Why are charter flights so expensive?

[scamhammer]

Why are charter flights from the UK to Orlando currently so expensive? Why doesn’t someone get some of those unused aircraft out of the desert to increase capacity?

[firsttimer]

I agree! We had to book fairly late for Easter and the tickets were extortionate...in fact I'm sitting here with an arm and a leg missing cos that's what they cost us!! Unfortunately there were so few available (we missed some by a day and the only others we could find were even more expensive. I suppose it's just supply and demand- we just hadn't realised Easter was peak season. Even so we are having to take 2 days of term time- I do not want to take any more school time, so school holidays are always going to be expensive.
(we'll know better next year!)[msnscared]

[tinkerbell]

They are so expensive because they know people will pay it! Especially during school holidays!

[Beverley]

We used charter flights at Christmas, booked about a month before, they were £189.00 each.

I think it was just good luck & timing, because a couple of weeks later the same flight was more than double that price.

[orlandobabe]

Beverley-you really got a good deal there. We used charter for our one and only visit at Xmas 2001 and it cost us £630 each.
I wonder why my husband won't go at that time anymore.

Extortionate!

[Nigel W]

You can pick up some bargains if you leave it late to book, but as you say it can really expensive you really have got to shop

[MrEktion]

I'm not sure the statement about Charters being expensive is true except for School Hols that is. They know demand is high in these periods and so charge accordingly. If you choose your time and are not limited by having school age children you can get great deals on Charters.

You don't even have to leave it to book late either. We got fly-drives with Travel City for £179 leaving late April but booked on New Years Day. Two weeks before we go it is Easter and MyTravel have fly-drives 'on offer' on Teletext for £849 each With a 28" seat pitch to boot The moral here is if people will pay it they will charge it.

Scamhammer, I agree with you capacity seems to be less now than before September 11th but what you ask for is happening to some extent, look at Flyblu starting a new charter service from Birmingham with 767's all be it with a Premium Economy seating offer. Also, according to the cabin crew on our return last September, TCD are to increase the frequency of flights to Orlando this summer from 4 to 6 per week.

Mr Ektion

[honeybee]

For end of April there are some excellant deals at under £300. For the summer from gatwick there are some charters at under £600 available for peak dates..

[blott]

We managed to get US Airways for mid May for £270 including tax which must have been a fluke as most of the flights at that time were £400+. [8D]

[wilfy]

We were looking for a deal prior to the half-term at the end of October, upto 3 days before that week, you could get a 7 or 14 flight into sandford for £99 including taxes. Needless to say the dates we wanted saw the price go to normal, over £300. Time for Sarah to change vocation....