Colombo and Cairo are currently having cheap fare frenzies, and routing out of them is getting increasingly popular. As my mother considers Cairo “unsafe” and Colombo “not on the top of our bucket list”, I’ve yet to route through any of these destinations.
Out of fun today I checked how the prices can vary for a flight from Cairo to Hong Kong, and the price difference is huge.
A Hong Kong to Colombo one way flight costs HK$14,150 (~US$1820):
Cathay Pacific Business Class Colombo Rate
Meanwhile a Colombo to Hong Kong one way flight costs LKR$94,578 (HK$5520/US$710):
Cathay Pacific Business Class Colombo Rate
I figured that that would be the height of the difference in rate, though today I figured the cheaper way to book roundtrips to and from Colombo.
A roundtrip to Colombo costs HK$23,540 (US$3030).
Cathay Pacific Business Class Colombo Roundtrip Rate
See the catch?
Two one ways on either side, due to the cheap fare of the return fare, are cheaper than a roundtrip, by HK$3870, or US$500. (That’s the price of approximately one economy class ticket on Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong to Singapore.)
What you could get for four hours with the savings of this tip
Remember, when booking a Hong Kong to Colombo roundtrip in business class, book two one ways instead of a roundtrip.
At the same time an economy class roundtrip costs HK$6,380 (US$821), roughly 3.1 times less than business class…
Cathay Pacific Economy Class Colombo Roundtrip Rate
…but at the same time, you’re talking about a fully flat, reverse herringbone seat on a redeye, versus (admittedly one of the best) economy seats that recline six inches only.
Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 Business Class
Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300 Economy Class
I’d still fly revenue economy on the route, but if you’re looking to fly business class, remember what the deal is.