Transcription
Hello everyone, I am Hana Safira Rahmawati with 15 years of experience as a flight attendant. Today, we will analyze the topic of uncovering the secrets behind airplane ticket prices. As I begin, I see many people asking in the comment section. Hana, why is a direct flight from Jakarta to Tokyo for 3 hours priced at Rp8 million? Whereas a transit flight that takes 10 hours is only Rp5 million. Did the airline miscalculate? Wow, after hearing that, I realized that many of you are confused by airplane ticket prices. For those who haven't subscribed yet, come on, quickly click the subscribe button. Otherwise, you might miss out on tricks to save money on tickets. Don't come crying to me if next time you have to pay millions of rupiah more, okay? Speaking of ticket prices, the topic seems endless. A few days ago, my aunt wanted to go to Europe to visit her son. She almost fainted when checking ticket prices. A 12-hour direct flight to Paris cost Rp25 million. Whereas a transit flight in Dubai, totaling 20 hours, only cost Rp12 million. While showing her phone, she asked, "This doesn't make sense. Why is a longer flight cheaper? Do airlines want us to be in the air longer?" Do you have the same confusion? Why can two routes with almost the same distance have a price difference of double? Why can the ticket price bought a month in advance and two weeks in advance differ by millions of rupiah? Even stranger, sometimes on the same plane and the same seat row, the ticket price of the person next to you can be half cheaper. What secrets are hidden behind it? Actually, the determination of airplane ticket prices is not calculated based on distance at all. There is a super complicated pricing magic within it. In this video, I will take you to deeply uncover airline pricing strategies and tell you why transit routes are cheaper and when is the best time to buy tickets. After watching this, I guarantee you can save a lot of money when buying tickets in the future. Before we start, I want to ask all of you. What strange price phenomena have you encountered when buying tickets? What is the most expensive ticket price you have ever bought? Please share in the comment section. I will answer your questions one by one later. Why are transit routes cheaper? Uncovering the economics behind flight routes, many people think ticket prices are calculated based on distance like a taxi meter. The farther, the more expensive. However, airline pricing logic is not like that at all. Especially for transit routes, sometimes the distance is double, but the price can be half cheaper. First, let's discuss airline Hub airport strategy. Almost every major airline has its own Hub airport. For example, Garuda Indonesia and Lion Air in Jakarta, Soekarno Hatta, or Air Asia in Kuala Lumpur. These Hub airports are like the airline's headquarters. Every day, there are a lot of flights coming and going. Ground services, ground handling, personnel, maintenance, equipment, fuel, and supplies have all achieved economies of scale. Therefore, the cost for transit routes departing from a Hub airport will be much lower. My cousin last flew from Surabaya to London. A direct flight cost more than Rp30 million, while a transit flight via Jakarta was only Rp18 million. I just found out that Garuda Indonesia has hundreds of flights at Jakarta airport. Flights from Jakarta to London are daily. They can spread the costs of ground services, fuel, and others across many flights. In addition, Hub airports have stronger bargaining power, thus obtaining lower airport usage fees. These saved costs are certainly reflected in the ticket prices. Conversely, direct flights, which may only operate once a day, have limited seats and high per-trip costs, so the prices are more expensive. Next, the secret of passenger segmentation. Airlines divide passengers into two categories. Business passengers whose time is very valuable, who must fly direct and are not too concerned about price, and holiday passengers who are willing to spend time transiting to save money. Therefore, airlines deliberately set very low prices for transit routes to attract holiday passengers and set higher prices for direct routes to gain more profit from business passengers. A friend of mine who works in the airline ticketing department, let's call her Rina, told me that the cost difference between direct and transit flights is not much, but we deliberately make those willing to pay more pay more, and those not willing to pay more pay less. That way, we can maximize profits. Sounds cunning, doesn't it, but that's how airlines survive. Another reason is the load factor of transit routes, which usually pass through the airline's Hub airport, allowing them to combine passengers from various routes to increase the load factor. For example, a transit flight from Medan to Paris might transit first in Jakarta. Thus, the flight from Jakarta to Paris can accommodate more passengers, and the cost becomes lower when divided equally. I once flew from Bali to New York, and a transit flight via Singapore was almost half cheaper than a direct flight. After chatting with the cabin crew, I found out that the flight from Singapore to New York was almost full. There were transit passengers from Bali, from Jakarta, even from Bangkok. With so many people sharing the cost, of course, the price becomes cheaper. R. Ticket prices change three times a day. The mystery behind dynamic pricing. If you often buy plane tickets, you might notice a strange phenomenon. For the same flight on the same day, the price in the morning is this much, in the afternoon it goes up by a few hundred thousand, and in the evening it goes down again. What is actually happening? Do airlines set prices randomly? Actually, this is called dynamic pricing, a tactic airlines learned from the hospitality industry. Simply put, prices are adjusted at any time based on supply and demand. Just like stocks, if many people buy, the price goes up. If few people buy, the price goes down. Rina said that the airline pricing system is equivalent to a supercomputer that analyzes data every minute, such as how many tickets have been sold, how many seats are left, what other airlines' prices are, and so on. Then it automatically adjusts the prices. For example, if a flight sells out very quickly, the system will consider the price too low and immediately