Just checked flights from Japan to Toronto, then checked the same dates and same airports but from Toronto to Japan. $1000 difference!!! Air Canada. Does anyone know why?
This is the case for flights to anywhere, pretty much. Apparently it is based on the “home” or “outgoing” airport, and for Japan it is expensive. Something I heard.
Tokyo-Paris is the same. Sometimes i wish I would be a long time planner, buy a one way ticket to paris, and then two way from paris with long date enough.
>Market forces. It’s true of many routes. Sydney-London is often brought up as another example and that generally has nothing to do with Americans. > >It goes something along the line of NYC being a very popular destination that competition (not just non stops) pushes the fares lower on trips to NYC. But as not so many are doing it in reverse (visiting Madrid from the US) the airlines can charge more.
and
>It’s the specific travel pattern in this case. Certain routes have heavier demand on certain days in certain directions. For example because of heavier demand from British weekend break travellers, demand for flights out of the UK on Fridays to weekend break cities is higher than coming inbound, and in reverse on Sundays. Unless they can triangulate routes it often means lower prices to fill seats. > >Think of it like a city rush hour, in the morning you have heavier traffic coming into cities than going out. So you get fairly empty metro/underground trains heading out which are then full coming in. Then in the evening it reverses. Airlines have more sophisticated pricing, so use price changes to try and maximise revenue in this scenario
As others have said air Canada is just matching prices with JAL and ANA on Japan originated flights, while Canada originated flights they get to set the price at whatever they think will sell out the plane.
4 comments
This is the case for flights to anywhere, pretty much. Apparently it is based on the “home” or “outgoing” airport, and for Japan it is expensive. Something I heard.
Tokyo-Paris is the same. Sometimes i wish I would be a long time planner, buy a one way ticket to paris, and then two way from paris with long date enough.
This is from a [Tripadvisor Q&A](https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1-i10702-k6568571-Why_is_one_roundtrip_more_expensive_than_its_reverse-Air_Travel.html) from nine years ago but still applies today.
>Market forces. It’s true of many routes. Sydney-London is often brought up as another example and that generally has nothing to do with Americans.
>
>It goes something along the line of NYC being a very popular destination that competition (not just non stops) pushes the fares lower on trips to NYC. But as not so many are doing it in reverse (visiting Madrid from the US) the airlines can charge more.
and
>It’s the specific travel pattern in this case. Certain routes have heavier demand on certain days in certain directions. For example because of heavier demand from British weekend break travellers, demand for flights out of the UK on Fridays to weekend break cities is higher than coming inbound, and in reverse on Sundays. Unless they can triangulate routes it often means lower prices to fill seats.
>
>Think of it like a city rush hour, in the morning you have heavier traffic coming into cities than going out. So you get fairly empty metro/underground trains heading out which are then full coming in. Then in the evening it reverses. Airlines have more sophisticated pricing, so use price changes to try and maximise revenue in this scenario
As others have said air Canada is just matching prices with JAL and ANA on Japan originated flights, while Canada originated flights they get to set the price at whatever they think will sell out the plane.