Flight Tickets To Uk

[doctormann]

Hi

I'm having a problem trying to book tickets to the UK for late April.

Back in the UK I never had any trouble booking well in advance but now that I am based in LoS it doesn't seem so easy. If I try booking through a 'bucket shop' - english slang for a discount ticket outlet - almost all of the time I get 'no availbility'. I don't think that this is because all of the seats are sold - more likely that blocks of seats have not been released yet. Anyone know how far in advance you can normally book discounted tickets?

Having similar problems if I try to book direct with an airline. Some show availability but the prices are generally pretty high - I thought that early booking might mean cheaper prices but not so, it seems. The Etihad web site shows nothing beyond March - summer schedule not yet decided maybe?

Does anyone have any recommendation for Thailand-based on-line booking? I've been looking at Bangkoktickets.com and at Kayak (no bargains there) but I would be grateful for any suggestions. On-line booking would be convenient but if anyone knows of a good, reliable travel agent in Pattaya I can always do it that way.

Isn't it silly that the UK-based ticket outlets will only issue tickets for flights originating in the UK? Those that I have tried also seem to insist that you are resident in the UK!

DM

[briley]

You can book a ticket up to twelve month in advance but most airlines only release the cheaper tickets about 3 months in advance and then only in dribs and drabs.

If tickets on a flight are selling well then they won't sell any discount tickets, if selling badly then lots of cheap tickets. The airlines employ high quality mathematicians to work out the supply of tickets to optimise their profit.

Don't forget Easter is 16th April this year so flight back to the UK in the week 16-24th April will be heavily booked.

[doctormann]

You can book a ticket up to twelve month in advance but most airlines only release the cheaper tickets about 3 months in advance and then only in dribs and drabs.

If tickets on a flight are selling well then they won't sell any discount tickets, if selling badly then lots of cheap tickets. The airlines employ high quality mathematicians to work out the supply of tickets to optimise their profit.

Don't forget Easter is 16th April this year so flight back to the UK in the week 16-24th April will be heavily booked.

Thanks - looks as though I may have to wait a while.

I'm not travelling until after the Easter period - earliest departure will be 25 April. Things are reasonably flexible - I just need to be in the UK sometime before the end of May.

DM

[cleverD]

I am also looking to travel to London on 25th april and like you have had no luck finding any cheap flights.Thai airways and Eva air have released cheap flights London- bangkok for april and may £320 and £340 plus tax perhaps they will follow suit in Thailand as this is obviously a low season for them.I have a UK travel agent checking with their partner agent in Bangkok for tickets,will let you know if I come up with anything.

[sbk]

I plan on flying back to the US in May and am a long-term planner like you guys! I was told by several travel agents here in Thailand that the airlines don't publish the "Spring deals" until the end of March.

[briley]

Just been looking - and all the prices I can see for flights are valid until 31 March.

So hold on a bit!

[caledonia]

You can sometimes get lucky with prices on Opodo.com - I have a few times and they issue e-tickets so you don't have the problem of the tickets being sent out to you - they just send you an e-mail ticket.

I have only ever booked through a UK based credit card which may be a problem for you but certainly they don't only sell tickets originating in the UK - I have bought for tickets orginating in Europe and priced for Gambia based flights even!

But the credit card part may be the sticker but certainly they way beat anything all the normal travel agents like majortravel and even flight centre offerred. They sometimes offer a combination of airlines to get the cheapest route - something else I have never been able to do elsewhere. For instance fly out KLM and fly back Lufthansa but still cheap!!

[doctormann]

You can sometimes get lucky with prices on Opodo.com - I have a few times and they issue e-tickets so you don't have the problem of the tickets being sent out to you - they just send you an e-mail ticket.

I have only ever booked through a UK based credit card which may be a problem for you but certainly they don't only sell tickets originating in the UK - I have bought for tickets orginating in Europe and priced for Gambia based flights even!

But the credit card part may be the sticker but certainly they way beat anything all the normal travel agents like majortravel and even flight centre offerred. They sometimes offer a combination of airlines to get the cheapest route - something else I have never been able to do elsewhere. For instance fly out KLM and fly back Lufthansa but still cheap!!