increase it. If sales are slow, the system will lower the price for promotion. My cousin once bought a ticket from Jakarta to Bali. In the morning, the price was Rp2 million. She thought about buying it later that night. It turned out that when checked at night, the price had already increased to Rp2.5 million. She was very upset. Later, it was discovered that it was the weekend. Many people wanted to go to Bali, so tickets sold out very quickly, and the system automatically increased the prices. Besides supply and demand, the time of purchase also affects the price. Generally, buying tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays is the cheapest because on those days, demand is the lowest. Whereas Fridays and Sundays are the most expensive because many people plan their trips on weekends. Usually, prices in the morning and early morning are cheaper than in the afternoon and evening. Because at those times, the system will release some discounted tickets. I once bought a ticket from Jakarta to Amsterdam. I deliberately looked for it on Tuesday early morning and actually got a ticket that was Rp3 million cheaper than usual. It felt like winning the lottery. However, this trick doesn't always work. Sometimes the system is also mischievous and deliberately raises prices in the early morning. So, it's best to check and compare frequently. There's one more little secret, browsing history. If you repeatedly search for the same flight, the system might assume you really want that ticket and will increase the price. So when buying tickets, it's best to use incognito mode or clear your browsing history so you don't get played by the system. My friend experienced this once. She searched for the same flight three times, and the price got more expensive each time. After she switched browsers, the price actually went down again. It's outrageous. Three. When is the best time to buy plane tickets? Uncovering the golden period of purchase. Speaking of ticket purchase times, many people think the earlier you buy, the cheaper it is. The reality is not like that at all. Sometimes buying a month in advance is more expensive than buying two weeks in advance. What is the reason? According to airline data, the best purchase time for domestic flights in Indonesia is 21 days in advance, or about 3 weeks. At this time, airlines are just starting to release discounted tickets and have not yet entered the peak ticket hunting period, so prices are usually the lowest. I once bought a ticket from Jakarta to Surabaya 3 weeks in advance for only Rp800,000. Meanwhile, a week before departure, the price increased to Rp1.2 million. I was almost incredibly upset. For international flights, the best purchase time is earlier, around 45 to 60 days in advance. This is because the planning cycle for international flights is longer, and airlines will start adjusting prices during this period to attract people who plan their trips well in advance. My cousin bought a ticket from Jakarta to Tokyo 50 days in advance for only Rp5 million. A month before departure, the price had already increased to Rp7 million. The difference is huge. However, there is a small exception, which is tickets for holiday seasons like Eid al-Fitr, Christmas, and New Year. For these peak periods, it's best to buy tickets 3 months in advance. Otherwise, not only will the prices be high, but the tickets might also run out. I remember one year during Eid al-Fitr, my cousin decided to go home suddenly. The ticket price tripled from the normal price. And only flights with multiple transits were left. It was truly sad. There is also what is called last-minute discounts, which are a few days before departure. Airlines might lower prices to sell remaining tickets. This trick sometimes works, but the risk is very high, especially for popular routes. Most likely, the tickets will not only not be discounted but will actually increase in price. I once met a passenger at the airport who said he bought a ticket two days before departure for half the original price. However, upon arriving at the airport, he found out that the flight was already full and he couldn't board. He ended up having to buy a new ticket at a much higher price. So, plan your ticket purchases well in advance and don't rely too much on luck. Of course, don't buy too early either. Because airlines have refund policies. Many people who have already bought tickets then cancel them. These canceled tickets will be re-released about 3 weeks to a month before departure, and the prices might be cheaper than the original price. Su on the same plane. Why are seat prices so different? The secret of cabin classes. If you have ever flown, you might have noticed a strange phenomenon in the economy class of the same plane. Why do some pay Rp5 million and others only Rp3 million? Are the seats different? Actually, this is because economy class is also divided into many subclasses. Subclasses. Although the seats are the same, the rights obtained are different, so the prices are also different. Airlines divide economy class into subclasses like Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, Q, X, and so on. Class Y is a full fare ticket with the most rights, such as free refunds and rescheduling. While class X is a discounted ticket that cannot be refunded and has very expensive rescheduling fees. Rina said that airlines do this to differentiate passenger needs. Business passengers may often need to change their schedules, so they are willing to buy full-fare tickets. While holiday passengers rarely change their schedules, so they can buy discounted tickets. In this way, airlines can profit from business passengers while attracting holiday passengers. Truly, one stone kills two birds. I once sat next to a gentleman on a flight from Jakarta to Medan. He said his ticket cost Rp2 million, while mine was only Rp800,000. At first, I thought he was cheated. Later, I found out that his ticket could be rescheduled for free. While mine could not be refunded or rescheduled. So that's how it is. It seems the saying "you get what you pay for" also applies to plane tickets. Besides refunds and rescheduling, mileage accumulation for each subclass also differs. Full-fare tickets can accumulate twice as many miles as discounted tickets. For people who fly frequently, this is a huge difference. I know a friend who travels frequently