26.5.07

買機票

今天訂了兩個行程,打算在六月的端午節假期到日本關西,然後在七月一日的長週末去台北。

想起要買機票就頭痛,因為通常都要出盡九牛二虎之力搜索、打聽、查詢,才找到便宜的價格,而且找得到並不代表買得到,常常都會遇到這樣那樣的不如意。

我要去關西一是習慣使然地想念京都(盡管夏天的京都應該會很熱,而我也沒有非去不可的理由,但無奈愛已變成了習慣),二是想去一次金澤(可是車票很貴,要再想想)。香港飛關西的航班不若飛東京的那麼多,也沒有那麼便宜。我照例先在網上找到大概的價位(時間理想的JL機票在zuji要四千多塊啊),再打電話到旅行社問價。這步驟省不得,因為有時候在旅行社會找到驚喜(雖然失望的可能性也很高)。

問了好幾家旅行社,康泰的報價最低(但加上荷捐雜稅後卻仍高於zuji);中銀的稍高,但仍合理。永安、學聯之流,給我報了一個五千多元的價,還說只有CX有早機,我說JL也有(其實是CX和JL聯營的同一班機),他們都說不能訂票,氣死人(同樣情況以前也發生過)。

終於終於,我發現在網上直接向JL買(竟然!)最便宜,當下二話不說就買了。機位即時確認,不旋踵就收到電子機票。

這CX和JL的聯營班機很奇怪,CX的票價可以比JL高出很多(可能是不同子艙位的價格不同吧),而且常說滿座,可是向JL買卻又(相對地)便宜又有位。

至於台北之行,本來是想五月去的,但因為買不到時間理想的機票而告吹。因為想住香格里拉酒店,也不蒐集資料,直接向華航買套票就是了。

莎莉最近報讀了一個課程,每月要到上海上一次課,本來想跟她同去,可是一想起上海就覺得非常沉悶,莎莉也同意。

2 comments:

skylee said...

網友 Ian 給我發了這意見:

"How come the HK-Kansai airfare is so expensive?

I always fly this route: Honolulu-->Kansai (free stopover)-->HK.
The round trip fare (JAL) cost me US$600+US$220(security charges and airport tax) this year (July = peak season fare). But last year it was only US$780 and merely US$590 in 2003. And the mileage got me a free night stay in Hotel Nikko Kansai too.

Just a reminder you can utilize the Yokoso airfare to fly from Kansai to Hokkaido for 10,000 Yen (no additional charge). Last year I took advantage of such cheap airfare to fly to Sapporo. Unlike Narita, there are 5~6 daily domestic flights from Kansai to Sapporo."

skylee said...

I suppose the prices usually reflect supply and demand. I am not the airlines company so I have no clue about how the prices are set. AFAIK these factors would affect the prices - the season, the flight time and the airlines. If I chose to fly ANA it would be significantly cheaper. If I chose not to fly during the Tuen Ng festival, cheaper. If I chose a worse flight time (晚機去,早機返), cheaper. If I chose CX, it would be dearer even if it is the very same flight as JL. If I chose to fly to Narita instead of KIX, cheaper. From HK only CX, JL, ANA and Air India fly to Kansai, which means more expensive tickets for KIX than for NRT.

I always spend short breaks (long weekends etc) in Japan so I can't really enjoy much flexibility. But I did take advantage of JL's web fare this time.