Return flight cost info without a travel date

[paulklee]

I'm lucky enough to be able to travel back to UK freqently (I know, whyever would i want to? ). I have asked various travel agents to let me know when a promotional flight comes up that meets my (quite simple) requirements, but always they say "give us a date first". Maybe my explanation is poor, but even when I say the date doesn't matter at all, they say but we need a date first to check the prices!

Is there any way to ask a travel agent to do this? Or any other way? I do get promotional emails from several airlines but it takes ages to put in hypothetical comparison dates and the end cost is never anywhere near as low as the headline price!

Thanks!

[craigt3365]

I think you answered your own question! Travel agents run into the same thing. Without some dates to go by, the fares can vary drastically.

One thing I've done is when a promo fare crops up is to call the airline directly. Then ask them when is the lowest fare, regardless of date/time. I've had luck with this in the past. But you still need to give them a bit of a window.

[asanee]

FROm EUr/UK its daft easy-same monthes every year, vary actual days with when holiday starts. When noone wats to go-extreme hot wheather, etc.

FROM TH its much less of assured low-season low fares. Also you did NOT specify if its also open date return or for how long stay-tipically low fares are for max stay 1 month. The only thing is that llow season will give you plenty much more of actual available lower priced seats. Best to check BKK-post or other newsppr that has ads from airlines like new start ups or special offers like 2 for less etc.

IF you want cheap and do ot mind roundabout trips-check Norwegian-a low cost airline with flites to Scandi +organise yourself RYAN or whatever to Blimey. Luggage+food is extra!! But they have nice all-month overviews of lowest fres.

[paulklee]

Thanks craigt3365 and asanee for the input.

It's usually 2-3 weeks I want in UK, rarely longer. Gasping to get back by then!

Other than the usual school holiday, or other holiday influences on prices, I've not seen much of a pattern from Bangkok to UK, other than ridiculously high prices. I double checked with Emirates this morning for a hypothetical flight in mid to late March and it's almost B40K to LHR. Another B3K to provincial airports. That's ridiculous!

As you say, the prices are lower when people dont want to travel and the planes may not be full. But unless there is a clearer signpost to when these flights are then they are going to stay half empty. Is that the plan?

I thought there may have been a way to achieve the info I want but seems not. I will have another look at the Bangkok Post though...thanks

[smokie36]

You would be smarter to buy a single to the UK and do all your flight returns the other way...over the years you will save plenty.

[IMA_FARANG]

Yes, in a way.

If you belong to a group such as "Cheapfairs.com" or Expedia.com" as a member you can ask them to alert you if a fare to any destination you choose drops below your specified price.

For example if you ask them to "alert" you when a fare from , for example, Bangkok to London drops below your specified price, they will send you an e-mail with the information on who is offering such a fare and how to book it if you want to.

Usually you can check a box that says something like .... notify me if fares go lower even without booking a flight on airline booking sites also.

Just provide them with a valid e-mail address and they will send you promotional deals and fares to your "alert" destinations.

[Chivas]

Malaysian consistently cheapest at the moment one way and returns......

I'd be inclined to do what another poster suggests in that buy one way ticket home and then start using return tickets from London

[popelf]

Or try skyscanner which lets you search by whole months. You can also put UK as the destination and it will give you prices to all UK airports.

[Xircal]

Just subscribe to all airlines' frequent flyer program. That way, you'll be emailed when promotional fares become available.

Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines tend to offer better rates more often than EVA and BA do I find. Both MAS and SIA fly the A380 to London.

[roamer]

Set up fare alerts on Kayak for several periods. Quite apart from the normal promotions you get deals that might literally just be around for a day or so.

[colin65]

Log onto SKYSCANNER they will tell u when prices change under pricewatch

[paulklee]

An update to my original post.

Airline promotional emails - I have never found a good deal from these. By the time I go through the pre-booking process, the fares are just as high as ever. Maybe there is a combination of dates that gets the promotional pricing but I've never found them and my original post was about te problem of having to input many dates trying to search out the cheap fares.

Going to UK on a single and then booking returns from there looks interesting. However, any info on two aspects - the initial single fare is almost the same cost as a return from Thailand, surely you would have to make a lot of cheap return bookings from UK to make up that initial cost? Also, usually when I visit UK, the return date is quite easy to predict and book. But if I am booking from UK, it would be much more difficult to judge my next flight out of Bangkok. Anybody with experience of doing it this way got a comment?

I've registered with Experia and Kayak and wait for some info from them.

For the skyscanner specialists, I've gone through their flight booking system and see a really good low price (inc taxes etc they say) for BA to LHR return. However, when I move to the BA site using the skyscanner link the price increases by about 50%. Am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for all the help...