Not all routes offer all types of fares, but if you are looking for the cheapest possible option you may be offered an Apex or Superapex fare.
These fares are usually the cheapest advertised by a scheduled airline. Although all the cheaper, or "discounted" fares have rules and restrictions, Apex and Superapex fares have the most. They must be bought a certain number of days before the flight - the majority at least 14 days before travel, while 28 days are needed for others. Many Apex fares have a minimum stay requirement, such as staying at the destination for 7 days or perhaps over a Saturday night, which is also called the Sunday Rule. If a traveler needs to be in a destination for 7 days or longer, an Apex fare might be suitable but there are further restrictions, such as your ability to change the reservations on an Apex ticket. While these fares are not often used for business travel, they are popular with leisure travelers as the fares are comparable to charter flights.
You don't need to know the rules for these fares. Just leave it to the agent, airline reservation staff or internet site to explain the different fare options and their restrictions. Having said that, let's look at some fares and rules for specific routes so you can see how the restrictions are applied.
Below is an extract of return fares from London, UK to Bogota, Columbia.
The most expensive fares are at the top, First Class, followed by Business/Club classes.
We are going to look at two Apex fares (note the letters AP in the fare basis). Apex fares and Superapex fares are usually returns, so the price shown covers both outward and return flights.
Scheduled air fares are always quoted in the currency of the country of departure. Note: The three letter currency code GBP (Great British Pound), identifying that these fares are in £ sterling.
The fare YHAP45 will cost GBP 1036.00
The fare YLAP45 will cost GBP 869.00
Both share the rule number 2745 shown below.
The letter H indicates High Season, and L means Low Season with these dates shown in rule 2745. You'll see that there are two High Seasons - the summer and winter holiday seasons.
The fare YLPX3M costs GBP 936.00, which is less than the YHAP45 fare. But you would not be able to use it in the High Season. Rule 2842 has the same H&L dates as Rule 2745.
| | LONDON United Kingdom | | LON | | GB | | 
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| | Bogota BOG mpm 5275
| | Fare Basis | Rule Number | Return Fare
in GBP | | F | | 4160.00 | | C/J | | 2848.00 | | BHE6M | 2352 | 1383.00 | | BLE6M | 2352 | 1177.00 | | YHPX3M | 2842 | 1093.00 | | YLPX3M | 2842 | 936.00 | | YHAP45 | 2745 | 1036.00 | | YLAP45 | 2745 | 869.00 | | 2745 APEX UK - Mid Atlantic
Children: Child 67% Infant 10%
Dates: Low Season: 15 Jan-14 Jun, 16 Sep-12 Dec, High Season 15 Jun-15 Sep, :13 Dec-14 Jan
Minimum Stay: 10 days
Maximum Stay: 45 days
Stopovers: None
Routing: Available on designated flights
Reservations/Payment/Ticketing: Must be completed at the same time. Deadline 21 days.
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You'll also see under Rule Number 2745 that there is a minimum stay of 10 days and a maximum of 45 days. And finally, the last part of the rule indicates that to pay this fare, we must make a booking for a particular flight on a particular date, making the payment at the same time. The "deadline" of 21 days means that we must make the reservation and payment at least 21 days before the flight departs. This Apex fare will not suit most business travellers. The minimum stay rule restricts the traveller to a stay of at least 10 days, so this fare cannot be used for a three night trip.
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