View Full Version : Flight Sales
Margaret
16-10-2011, 20:59
Hi, we are hoping to visit Orlando in September 2012 :) and have started looking for flight prices. We are limited about dates because of work commitments so will have to fly out on a Saturday. The prices I have found so far are £640 for Virgin, we really want direct flights this time (after last years experience) I know that Virgin and British Airways have sales throughout the year, but does anyone know when the September flights will be featured ? I know flight prices have gone up recently but was hoping to pay rather less than £640.
Margaret
luckylady
16-10-2011, 22:31
Hi Margaret.I fully understand you wanting direct flights
Virgin and British Airways periodically have sales throughout the year. If possible I would wait until January 2012 both usually have sales around this time. I would also checkout this website.
http://www.flightsflorida.com (http://www.flightsflorida.com/) Also visit the forum often as owner often post on here if they know of any good flight prices.[msncool]
Hi Margaret
Not sure about BA as we always fly Virgin, and they usually have a sale in the New Year. We tend to book our May flights then, they may have availability for as far ahead as September. They also have several more sales throughout the rest of the year. As it's outside of school holidays I'm sure you will be able to get a better price. You just have to keep constantly checking this area as people post when they hear of a sale coming up or a good deal.
LiesaAnna
17-10-2011, 14:32
we saved a lot of money by waiting for last minute flights as there were only 3 of us, got 3 adult flights taxes etc £1,359 was around 17 hundred days before... coming up to bank holidays they tend to have sales...
Madabouttigger
17-10-2011, 17:56
All I can suggest is to keep looking on the web sites, or register with a site that emails Fare Alerts, it's always a gamble how long to leave it. If you have set dates, leaving it too long could result in no flights = no holiday. I'm sure there are some bargains out there, its just finding them!
Good luck.
Margaret
17-10-2011, 20:18
Thanks for your replies, guess I'll just have to keep looking :)
Margaret
Katys Grandad
18-10-2011, 08:12
Hi Margaret
I don't fly Virgin so can't help with that but I can confirm that BA do have a number of sales throughout the year. The last occasions they had sales covering Economy September travel were:
22 December 2010 to 25 January 2011
29 June to 19 July 2011
24 August to 20 September 2011
That is more less reflected by earlier years' dates and there have been other sales in between those dates but not for September travel. I should also add that some sales are destination-specific so don't assume that Orlando will be included although the US is BA's main international destination so at least 1 Florida destination is very likely.
I expect there will be a sale coming up in the next few weeks that will probably cover the early part of 2012 with a much bigger sale following in late December for flight through to Autumn 2012. Of course I could be completely wrong but it would fit in the pattern over recent years.
If you want to fly BA on a sale fare next September I'd hang on until late December.
luckylady
18-10-2011, 08:50
I have guests in my home at the moment who flew with BA from the UK to Tampa.They contacted me on Sunday to say they arrived safely. Also mentioned the journey from Tampa to Davenport was a breeze and was a cheaper and better option for them than arriving at Orlanda airport ..
We are going in October 2012 and are starting to look around at flight prices, we were considering flying into Tampa so I am definitely going to price that route up as well as Orlando and going indirect, when we went in 2009 we got flights for £525 pp direct but I think prices have gone up considerably. What would you say is an average for direct/indirect ?
freddiehollie
18-10-2011, 18:20
We got £2100 for four of us flying out for Christmas & New Year. US Airways via Philly. Very pleased with that as our Summer holiday was £2400.
We have also got £2300 for next spring. As they are in school holiday times were more than happy.
As the Christmas flights are now showing £2850 I'm even happier. We wouldnt/couldnt fly charter as they are too restrictive for us.
Katys Grandad
19-10-2011, 05:50
We are going in October 2012 and are starting to look around at flight prices, we were considering flying into Tampa so I am definitely going to price that route up as well as Orlando and going indirect, when we went in 2009 we got flights for £525 pp direct but I think prices have gone up considerably. What would you say is an average for direct/indirect ?
To be honest, outside school holidays direct flights on BA and, to a lesser extent, Virgin are very similar to flights with connections. Fares to Orlando/Tampa can be had for under £500 (and sometimes less than £400 in the sale!) The problem is that BA only fly internationally from London so if you're in other parts of the UK it still means a connection or a very long drive. Judging by your address, that isn't going to be a problem for you.
I don't know enough about school holiday fares to make a useful comment.
Margaret
23-10-2011, 19:12
Thanks for all the input, I have considered flying in to Tampa, I understand the drive to Orlando is fairly straightforward. I have flown with Virgin and BA before and preferred BA to Virgin. I will wait and see :)
Margaret
luckylady
24-10-2011, 08:35
Thanks for all the input, I have considered flying in to Tampa, I understand the drive to Orlando is fairly straightforward. I have flown with Virgin and BA before and preferred BA to Virgin. I will wait and see :)
Margaret
Margaret the drive from Tampa to Orlando is very easy It is one of our favourite airports to arrive in the Disney area. [msnsmile2]
We go out next Monday and are flying with BA from Edinburgh via London to Tampa we paid £460 each for our flights which I thought was fairly reasonable.
Andrena
SteveandJan
26-10-2011, 19:31
We have flown into Tampa many times and the drive is very easy. We are restricted to school holidays and flew into Miami this year with Virgin. We have just managed to get a bargain with Continental flying 26th July 2012 indirect via Newark for £366 each. Outside school holidays the prices are very good, judging from some of the emails I received for outside school holidays prices were reasonable. Sign up to as many travel sites to receive updates, including the charter travel which advertise through this site. They always keep me updated especially when special fares come in. Good luck and sometimes it's being on the net at the right time and enjoy your holiday.
Jan
Funnily enough I spoke to Charter Travel this morning about flights etc and they have put me on their mailing list for flights next October ..... what travel sites would you recommend signing up to ?? if you can't post them on here would you be able to DM them to me if possible ....
Andy & Arlene
27-10-2011, 11:48
Try www.kayak.co.uk
www.skyscanner.net
www.netflights.com
www.opodo.co.uk
www.expedia.co.uk
The first 2 are comparison sites
Thanks Arlene [msnsmile2]
Margaret
31-10-2011, 20:51
I've had a quote for £539 each flying with Virgin 1st Sept for 2 weeks, seems like a good price but is it worth waiting a bit ?
Last time we flew we paid £500 each for last week in August (2008)
Margaret
Philomena
31-10-2011, 21:16
That's a difficult question Margaret. I always tell my guests to shop around and when they have found a route and flight price they are happy with to book it and then not to look at flight prices again before they travel!!!
Good luck!
Katys Grandad
01-11-2011, 01:10
I've had a quote for £539 each flying with Virgin 1st Sept for 2 weeks, seems like a good price but is it worth waiting a bit ?
Last time we flew we paid £500 each for last week in August (2008)
Margaret
Always risky to advise others how to spend their money because it could easily go either way there. All I would say is that if it was my money I would wait because a fare at that level is going to be available to you several times between now and what is still quite a while away. I see that BA currently have a more or less identical fare on their website and that comes down to £498 if you put your dates forward a couple of days.
There will be sales around the Christmas/New Year period so, if it was me, I'd hang on for a while. Of course, it isn't me so it's your call!
Katys Grandad
01-11-2011, 01:12
That's a difficult question Margaret. I always tell my guests to shop around and when they have found a route and flight price they are happy with to book it and then not to look at flight prices again before they travel!!!
Good luck!
That's the standard advice and it's sound. Problem is, very few people can actually resist looking.
We've just flown direct Glasgow to Sanford last month with Thomas Cook Airlines for £420, worth a try but not sure what other airports they use. They only operate May to October I think but that should be ok for you!
Yesterday booked our 2012 Summer flights. Man to Mco travelling out July back August Virgin Direct £478.00 each :):):)
We are lucky in the fact we can travel early July which is just before the flights rise.
This is cheaper than we paid this year with Virgin so there are deals out there to be had.
I have been monitoring flights almost daily since beginning of October so patience has been rewarded :):)
Robert5988
02-11-2011, 11:08
American Airlines have a sale on at the moment. From £379 to MCO from London or Manchester up to 31 March 2012. £498 01 april - 22 June.
Book by 08 Nov
Katys Grandad
05-12-2011, 11:57
Looks like the BA sale will start on 22 December 2011 and if they're having one then all their competitors will no doubt follow suit. If anybody's thinking of booking 2012 flights in the next couple of weeks, it might well be worth hanging on for the sale fares.
Thank you for the update as we were thinking of looking for flights for the earlier part of next year - will now hold off till the 22nd at least
Katys Grandad
20-12-2011, 15:33
Sale is starting 8 am Thursday 22 December as we thought. They usually load the fares into the system the day before so there should be a chance to jump the gun before Thursday for the best bargains.
Last year the fares ran up to 30 September but it isn't yet clear whether that will be repeated.
Prices are ridiculously high at the minute, sales or no sales. Price for economy at easter at the minute is touching £1500. Summer time isn't looking much better. Sales only ever seem to apply to non school holiday periods.
FraserLynn
22-01-2012, 16:43
Prices are ridiculously high at the minute, sales or no sales. Price for economy at easter at the minute is touching £1500. Summer time isn't looking much better. Sales only ever seem to apply to non school holiday periods.
BA are doing club for that price at the moment (£780 each way) and economy for for about £300 each way.
BA are doing club for that price at the moment (£780 each way) and economy for for about £300 each way.
Brilliant spot, thanks! I'm checking no1 son's whereabouts to see if he's going to come with us and if it's still available I'm booking it tomorrow. We travel from Manchester so it messes the timings about a bit - I can only get this price if we do Sunday to Sunday in Florida, and we have to get a connection to Heathrow on Saturday night but, hey, it's worth it!