Thanks

I queried Opodo but they are quite adamant that they will only deal with UK-based customers. I think that I may have been connected to their UK operation though, so this may be the problem. I have also tried Expedia.com and they seem happy to issue tickets to me as long as they are 'E' tickets. No problem and they are offering reasonable prices on KLM to London or Manchester at the moment. I still have to check out local travel agents though.

DM

[asanee]

1.ALL airls change from summer to winter schedule and back last SUN in march, as in OCT, well funny, thats when the summer/wintertime chnage goes on! Some airls finally release the times only a few weeks before, and its computer: if nothing has been put in, nothing comes out!

2.It DIFFERS quite a lot WHERE you buy tix. AS Airls respond to local circumstances, thus any idea out of the UK/US/EUR should not be applied here. Thai do not tend to book so long before (have not got the money, nor the foresight), even AirAsia, other as say RYAN, only does the cheapspecials a month or so before!

3.Out of TYhaild, NEVER use the airlines ownwebsites, except for times. The BETTER prices are only via local agents, and NO, they will never do tix out of another country.

4.I really, really doubt if easter has that much impact: its SONGkran, when the Thai get off themselves, and droves of farangintheknow lve to avoid it!

5.DIRTcheap tix EUR-Thai are always, every yr for the last 12+ in april/may, thats when the wheather is so badhoy noone wants to come who knows.

6.really dirtcheap tix, single, BKK-EUR (Deutschland) come on the last charters of the year (LTU.Condor), often for just 99/129 EUR. Therse charters tipically run from late oct to mid-april.

Again only via a few selected localagents here only

[Khun Bob]

5.DIRTcheap tix EUR-Thai are always, every yr for the last 12+ in april/may, thats when the wheather is so badhoy noone wants to come who knows.

6.really dirtcheap tix, single, BKK-EUR (Deutschland) come on the last charters of the year (LTU.Condor), often for just 99/129 EUR. Therse charters tipically run from late oct to mid-april.

Again only via a few selected localagents here only

Hi - could you say who the selected local agents are for the charter flights with prices of 99/129 EUR. Thanks

[Khun Bob]

bump - could you say who the selected local agents are for the charter flights with prices of 99/129 EUR. Thanks

[Bluffer]

1.ALL airls change from summer to winter schedule and back last SUN in march, as in OCT, well funny, thats when the summer/wintertime chnage goes on! Some airls finally release the times only a few weeks before, and its computer: if nothing has been put in, nothing comes out!

2.It DIFFERS quite a lot WHERE you buy tix. AS Airls respond to local circumstances, thus any idea out of the UK/US/EUR should not be applied here. Thai do not tend to book so long before (have not got the money, nor the foresight), even AirAsia, other as say RYAN, only does the cheapspecials a month or so before!

3.Out of TYhaild, NEVER use the airlines ownwebsites, except for times. The BETTER prices are only via local agents, and NO, they will never do tix out of another country.

Not true. Got a great deal from the Lufthansa web site to Vietnam last year which the travel agents couldnt match.

And at the moment, the Thai web site is matching prices for prices quoted by travel agents as well for my March trip.

Does anyone know if there is a local equivalent to PRiceline.com where you BID a price for your ticket? The main site only allows flights originating in the US.

Edited February 9, 2006 by Bluffer

[Khun Bob]

Bump again - Hi - anyone care to say who the selected local agents are for the charter flights with prices of 99/129 EUR.

or where i could find out further info on charter flights between bkk and europe... Thanks

[Soph]

I just found some really great deals with Asian Trails in Bkk, they have flights (one way) to the UK in March or April with Gulf Air for 15,000 baht. And you can pay by credit card, not cash (as alot of the cheap ticket operators only take cash)

[thaiflyer1]

5.DIRTcheap tix EUR-Thai are always, every yr for the last 12+ in april/may, thats when the wheather is so badhoy noone wants to come who knows.

6.really dirtcheap tix, single, BKK-EUR (Deutschland) come on the last charters of the year (LTU.Condor), often for just 99/129 EUR. Therse charters tipically run from late oct to mid-april.

Again only via a few selected localagents here only

Hi - could you say who the selected local agents are for the charter flights with prices of 99/129 EUR. Thanks

Khun Bob ......try sending the poster a pm you dont seem to be having much luck this way.