Thailand March 2016

MasterPoo

shaunskankdog wrote: »

I have flown from Italy and Spain capitals with Emirates, Qatar and Etihad....landed back in UK for a third cheaper.

Shaun by doing all that, how much did you actually save? Have you added it all up to work out the ACTUAL savings vs. false economy, I'm intrigued to know?

Doshwaster

PompeyPete wrote: »

How did you get to Rome and Madrid, and how long did that add to your journey? Emirates, Qatar and Etihad all fly to SE Asia via their hubs, so by dog-legging you're only adding to an already long and tiring trip just for the sake of saving a few quid.

Whenever I've looked at doing it in the past I have decided that it wasn't worth the extra travel time and hassle just to save a few pounds - especially in economy. Having a stopover in Dubai means you don't get much chance of uninterrupted sleep.

Where I might consider it would be for a direct business class flight from somewhere like AMS as it would mean that I could avoid get a connecting flight from my local airport and avoid the trek down to LHR.

crazycamper

Yes airlines release their seats 11 months in advance. You may be able to get a quote from a mainstream tour operator as they have what is known as Out of Date range fares. It means you can still book & if the increase of fare is more than a certain amount, you have the option to cancel if it is more than you want to pay. Although it usually isn't that much more than fares quoted. Good luck

dickydonkin

MasterPoo wrote: »

Shaun by doing all that, how much did you actually save? Have you added it all up to work out the ACTUAL savings vs. false economy, I'm intrigued to know?

Most of my flights are now from ex EU - and I can assure you it isn't false economy - even factoring in positioning flights and hotels.

[IMG][/img]





Above are comparisons for flights to Bangkok on the same days flying from Amsterdam and London.

For two passengers the savings equate to nearly two grand. I have flights to Amsterdam for around £90.00 and I can get an airport hotel for about £60.00 (I don't have to - but for peace of mind I always do). So factoring in additional expenses, there is a saving of around £1,700 by flying out of Amsterdam as opposed to Heathrow.

I have made more significant savings for routings to Hawaii from Dublin in August. £1100.00 pp for BA business class from Dublin-Heathrow - Los Angeles - Heathrow-Dublin (American Airlines returns in First LA to Lihue).

I appreciate that some people may not want the hassle of flying from Europe, but it is something worth considering as it makes flying in a premium cabin affordable.