How to book my tickets

trying_to_fly

finally getting round to booking tickets.
london to vancouver - price for british airways non stop is 535GBP
direct from the british airways website
seems good. if anyone knows any cheaper let me know...

also it says i can change my return flight for a charge of 100GBP plus fare difference so that's a plus for me coz i don't know when i will be back

my question is which is the best way to book it? credit card or debit card? Because i know British airways always have strikes in december and i don't want to be left stranded
any advice would be great
also if credit card is safer why? and i do not have a credit card but my brother is going to book it for me... would this be a problem?
am i betetr protected or am i already protected as i will be booking direct from the BA site

thank you all

tarkytarks

Book them asap - I'm sure I noticed BA have a sale on at the mo with an extra £50 off tickets, but I think it ends soon (tomorrow maybe?). The rule of thumb is if you see a price you are happy to pay then just go for it, don't hang around as prices might just start going up and you miss your bargain
It's up to you how you book really (credit or debit - if you book on expedia there isn't a credit card fee, however it can take weeks and weeks to get any problems / flight changes/refunds sorted out, for this reason we prefer to book direct with the airline) - either way make sure you clear your cookies etc and go via a cashback website for some extra cashback.
If you are worried about strikes then you need to have insurance that will cover strike issues, however in December I'd be more concerned about snow/weather problems. The airlines don't leave you stranded - they'll either try and get you on another flight or if you're abroad put you up in a hotel / you claim expenses back afterwards. I've not heard of BA strikes affecting long haul flights anyway.

P.S. do a quick check on kayak.co.uk to check you're getting the best price

claire16c

Seems like a good price with BA. Id book it, and book direct incase of any issues. Then buy your travel insurance. I always pay for flights with a credit card.

luci

trying_to_fly wrote: »

Because i know British airways always have strikes in december and i don't want to be left stranded

When did BA have a strike in December??

malkie76

I was going to ask the same question.

trying_to_fly

sorry thats just what i was told by someone a travel agent non the less guess she was wrong


so can anyone help me please because now I'm more confused than ever i don't know what to do afetr ooking the flight should i get insurance? I checked and via BA the insurance is over 400GBP for the whole six months. SHould I only get insurance for the first week to cover my baggage loss and flight cancellations?
Would be great if someone could walk me thru it. I know it sounds like i'm really stupid but very new to any of this online stuff and flights etc

jackieblack

You need to take out travel insurance as soon as you have booked, that way you will be covered from the day you take out the policy.
Check some price comparison sites, make sue you select the option which includes USA & Canada. If buying single trip insurance you just put in the dates you are going and the date you arrive back in the UK (which is not necessarily the same date as your return flight leaves Vancouver). You will then be covered from the day you take out the policy until you arrive home. If you don't know your return date you'll probably need to take out a annual policy which will cover you for one year from the date you take it out.

It is possible that you may have a problem being admitted if you don't have a return date. Probably wouldn't be a problem as long as you have a return ticket, even if you subsequently change your flight home, but I wouldn't state on arrival that you don't know when you're going to leave!

Requirements to enter Canada are:



To visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport;
• be in good health;
• satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin;
• satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit; and
• have enough money for your stay. The amount of money you will need can vary with the circumstances of the visit, how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. For more information, ask the Canadian visa office in your country or region.

That flight looks a good price, I don't know when you're going but BA flights in July/August this year were £900+. We saved nearly £1000 between 3 of us by flying in/out of Seattle instead (approx 150 miles south of Vancouver).

Paying by credit card offers some protection (section 75) in the event of the company going out of business and being unable to supply the goods/service purchased. I don't know whether this would cover you if your brother paid on his card, from other posts I have read over the years I suspect it might not but Martin has written an article about it here.

jackieblack

luci wrote: »

When did BA have a strike in December??

I don't remember any strikes in December either..... flights were cancelled due to snow, maybe that's what they were getting confused with?

Caz3121

have a look at backpackers insurance (even though you are not backpacking) as most traditional insurances have a maximum trip length (30 days not uncommon)

Doshwaster

I fly with BA regularly and always book direct with them, cutting out the middle man. Travel agents fares are sometimes cheaper but they are often more restricted in terms of changes allowed. I had a BA flight cancelled last Christmas due to the "snow event" at Heathrow and they refunded my money automatically within days - I imagine getting a refund from a travel agent would have been much harder.

claire16c

Look at insurance from places like endsleigh and sta travel or other backpacker sites as you are going for such a long time.