for business. He always buys full-fare tickets to collect more miles, which he then uses to exchange for free tickets. If you calculate it, this method is actually more economical. There's one more little secret, prices within the same subclass can also vary. For example, sometimes airlines launch special discounts like early bird tickets, student tickets, or group tickets. The subclass of these tickets is the same as regular tickets, but the price is cheaper. My cousin is a student. Last time he bought a ticket from Jakarta to Singapore. He used his student ID and got a 30% discount from the normal price. Very profitable. Wuhu. Why are low-cost carriers so cheap? The secret code behind low costs. Speaking of cheap tickets, we cannot fail to mention low-cost carriers, LCCs, like Lion Air, Air Asia, or Citilink. Sometimes their ticket prices are even cheaper than train tickets. But many are curious, with such low prices, don't LCCs lose money? Actually, the secret code of LCC low costs lies in providing only the most basic services. Traditional airline ticket prices include checked baggage, in-flight meals, seat selection, and other services. Whereas LCC ticket prices only include one seat. Other services must be paid for extra. For example, checked baggage costs money, choosing a window seat costs money, even drinking water costs money. I once flew Air Asia from Jakarta to Bangkok. The ticket price was only Rp999,000, but I had to pay Rp300,000 for baggage, Rp50,000 for seat selection, and buy a bottle of water on the plane for Rp20,000. The total became Rp1,369,000. Although still cheaper than traditional airlines, the difference is not that much. So when buying LCC tickets, make sure you calculate the total cost carefully. Otherwise, you might be surprised by the additional fees. Another way LCCs save costs is by flying to secondary airports. For example, for flights to Tokyo, traditional airlines usually fly to Narita or Haneda airports. Whereas LCCs might fly to Ibaraki Airport. Although farther from the city center, airport fees are much cheaper, so airlines can reduce ticket prices. My cousin once flew LCC to Tokyo and only realized after arriving at Ibaraki Airport that he had to take a bus for 2 hours to get to the city center. Very inconvenient. Other things are aircraft type and schedule. LCCs usually use only one type of aircraft. For example, all use the Airbus A320. This makes maintenance costs lower. In addition, their flight schedules are very dense. The time the aircraft spends on the ground is very short, so it can fly more times a day. Thus, the cost per flight becomes thinner. Rina told me that the aircraft utilization rate of LCCs is 1.5 times higher than traditional airlines. This means their aircraft spend 50% more time in the air generating revenue than traditional airlines. Of course, the prices can be cheaper, right? Of course, LCCs are not always bad. For those on a limited budget and who don't mind minimal additional services, LCCs are an excellent choice. Every time I take a short trip, I always choose LCC. After all, the journey is only a few hours. Whether there is food on the plane or whether I can choose my seat or not, it's actually not that important. Six. Other money-saving tips. When buying tickets, secrets from experienced ticket experts. Besides what has been mentioned above, there are many other small tricks to save money when buying tickets. If you master these, you can save millions of rupiah every year. The first trick is to compare prices on multiple platforms. Different platforms may have different discounts. For example, official airline websites sometimes launch exclusive offers. While online travel agent platforms like Traveloka or Tiket.com may have package deals. Every time I buy tickets, I will compare prices on the official websites of Traveloka, Tiket.com, and other platforms to choose the cheapest. Last time I bought a ticket from Jakarta to Bali, I found that the price on OTA was Rp500,000 cheaper than on the official website. What a pleasant surprise. The second trick is to pay attention to airline promotions. Almost every month, airlines hold promotional events. For example, Garuda Indonesia often has TGIF promotions or payday promotions. On these dates, many discounted tickets will be released. My cousin even set an alarm so that every promotional day he can hunt for tickets on time. He said the tickets he buys are never more than Rp2 million. The third trick is to be flexible in choosing travel dates. Generally, tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest, while Saturdays and Sundays are the most expensive. Just one day difference can change the price by hundreds of thousands. I once planned to depart from Jakarta to London on a Sunday. The ticket was Rp15 million. Then I changed it to Tuesday. The price was only Rp12 million. The saved Rp3 million was enough for me to have an extra 2-day holiday in London. The fourth trick is to choose departure from a nearby city. Sometimes departing from a nearby city can be much cheaper than your hometown. This is because the level of competition between airports, route popularity, and airline operational strategies in each city are different. For example, Jakarta is a popular tourist and business destination, so ticket prices from Jakarta are often high. Meanwhile, Bandung, which is only about 150 km away, may have relatively less passenger traffic. To attract customers, airlines may offer tickets at more affordable prices from there. In addition, connectivity between neighboring cities is usually easy, such as by train or bus. Even after considering transportation costs to a neighboring city, your total travel cost may still be lower. So when booking tickets, try looking at surrounding cities. Spend a few minutes searching for flight information from there. You might find a surprising price difference. Alright, that's all for today's sharing from Hana. If you feel today's content is beneficial, immediately share it with your friends around you. I also invite all of you to leave comments, share your views and experiences. If you have other questions related to flights or traveling abroad, you can also ask them in the comment section. I will try to answer them. So don't forget to subscribe to my channel, like and share this video. Thank you for your support. See you in the next video. Bye. Yeah.