Paying for Flights in Euros

DUBSTEP
DUBSTEP Posts: 6 Forumite
in Budgeting & bank accounts
I'm off to Portugal in February and im booking flights through 2 different companies due to times i need to get there and return.

The return flight is with BA and it only shows the cost in euros, 153.36, and as far as i can see there is no option to show this in GBP.

Im worried that paying with my normal bank will add to an already expensive golf trip so im looking to make sure i dont get charged any other fees.

I have all of the well known cards, Monzo, Starling, Revolut, but what is the best option to use to save any costs?

Many Thanks

Comments

  • gingercordial
    gingercordial Posts: 1,681 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    Flights have to be priced in the currency of the country where the trip starts. As you are booking them separately, the return leg is its own "trip" starting from Portugal and so it is correct you are being billed in Euros. I believe technically you can call BA's booking line and ask them to manually charge in pounds (which is just them converting it) but they add on a charge for telephone bookings so that would probably cost you more.

    Pick whichever of those charges you the lowest fees for a foreign transaction. I use my Halifax Clarity in these circumstances as it is fee-free.
  • pramsay13
    pramsay13 Posts: 1,937 Forumite
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    All of those cards are fee-free for foreign transactions so use whichever one has enough funds in it.
  • zerog
    zerog Posts: 2,478 Forumite
    gingercordial wrote: »
    Flights have to be priced in the currency of the country where the trip starts.

    Yes and no, the base fares are generally filed in that currency (but not always, sometimes US dollars or euros for countries with lousy currencies), but you can pay in any currency at the IATA exchange rate using a travel agent.

    In the OP's case one could pay in GBP by booking with BA on the phone but this would cause a £15 phone fee to be added.

    Online travel agents in the UK can offer the same BA flight in GBP though if booking an HBO fare usually the BA website will be cheapest, however you should compare the OTAs' GBP prices and BA.com's EUR prices and decide which is the better deal.


    And lastly don't use Revolut on weekends (UK time) unless you have a euro balance in the euro account that is enough to pay the entire balance of the flight.
  • PRAISETHESUN
    PRAISETHESUN Posts: 3,707 Forumite
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    Any of those cards will do :) Revolut has a slightly better exchange rate, except on weekends, as they use the interbank rate as opposed to the MasterCard rate the others use (which is still pretty good anyway).
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