Strategy for expensive flights!

Options
Hi all,

We will be flying to Mumbai from London area for the last week of October, then back from Goa a week into November. (Wedding) Having checked every site I can find, it's looking like £900-1000 for the pair of us. We're hoping to go direct there but we can't avoid a stop on the way back.

So my questions would be (from all you seasoned fliers - I have never spent that much on a holiday, let alone flights!)

- Are the flights likely to get cheaper, or more expensive between now and then?
- Is it worth getting a cashback card for the purchase? If so, can anyone recommend one with a quick turnaround?
- Is it worth avoiding a particular part of the day to fly?
- Any other tips for making the puchase less painful? :)

TIA!
My TV is broken! :cry:
Edit: refunded £515 for TV 1.5 years out of warranty - thank you Sale of Goods Act! :j

Comments

  • sturll
    sturll Posts: 2,582 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Options
    - Are the flights likely to get cheaper, or more expensive between now and then?

    a) Generally the flights will continue to increase in price. This is true the overwhelming majority of the time.

    - Is it worth getting a cashback card for the purchase? If so, can anyone recommend one with a quick turnaround?

    a) Sorry i don't know about cashback.

    - Is it worth avoiding a particular part of the day to fly?


    a) Yes, the cheapest days tend to be Tuesday-Thursday with Fridays and Sundays being the more expensive most of the time. Return flights are always best value and you will get a better price if you return flight includes a Saturday night past your outgoing. i.e For a week to Mumbai the cheapest to fly would most likely be Tuesday - Tuesday. Please bear in mind this is not always the case but mostly.

    - Any other tips for making the puchase less painful?

    a) Realise that flights cost money but traveling is amazing and something we should all feel fortunate enough to experience. Then look forward to what should be an amazing holiday.
  • dmg24
    dmg24 Posts: 33,925 Forumite
    Options
    Have you looked at getting a return ticket to one of the destinations, and then booking connecting flights separately? So you would fly LON-BOM, BOM-GOI, then GOI-BOM, BOM-LON.
    Gone ... or have I?
  • blindman
    blindman Posts: 5,659 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Options
    Hi all,


    - Any other tips for making the puchase less painful? :)

    TIA!

    With whom are you flying ?

    If it's Virgin then go through Quidco to get some cashback

    Depending where you live there may be a specilaized Indian Travel agency that can get cheap flights due to the quantity they book for the "locals"


    On the way back is the stop a place you'd like to explore\have time?
    Always nice to break up a logn haul journey

    I agree with sturll (that's twice in two years :rolleyes:)
    Realise that flights cost money but traveling is amazing
  • frivolous_fay
    frivolous_fay Posts: 13,302 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    edited 23 May 2009 at 7:06PM
    Options
    Thanks, some good ideas :) I don't think Virgin fly there but if they did I think the price would at least double! We'll probably be with Kingfisher Air or Jet Airways.

    I'm not a million miles from Luton so I might be able to put some feelers out for a specialist agent. Never thought of splitting the flights up but it's got to be worth a look. We're not anticipating a stop anywhere nice (it's likely to be Mumbai anyway, which we'll have seen) so the shorter the stop, the better!

    And I'll book sooner rather than later!
    My TV is broken! :cry:
    Edit: refunded £515 for TV 1.5 years out of warranty - thank you Sale of Goods Act! :j
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
  • 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.7K Spending & Discounts
  • 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 608.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 173.1K Life & Family
  • 248K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards