Flights

[debbiebeattie]

Hi
were coming in May 2016 and have booked a villa using this site.
any advice on when they may release flights and best airline to use, deals etc would be very much appreciated. Closest airport to us would be Birmingham then Cardiff or Bristol. We could also fly from Manchester. 5 adults 2 children aged 4&6 traveling long haul for the first time. We could fly on the Friday Saturday or Sunday

debbie

[Markerhouse]

You realise that to fly from Bristol will mean a trip via Dublin and New York. Timing outward is not bad but I believe you still have to spend a night in Dublin on your return.

I have no trouble with indirect flights but with young children I would find something a little easier !!

Clare - Bristol resident lamenting the now demise of the Continental flight to Newark !

[msmiff]

Not quite right...( Re. Bristol ) !!
Aer Lingus flies Bristol > Dublin then on to Orlando - about 4 hours @ Dublin, not too bad really as you 'do' US immigration @ Dublin which saves at Orlando as you arrive as an 'internal' flight... No immigration - straight to luggage pickup & car rental.
Return gets into Dublin about 8am with return to Bristol about 4pm = 7 hours in Dublin airport... [zzz] Too short a time to leave airport but too long a wait... We tried Dublin Airport Lounge in Feb. Not bad but get kicked out after 3 hours
Suspect charter from Brummingham or Manchester would be far cheaper if you're closer !!
We live about 1/4 hour from Brissle airport so pretty convenient for us .....

[brownm]

[QUOTE=debbiebeattie;722859]Hi
were coming in May 2016 and have booked a villa using this site.
any advice on when they may release flights and best airline to use, deals etc would be very much appreciated. Closest airport to us would be Birmingham then Cardiff or Bristol. We could also fly from Manchester. 5 adults 2 children aged 4&6 traveling long haul for the first time. We could fly on the Friday Saturday or Sunday

Hi Debbie

From past experience you can always get a great deal last 2 weeks of April and first 3 weeks of May with Thomson especially, so if your prepared to wait till nearer the time then I have seen flights this year as low as £250 return.

I understand if you are booking for the first time to Orlando but I would not pay over £400 for the period your looking at going.

Best of luck,

Mark.

[Markerhouse]

Yes, we sold on the Gulf Coast in 2013 so I had a feeling I was a little out of date with exact timings.

There is talk of a Bristol - USA direct flight but not this year.

Clare

[Dads_Taxi]

You won't like my first bit of advice - I would have recommended you book flights first, then look for a villa. You will have lots of villas to choose from, but flight prices can be scary and could influence your travel dates enormously.

However, your villa is booked, so it's flights you need now.

If you've booked your villa to fit into school holidays, which is likely with a 6 year old, then I'm afraid the flights are going to be expensive. The figures suggested above aren't going to happen. Indirect flights will be cheapest, and will go on sale just about 11 months before your return date, so lets say for example your return date is May 30th 2016, then the flights you would require will be released around June 30th this year. Use one or more of the flight comparison sites to get a load of alternative times and routes, but be careful to check how many changes are required. I've spotted prices that seem so much better than others, only to realise the flight takes 36 hours with 4 changes!!
I don't know about flights from anywhere but Manchester, but I imagine Birmingham will have a similar choice of airlines. US Airways have come out best from Manchester for the last few years, but American and Continental prices aren't much higher. If you do find a price you like on a flight comparison site, it's worth opening a new window and checking if Quidco offers cashback for that airline if you book through them instead.

Direct flights with Thomson and Fly Thomas Cook will already be on sale, and it's worth checking Monarch too. They will probably be more expensive but you get to your villa at a much more sensible time.

I imagine Virgin do direct flights from Birmingham too. Once again they will go on sale around 11 months before you come home (I think they do that anyway) but you will need to rob a bank to fly Virgin within school hols. If you're outside the school hols they are well worth a look.

Finally, although I've never done it, lots of people on this forum have recommended Aer Lingus via Dublin. If that is available to you it looks a good service. Once again the transatlantic flights don't seem to go on sale until, you've guessed it, 11 months before your return flight. In the past I've looked into this from Manchester and found that the Manchester-Dublin flights have been the problem as they haven't gone on sale until 2 or 3 months after the long-haul flight, by which time I had already booked my flights with other airlines.

Let us know how you get on won't you. Best of luck,

[Lyn]

Virgin do not fly from Birmingham, I would try Thomson but they will only fly on certain days each week.

[Lyn]

Just had a quick look Thomson next may from Birmingham are coming in at £635 for 1st to 15th May. Slightly cheaper from East Midlands.

[brownm]

Monarch have stopped flying to the states this year and I have checked Thomas cook for 01-05-2016 to 15-05-2015 for £514.98

[vickk]

we are in florida now and flew on Thomas Cook new direct service Manchester to miami. we paid around 430