best deal to USA

michaeldc

Hi guys, wonder if anyone can help me. i have a week off 2nd Nov to 6th Nov and i was considering visiting my friend in philadelphia (i live in manchester, uk) - every flight i look at from man to phi is really super expensive. i don't mind travelling from and to somewhere else (say london to nyc) but to offset other travel costs i guess it'd have to be a bargain.

anyone any tips for where i should be looking? cheapflights.co.uk doesn't appear particulary cheap!

thanks for reading.
Michael

michaeldc

I don't have a budget at all, to be honest i would just find the cheapest possible deal and scrimp and save that amount - i'm lucky, i have someone to stay with over there and i know my parents will help me out with dollars. Just the flight i need to worry about. Yes November, around 2nd to 6th as that is my week off.

Thanks for replying

Lugh_Chronain

Have a look at the British Airways & Virgin Atlantic Worldwide Sales thread and/or the Cheap Flights article.

Consider booking a package holiday and just not using the hotel - often this can be much cheaper than booking a scheduled flight.

And don't forget travel insurance & currency.

Lugh_Chronain

Have you sorted out visas and other stuff? A colleague of mine had to contact the US embassy which cost her around £12 in phone calls as the numbers she was calling were 090 numbers. She wasn't aware that 090 numbers are sometimes listed on SayNoTo0870.com. If this is so in your case check out this website for alternative numbers. That's if you've not heard of SayNoTo0870.com before that is.

She told me it was a right rigmarole as it took an age. Even when she got to the embassy there was a long wait. She said it took most of her day up too due the US's security procedures.

mikeouk

my girlfriend lives in philly so ive done this journey alot.
the obvious choice is manchester to philly with usairways, but it seems their prices are alot more expensive than usual, they also do direct from birmingham, so that maybe an option. Ive done the trip via newyork. Once i had my connecting flight canceled from jfk to philly after my bags had been checked in,delta didnt have another flight that day so they transferred me to a flight from laguardia,,needless to say it was a nightmare. I also went overland from jfk, it took hours and involved trains, buses and dragging my cases through Manhattan.
I would just keep checking usairways and see if their price drops.

mikeouk

Lugh_Chronain wrote: »

Consider booking a package holiday and just not using the hotel - often this can be much cheaper than booking a scheduled flight.

.

Waste of time, this may sometimes work for the usual tourist destinations and if theres more than one person traveling, but definatly not to philadelphia

mikeouk

Lugh_Chronain wrote: »

Have you sorted out visas and other stuff? A colleague of mine had to contact the US embassy which cost her around £12 in phone calls as the numbers she was calling were 090 numbers. She wasn't aware that 090 numbers are sometimes listed on SayNoTo0870.com. If this is so in your case check out this website for alternative numbers. That's if you've not heard of SayNoTo0870.com before that is.

She told me it was a right rigmarole as it took an age. Even when she got to the embassy there was a long wait. She said it took most of her day up too due the US's security procedures.

Why would the op need a visa to visit the usa for less than a week? All that is needed is to fill out the ESTA, here, https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c20505F2A-9585-5C24-2434-6AAF28B49D7B_kDC4C7026-3688-6375-D78E-32ADD8BEF4CC

Lugh_Chronain

mikeouk wrote: »

Why would the op need a visa to visit the usa for less than a week? All that is needed is to fill out the ESTA, here, https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/esta.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c20505F2A-9585-5C24-2434-6AAF28B49D7B_kDC4C7026-3688-6375-D78E-32ADD8BEF4CC

Oh, right. Maybe that's what I meant. Or maybe my colleague did say visa, I can’t remember. It did seem like a right palaver though when she told me this.

michaeldc

been to the US a few times, i got a flight two years ago to NYC for £220 which was ace but i had to fly to amsterdam first and it's not really worth the hassle. can't seem to find anything close to that lately. i wouldn't mind nyc to be honest, only 1.5 hrs to philly if i remember rightly.

michaeldc

oh and you don't need a visa, you just fill in a little green card on the plane sayng where you're staying and for how long etc - not much of a pain really but customs are a nightmare in the states!

mikeouk

michaeldcoates wrote: »

oh and you don't need a visa, you just fill in a little green card on the plane sayng where you're staying and for how long etc - not much of a pain really but customs are a nightmare in the states!

you have to fill out the esta online now, this was brought in at the start of this year, they still give you the green card on the plane but you have to do the online registration before you leave the uk.