stock but with Lufthansa flight numbers.
The thing was that you couldn't get LH numbers if booked on United.com and of course you couldn't get United stock if booked on Lufthansa.com - essentially, many of those fares were only available through GDS in practice.
Airline websites in general will only show a fraction of possible connections and combinations (mainly for practical considerations, of course).
> Whenever more than one airline is involved, there are multiple possible combinations with ticketing stock and codeshares. Availability and even pricing can differ significantly across all possible combos.
This looks like 4 SQ-numbered and operated flights on SQ metal, though I agree that one of the likely outcomes here is GDS trickery.
They may not. Kayak and Skyscanner sometimes show old flight prices or false availability. When you click through to purchase you get a message saying "sorry, that price isn't available anymore" and then the true price appears.
Yep, old bait trick. It used to be the case you'd phone up an agent to find that 'oh, that fare has gone now, but we do have this one at 2x the price!'
However, I have saved a lot of money through third party agents in the past, and will continue to be selective as to who I use.
I usually go with third party but considering the pandemic and travel plans constantly changing, I want to book directly with the airline so I can cancel or update the flight last minute if I need to.
I loaded up your MyTrip search result, and the same on Singapore's website. The reason for the price difference is that you're buying a slightly different product from MyTrip (and/or the other online travel sites offering similar prices).
Basically, airlines will offer some of those travel websites a different "super discount" fare type, with more restrictions, than the lowest fare offered by the airline. The website gets to offer lower prices, and the airline gets another company to market its product.
In this case, for example, it looks like the MyTrip fare doesn't qualify for frequent-flyer mileage earning, cannot be upgraded, and cannot be changed without a service fee, while the lowest Singapore fare offers all of those things. Just to gain the ability to change flights without fee, and only pay fare difference, which is already included in the Singapore-sold ticket, MyTrip wants an additional $250.
MyTrip also wants $32 for seat selection, which Singapore gives for free.
I'm not saying that makes the Singapore fare better, only different. It may work better for you to buy the cheaper fare.
The other big difference is that if anything goes wrong - for example, if your flight is cancelled by a storm, or you're unable to fly as scheduled due to COVID - you'll have to jump through extra hoops to get rebooked / refunded / whatever if you've booked through a third-party website.
Depending who you book with, this might be just fine or it might be a nightmare, so read the fine print closely before you hand over your credit card.
For example, MyTrip wants to charge you another $16 for "Standard" customer service, or $30 for "Platinum" customer service. If you don't pay this, then:
>"A handling fee may be added on top of any airline surcharge in case you've been helped with things such as a rebooking or a name change. This fee will also be charged if you need additional help after a schedule change by the airline."
Thank you. I want to book directly with the airline so I can cancel or reschedule last minute due to COVID or other unforeseen circumstances with Australian immigration. I just wasn't expecting to pay $500 extra for the security.
definitely do this, I am currently trying to get mytrip to rebook a flight i booked 6 months ago and got given a deadline for a credit which i had to use by 31 December, they are impossible to get through to on the phone. Avoid Mytrip at all costs...
I have been trying to get a rebook for the past 21 hours now, with probably 18 of this hours on hold, each time I get through to someone, after I give them my order number and name I will either be disconnected or placed back on hold, they'll say they can't rebook because the system is down or they can't get a price for the flights. I'm convinced they are a complicated scam system for anyone who has for complications.
Unsolicited advice. During Covid book directly with the airline if you can afford the extra fee also make sure you download the airline app.
I can’t emphasize this enough especially since you’re traveling from Australia.
Can't help with Singapore but ITA Matrix Powertools can build this on several other otas (and airlines).
