Cheap Internal Flights?

Grunaki

Hi!

Just wondering if anyone knows of a reliable carrier who does cheap internal UK flights? (yes, I know, BA - but they're a last resort.)

I'm trying to get two people to Gatwick from either Manchester, Liverpool or Blackpool around 7AM on the morning on May 28th, returning anytime after 9AM on June 17th.

I got a really good deal with Jet2.com last time I booked this trip, but they don't seem to offer internal UK flights any more - unless it's buried somewhere amongst all the cheap flights to Europe - but UK Airports no longer seem to come up as destinations in the 'flight finder' on their website.

I also got shafted a couple of years ago when I booked flights through 'Ebookers' and got the return date a day out - they wouldn't let me alter the flight date (with 6 months notice! :mad: ) and in the end we could only use the outbound portion of the flight. So I'm wary about using a service like that again.

Can anyone help?

balsingh

Try and use www.kayak.co.uk to see what the best deals are. You may find some good BA deals. The only cheap internal flight was jet2 but as you said, thats no more.

ogilviecj

Dont forget that trains in the UK are quite good these days, if you allow for check-in time etc the travel times are comparable with air.

There is a direct train from Manchester Piccadlly (in th city centre) to Gatwick Airport at 0754 which gets there at 1233, coming back its 0917 back at 1400 with a change in Reading

The regular return fare is £69.20, although there may be cheaper tickets, but you cant book these until 12 weeks in advance.

Station Arr Dep Travel by Service Provider MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 07:54 Train CROSSCOUNTRY GATWICK AIRPORT 12:33 document.write("");
Return journey: Station Arr Dep Travel by Service Provider GATWICK AIRPORT 09:17 Train FIRST GREAT WESTERN READING STATION 10:27 10:40 Train CROSSCOUNTRY MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 14:02

IamJen

I was going to suggest the train as well. If you get those "leisure advance" tickets, they are a steal.

Alan_Bowen

The only route out the three you suggest that exists is Gatwick-Manchester and that is on ba. Jet2 pulled out a couple of years ago, I fly to Manchester 20 times a year but only flew Jet2 once, they were an hour late despite the fact there appeared to be fewer than 20 people on board, probably why they pulled out of the route. Ba.com has low fares at times, as I speak every flight on both days is £40 each way including taxes, for £80 I think a hour flight is much more preferable than a train, but obviously much more damaging to our environment!

Voyager2002

Presumably the people are getting to Gatwick in order to fly somewhere else. Couldn't they get flights from Manchester to their final destination?

qwerty123456

Voyager2002 wrote: »

Presumably the people are getting to Gatwick in order to fly somewhere else. Couldn't they get flights from Manchester to their final destination?

You silly silly fool.

How do you propose someone travels from Manchester to Bermuda or Hong Kong or Tokyo without changing aircraft in Heathrow or Gatwick. Manchester is a regional airport and the reach of its destinations is limited.

We don't all go to Turkey on charter for two weeks every summer you know. :rolleyes:

Voyager2002

qwerty123456 wrote: »

You silly silly fool.

How do you propose someone travels from Manchester to Bermuda or Hong Kong or Tokyo without changing aircraft in Heathrow or Gatwick. Manchester is a regional airport and the reach of its destinations is limited.

We don't all go to Turkey on charter for two weeks every summer you know. :rolleyes:

No need for abuse.

You can certainly fly from Manchester to Hong Kong and Tokyo: check the schedules of airlines such as Emirates and Cathay Pacific, among many other schedules carriers that service Manchester.

I suspect that your friends have booked themselves on some charter airline from Gatwick because it looks cheap, and only now realise that the time and expense of getting between there and their final destination mean that their bargain flight is not such a great deal. In which case, who is the real fool?

qwerty123456

But that still involves a change of flight????

Voyager2002 wrote: »

No need for abuse.

You can certainly fly from Manchester to Hong Kong and Tokyo: check the schedules of airlines such as Emirates and Cathay Pacific, among many other schedules carriers that service Manchester.

I suspect that your friends have booked themselves on some charter airline from Gatwick because it looks cheap, and only now realise that the time and expense of getting between there and their final destination mean that their bargain flight is not such a great deal. In which case, who is the real fool?

Voyager2002

qwerty123456 wrote: »

But that still involves a change of flight????

As does a flight from Manchester to Gatwick, and then an onward international journey.

Furthermore, changing 'planes as part of a journey on a single ticket is a much easier and less risky process than travelling on two separate tickets. In the former case, if your incoming flight is delayed it is the airline's problem: in the latter case, if you miss the second flight then you are on your own and probably have to buy a new ticket.

An additional point: transit through Dubai is quick and painless, which is hardly the case with Gatwick!