Long haul flight stopover tips 19 May 2015 at 4:58PM edited 19 May 2015 at 5:01PM in Flights, Currency & Car Hire 54 replies 17.7K views

MSE_Sally

Hi folks,

We want to know if you've found any flight bargains, simply by flying via another city, or stopping over instead of flying direct. We want to know where you went, how much you saved, how you did it and if you think it's worth it.

Any good ones may even make it into our Cheap Flights guide to inspire others .

Thanks

richardw

Extra time can be holiday entitlement wasting and stopping over missed flight risky, so the money saved isn't sometimes worth it.

Voyager2002

MSE_Sally wrote: »

Hi folks,

We want to know if you've found any flight bargains, simply by flying via another city, or stopping over instead of flying direct. We want to know where you went, how much you saved, how you did it and if you think it's worth it.

Any good ones may even make it into our Cheap Flights guide to inspire others .

Thanks

A rather pointless question, since most screen-scrapers will show fares using both direct and indirect routes, and while indirect flights generally cost less you can't put a figure on it since fares vary from moment to moment.

Personally I have saved a vast amount of money by taking indirect flights. I used to travel regularly to Cotonou (Republic of Benin) and since the only way to fly there directly from the UK is to charter your own aircraft, the tedious wait in Paris was very cost-effective.

richardw

The main problems with the current guide are

the Opodo recommendation, they have such bad reviews, is MSE that desperate for Opodo click thru revenues?

The easyJet flexi fare trick, does it still work as MSE suggests?

Some of the long haul stop over tricks may be on poor aircraft with no inflight entertainment.

The guide suggests travelling in winter with risky stopovers that aren't on through ticketing itineraries with no mention of the risk of winter weather on flight delays and missed connections which could cancel all of the remaining flights in the itinerary.

SimonSays

I'll stick with KLM, less risky and a quick trip to Amsterdam so its win win

callum9999

SimonSays wrote: »

I'll stick with KLM, less risky and a quick trip to Amsterdam so its win win

Always sticking with KLM is unlikely to be win-win. For my personal travel I've never, ever come across a quote for a trip I'm taking where KLM has been cheapest. Depending on where/when you travel they may be cheapest for you a lot of the time, but are unlikely to be all the time.

richardw

Btw Klm are sardining, their long haul aircraft are changing from 3-3-3 seating to 3-4-3.

eDicky

I always thought that a 'stopover' is when you actually stop and enter the country for a few days at the transit point, on the way to your final destination, which usually adds to the ticket price. And this question is about flights involving a transfer or 'layover' between flights on a long-haul route, remaining in transit at the airport. It's well known that this kind of ticket is nearly always cheaper than flying direct or non-stop to your destination, with extended layover time or other inconvenience tending to reduce the price further.

richardw

eDicky wrote: »

....this question is about flights involving a transfer or 'layover' between flights on a long-haul route, remaining in transit at the airport.....

There are cheaper prices if you are prepared to risk 2 separate airlines, ie easyJet to Zurich and flydubai onward to Dubai.

eDicky

richardw wrote: »

There are cheaper prices if you are prepared to risk 2 separate airlines, ie easyJet to Zurich and flydubai onward to Dubai.

Ah yes, this could come under 'other inconvenience', the risk you mention plus the hassle of immigration, baggage reclaim, checking in again, immigration again, security...

SimonSays

callum9999 wrote: »

Always sticking with KLM is unlikely to be win-win. For my personal travel I've never, ever come across a quote for a trip I'm taking where KLM has been cheapest. Depending on where/when you travel they may be cheapest for you a lot of the time, but are unlikely to be all the time.

For me they have been, Helps the girlfriend works for them

richardw wrote: »

Btw Klm are sardining, their long haul aircraft are changing from 3-3-3 seating to 3-4-3.

I wouldn't know. Business class has a 2-2-2 or a 2-2 config.