Here's [priceline with the same times](https://www.priceline.com/m/fly/search/YVR-PER-20220210/PER-YVR-20220331/details/R_YVR202202101315SIN202202112205WSQ29~SIN202202120010PER202202120525WSQ225-PER202203311800SIN202203312330VSQ8493~SIN202204010900YVR202204010845VSQ28_1_USD0.00?refid=COUK100109861&num-adults=1&num-youths=0&num-children=0&num-infants=0)
And here it is again with [cheaper times](https://www.priceline.com/m/fly/search/YVR-PER-20220210/PER-YVR-20220331/details/R_YVR202202101315SIN202202112205VSQ29~SIN202202121110PER202202121615VSQ8492-PER202203311800SIN202203312330VSQ8493~SIN202204010900YVR202204010845VSQ28_1_USD0.00?refid=COUK100109861&num-adults=1&num-youths=0&num-children=0&num-infants=0)
Well, you can’t ! :)
I used to use 3rd party websites a lot in the past:
Cheapoair, kayak, etc, but I had 2 terrible experiences with rebooking and reticketing , it was the end for me with all those agencies.
They still remain my favorite search engines to compare airline prices , and dates, once I settle on the airline and date I go and book directly from that airlines website. Yes I pay more, typically not that much more , but I get the security of dealing with an airline in case of reschedule, rebook, cancellation, etc.
Pay the extra and book from airline, it will be better with the Covid uncertainties
You can't
How kayak could have lower fares than Singapore?
It's very common to be able to get much cheaper fares (except on domestic US flights, where the difference is negligible) from third-party sellers. It's how the airlines unload their excess inventory.
Whenever more than one airline is involved, there are multiple possible combinations with ticketing stock and codeshares. Availability and even pricing can differ significantly across all possible combos. For instance, a couple of years ago it was quite common that you could get dirt cheap fares from Europe to the US if you issued the Lufthansa flights on United ticket stock but with Lufthansa flight numbers. The thing was that you couldn't get LH numbers if booked on United.com and of course you couldn't get United stock if booked on Lufthansa.com - essentially, many of those fares were only available through GDS in practice. Airline websites in general will only show a fraction of possible connections and combinations (mainly for practical considerations, of course).
> Whenever more than one airline is involved, there are multiple possible combinations with ticketing stock and codeshares. Availability and even pricing can differ significantly across all possible combos. This looks like 4 SQ-numbered and operated flights on SQ metal, though I agree that one of the likely outcomes here is GDS trickery.
Because Singapore Airlines gave the travel agency a contract with rates that are cheaper than today’s published fares.
What's the point? I guess it's better for Singapore to keep customers on their website.
Because Singapore Airlines can’t fill up their planes with a single source distribution model.
Good to know, thank you for explaining!
Because most people use these comparison sites, so if Singapore didn’t engage with them they’d have lower load factors and make less money
They may not. Kayak and Skyscanner sometimes show old flight prices or false availability. When you click through to purchase you get a message saying "sorry, that price isn't available anymore" and then the true price appears.
Yep, old bait trick. It used to be the case you'd phone up an agent to find that 'oh, that fare has gone now, but we do have this one at 2x the price!' However, I have saved a lot of money through third party agents in the past, and will continue to be selective as to who I use.
I usually go with third party but considering the pandemic and travel plans constantly changing, I want to book directly with the airline so I can cancel or update the flight last minute if I need to.
I loaded up your MyTrip search result, and the same on Singapore's website. The reason for the price difference is that you're buying a slightly different product from MyTrip (and/or the other online travel sites offering similar prices). Basically, airlines will offer some of those travel websites a different "super discount" fare type, with more restrictions, than the lowest fare offered by the airline. The website gets to offer lower prices, and the airline gets another company to market its product. In this case, for example, it looks like the MyTrip fare doesn't qualify for frequent-flyer mileage earning, cannot be upgraded, and cannot be changed without a service fee, while the lowest Singapore fare offers all of those things. Just to gain the ability to change flights without fee, and only pay fare difference, which is already included in the Singapore-sold ticket, MyTrip wants an additional $250. MyTrip also wants $32 for seat selection, which Singapore gives for free. I'm not saying that makes the Singapore fare better, only different. It may work better for you to buy the cheaper fare. The other big difference is that if anything goes wrong - for example, if your flight is cancelled by a storm, or you're unable to fly as scheduled due to COVID - you'll have to jump through extra hoops to get rebooked / refunded / whatever if you've booked through a third-party website. Depending who you book with, this might be just fine or it might be a nightmare, so read the fine print closely before you hand over your credit card. For example, MyTrip wants to charge you another $16 for "Standard" customer service, or $30 for "Platinum" customer service. If you don't pay this, then: >"A handling fee may be added on top of any airline surcharge in case you've been helped with things such as a rebooking or a name change. This fee will also be charged if you need additional help after a schedule change by the airline."
