Photo credit: Changi Airport
We see airline promotions in our social media feed almost every day. Some airlines seem to always have a “special” promotion going on. But as soon as we start looking for them on the airline’s website, more often than not, you will not find the advertised price for the dates that you prefer. These click-baity advertisements sometimes even exclude taxes and fees from the air fares to make them look attractive. Misleading advertisements can be frustrating.
I am sharing a list of popular destinations along with the price to beat before I call it a good deal. It follows these simple rules:
No low-cost carriers (too many hidden costs)
Only standard Economy seats
Checked baggage must be included
Only direct flights for destinations less than 8 hours away (<4,000 miles)
Depending on where you are flying to, here’s how low a flight ticket needs to be before calling it a deal:
| Destination (from Singapore) | Max. price (round trip) |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | $250 |
| Beijing | $400 |
| India | $400 |
| Perth | $450 |
| Dubai | $550 |
| South Korea | $600 |
| Japan | $600 |
| Sydney, Melbourne | $600 |
| Johannesburg | $800 |
| New Zealand | $850 |
| Europe | $850 |
| USA | $1,100 |
| South America | $1,500 |
Conclusion
Having this guide prevents me from having the false impression that I am getting a good deal. Using the trick mentioned in a previous article, these prices can be found fairly consistently all year round.
This means that I completely ignore airline “promotions” because I set up alerts for potential trips months in advance. In a lot of cases, you can fly in a premium seat for double the above prices with miles and points. So, don’t be paying Business Class prices for Economy seats!
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