Christmas Flight Dilemma

[GlynRhedyn 32]

Prices for what I call decent flights (good airline with short stopovers) are running at well over £1000 and have been for months. There has been no deals at all this year for the Xmas NY period. The problem now is are people who are booked to travel over the next month going to delay and travel later due to the threat of floods. If this happens then flight prices over the peak period could even increase.

What are your thoughts on this?

Glyn.

[Montydog 135]

Prices for what I call decent flights (good airline with short stopovers) are running at well over £1000 and have been for months. There has been no deals at all this year for the Xmas NY period. The problem now is are people who are booked to travel over the next month going to delay and travel later due to the threat of floods. If this happens then flight prices over the peak period could even increase.

What are your thoughts on this?

Glyn.

 

He's a jammy barsteward

 

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/topic/56625-air-asia-x/

[GlynRhedyn 32]

He's a jammy barsteward

 

http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/topic/56625-air-asia-x/

I checked that out last week, think it came to £1200+ cheap?

Glyn.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I checked that out last week, think it came to £1200+ cheap?

Glyn.

 

What dates are you talking about?

 

 

 

[nariad 6]

Try looking for flights after the 25Dec,prices usually lower and you only miss a few days of the festive season.

[Montydog 135]

I checked that out last week, think it came to £1200+ cheap?

Glyn.

 

As I said “he’s a jammy bar steward”

[danboy 151]

I`ve been monitoring the price of flights for a while too and they certainly aren`t getting any cheaper. Last Xmas I paid £1055 for my flight and it looks like I`ll be be paying something similar this Xmas too!

 

It`s a bitch but it`s all about supply and demand. The airlines know people want to get away over the holidays so they hike up the prices and we just have to like it or lump it!

[GlynRhedyn 32]

Try looking for flights after the 25Dec,prices usually lower and you only miss a few days of the festive season.

Hardly any difference.

What dates are you talking about?

Outbound 16 or 17th, inbound around the 3rd.

Glyn.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Hardly any difference.

 

Outbound 16 or 17th, inbound around the 3rd.

Glyn.

 

I would think the inbound date is the killer. Personally, I'd bite the bullet and treat myself to biz class rather than pay over a grand on a crap airline for economy.

 

 

Edited October 26, 2011 by CheshireTom

[wobbly_1 18]

Always found this site useful http://www.kayak.co.uk/flights?ispredir=true

 

It tells you the best price obtained on certain days and put in the 'my dates are flexible +/- 3 days' it shows prices a few days either side of your preferred dates.

 

For example the dates you were looking at 16/12 - 03/01 come out at £1211 but go 14/12 - 31/12 and £851 comes up. Admittedly its Air India but the times aren't too bad and £851 isn't too bad, bear in mind you are wanting to travel middle of high season.

 

Qatar is another £80 and I would go with them - buts thats me.

 

You could travel to Scotland by train on those dates and then you'd really know what rip off means.

[glynbuk 29]

Hardly any difference.

 

Outbound 16 or 17th, inbound around the 3rd.

Glyn.

 

 

I fly out on the 15th December and back on the 2nd January.

 

Thai airways are crap on the 747 but the timings are good for me, i fly out on the Thursday, finish work at 3pm and drive to

Heathrow for the 21.35 flight.

 

Coming back, the flight leaves at 1.30pm and lands at 7.35PM, which is great, can get pissed on the plane, spend a night in the hotel

and drive to work on the Tuesday morning.

 

Now, i started looking for this flight at the end of January, by mid February, the price had jumped once and then it was showing no availability

on the 1.35pm return flight in Business class on the 2nd Jan, bloody hell, i started panicking.

 

I rang the booking agent on the 16th Feb to ask if i was likely to get the return flight time on Thai in business and she said "probably not" only

availability left was First or Economy (bloody hell and this is still February), so i grabbed First class on the return leg and booked on that day.

 

Crazy, in recent years i have waited until May or Jun to book, seems you have to book earlier and earlier to get the decent flight times.

[Montydog 135]

I fly out on the 15th December and back on the 2nd January.

 

Thai airways are crap on the 747 but the timings are good for me, i fly out on the Thursday, finish work at 3pm and drive to

Heathrow for the 21.35 flight.

 

Coming back, the flight leaves at 1.30pm and lands at 7.35PM, which is great, can get pissed on the plane, spend a night in the hotel

and drive to work on the Tuesday morning.

 

Now, i started looking for this flight at the end of January, by mid February, the price had jumped once and then it was showing no availability

on the 1.35pm return flight in Business class on the 2nd Jan, bloody hell, i started panicking.

 

I rang the booking agent on the 16th Feb to ask if i was likely to get the return flight time on Thai in business and she said "probably not" only

availability left was First or Economy (bloody hell and this is still February), so i grabbed First class on the return leg and booked on that day.

 

Crazy, in recent years i have waited until May or Jun to book, seems you have to book earlier and earlier to get the decent flight times.

 

Glyn have you tried EVA very similar flight times but better planes and they also nearly always come up cheaper than Thai. My airline of choice now

[glynbuk 29]

Glyn have you tried EVA very similar flight times but better planes and they also nearly always come up cheaper than Thai. My airline of choice now

 

 

Nope, never tried them, probably should have though i did look at them one year.

 

This xmas trip will be my 4th time on Thai(business class) and every time since the first flight i have sworn never to fly thai again

 

Once on Etihad in Business and they were brilliant.

 

Once on Cathay Pacific in business when Suvarnabhumi was closed and i diverted to the Philippines, they were good but the food was crap.

 

Once on Emirates in First class, had 3 legs of the journey in the "Suites" on board, bloody superb, 2 legs on the A380 with suites and Showers on board

for first class passengers and 23 inch TV monitors, lovely. The only problem with them was, although they served caviar etc, because it was so hot on board

i asked for ice cream and she said we don't carry ice cream on board, WTF, the Cathay Pacific had bloody great chilled cabinets between business and economy

class, filled with Haagen Daaz ice cream and chocolates for anyone to go and help themselves.

[bigbadbaz 69]

Hi Glyn,

 

Try travelbag and netflights. I keep looking for my mate for his Xmas flights, 14/15th Dec to 9th Jan (I've got to work but can still look) Flying Man to bkk with Qatar bizz class down to about £1850. 2 weeks ago around £2400, so I reckon london will be a bit cheaper

 

We flew Emirates biz on the A380 in July but my mate reckons the Qatar biz class better seats, bigger seats and better all round. We got an upgrade on one of the legs to 1st class which was a bit special, the caviar was fine, but being a Yorkshireman eating caviar is not part of my regular diet so cant say if good or bad.

 

As a seasoned flyer you will be aware of the obvious but the closer to Jan 1 on you return the more expensive it is

[joekicker 53]

What are your thoughts on this?

 

I don't have any, but I just got this TERRIFIC and novel advice from Kayak.com in my email, and I hope it helps you. I know it never would have occurred to me:

 

 

 

 

 

Boy, those big companies, they really hire the sharp-edged tools, don't they?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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