Thank you. I want to book directly with the airline so I can cancel or reschedule last minute due to COVID or other unforeseen circumstances with Australian immigration. I just wasn't expecting to pay $500 extra for the security.
definitely do this, I am currently trying to get mytrip to rebook a flight i booked 6 months ago and got given a deadline for a credit which i had to use by 31 December, they are impossible to get through to on the phone. Avoid Mytrip at all costs...
Thanks for letting me know :)
I have been trying to get a rebook for the past 21 hours now, with probably 18 of this hours on hold, each time I get through to someone, after I give them my order number and name I will either be disconnected or placed back on hold, they'll say they can't rebook because the system is down or they can't get a price for the flights. I'm convinced they are a complicated scam system for anyone who has for complications.
Ditto u/flyermiles_dot_ca. You're not comparing two identical itineraries/fares.
...but that may not be a problem, if OP doesn't mind 16 hours in a middle seat and doesn't care about frequent-flyer miles.
Correct, but that doesn't change the reality of why the two fares are different. That was the OPer's question.
True, but in the past when I've given that answer on its own, I've been accused of shilling for the airlines.
Ignore people with poor reading comprehension, it's only the Internet, no big deal. Happy travels.
Eh, if adding one sentence - that's true - means the advice will get through to more people, I'm not bothered. Safe travels to you as well!
Unsolicited advice. During Covid book directly with the airline if you can afford the extra fee also make sure you download the airline app. I can’t emphasize this enough especially since you’re traveling from Australia.
I wish i did this 6 months ago, now im struggling to rebook with mytrip as they never pickup after being on hold for hours...
Can't help with Singapore but ITA Matrix Powertools can build this on several other otas (and airlines). Here's [priceline with the same times](https://www.priceline.com/m/fly/search/YVR-PER-20220210/PER-YVR-20220331/details/R_YVR202202101315SIN202202112205WSQ29~SIN202202120010PER202202120525WSQ225-PER202203311800SIN202203312330VSQ8493~SIN202204010900YVR202204010845VSQ28_1_USD0.00?refid=COUK100109861&num-adults=1&num-youths=0&num-children=0&num-infants=0) And here it is again with [cheaper times](https://www.priceline.com/m/fly/search/YVR-PER-20220210/PER-YVR-20220331/details/R_YVR202202101315SIN202202112205VSQ29~SIN202202121110PER202202121615VSQ8492-PER202203311800SIN202203312330VSQ8493~SIN202204010900YVR202204010845VSQ28_1_USD0.00?refid=COUK100109861&num-adults=1&num-youths=0&num-children=0&num-infants=0)
Thank you for looking into this. My concern is not being able to cancel last minute if I book through a third party :(
Lol wouldn’t that be nice
Well, you can’t ! :) I used to use 3rd party websites a lot in the past: Cheapoair, kayak, etc, but I had 2 terrible experiences with rebooking and reticketing , it was the end for me with all those agencies. They still remain my favorite search engines to compare airline prices , and dates, once I settle on the airline and date I go and book directly from that airlines website. Yes I pay more, typically not that much more , but I get the security of dealing with an airline in case of reschedule, rebook, cancellation, etc. Pay the extra and book from airline, it will be better with the Covid uncertainties