flights

loretta · Post by **loretta** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 7:55 pm

Can anyone tell me in their experience regarding prices is it better to book flights well in advance or wait untill the last minute, bearing in mind i will be going in July/ August will it be too dodgy to leave it to the last minute regarding availability

I appreciate all your advice.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Fri Feb 13, 2004 8:38 pm

It all depends on your flexiblity. If you have set dates in mind book now, so that you can secure the right seats. Generally with budget airlines the earlier you book the cheaper they are.

With charter flights you can get some last minute bargains, but you can also pay well over the top if they are over subscribed. With the European championships this year, Portugal will continue to be ever popular even after the football has gone, with the regular June Algarvean travellers booking for July August insted.

I have booked mine for the summer - From Birmingham in July for 10 days for £155 per person. This is with a "budget" airline, perhaps not cheap by budget airline standards, but the right dates and times.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 9:57 am

Slightly off subject but should be of interest is that Easyjet launch four new routes from Gatwick today including Faro on a daily basis. Mike.

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Sat Feb 14, 2004 11:16 am

Booked flights for £97 return with BA for the school summer holidays, worth looking on www.skyscanner.net

Maddi

Alison · Post by **Alison** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:55 pm

As we only completed on our villa in late July last year I couldn't book flights for our subsequent summer out there until the last minute, and the same applied to friends and family who joined us at varying times in August. None of us had any trouble finding flights but they varied enormously in price from around £100 to £200 return.

If you don't have to stick to Thursday/Saturday changeover, flights earlier in the week or even just Friday are usually much cheaper.

This year we have booked for every trip we intend making already, up to October half-term and I'll be watching the prices with interest ! So far, we have saved loads on the Easyjet flights at Easter by booking them as soon as they were available - the same flights are now £70+ more expensive. The civilised flight times (ie. 12.30pm as opposed to 6.30am) go more expensive very quickly.

The new Gatwick to Faro Easyjet flights are cheap at the moment but 6.30am (apart from Thursdays) - ouch !

Looks as though Maddi got a good deal for the summer at £97. We have paid £140 for Friday 6th to Tues 24th August from Gatwick and thought we had done OK - but it is not an early morning flight - I'm allergic to getting up at 3am !

However, our daughter and friends are going out from Easyjet from Luton Wed to Wed in May for £60 return and the new Gatwick flight is even cheaper.

No definitive conclusion here I'm afraid - but it beats gambling any day !