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Booking Flights


Accies1

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Over the past few years I've started going around Europe quite a bit and when it comes to booking flights I've always found it easier to book directly with the airline and also tend to find that it works out a bit cheaper doing it this way than going through sites like Skyscanner or Kayak, presumably this is down to budget airlines like Easyjet, Norwegian and Ryanair flying to destinations all over Europe. 

Recently though I've been looking into going further afield, no set place I've been looking at the far east and Americas, and I'm finding it difficult to see where it's best to get the best value for money when it comes to booking long distance flights. Is it best to stick with the likes of Skyscanner, Kayak etc or does anyone have any tips?

Thanks. 

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Use Skyscanner (and the like) to search for flights but when it recommends a flight then take their advice but book directly through the airline itself. Sometimes its cheaper, sometimes it's more expensive but if anything goes wrong then dealing direct with the airline is infinitely less problematic than dealing with these 3rd party mobs.  

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3 hours ago, Günther said:

Skyscanner is generally good for point to point stuff. I tend to find for flights with 1 or more connections then the pricing can be all over the place to the point you're better checking directly with the following...

going east...

KLM, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, BA, Turkish and Lufthansa.  

Going west

BA, KLM, AA, Delta, IcelandAir, Wow, United, Aer Lingus. 

Its also worth checking some of the Alliance sites such as One World, Star Alliance and Sky Team. 

Used Wizz and Lot to go to Tbilisi via Warsaw last year and saved a fortune compared to Skyscanner's suggestions, all via Istanbul or Kiev. Skyscanner's handy but it's just an indication of where to start looking, especially with an indirect route or less usual destination.

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10 hours ago, Günther said:

You are right however, my honeymoon last year I saved £60 quid between the 2 of us by booking with gotogate than through Turkish airlines themselves.

Didn't realise you were married mate.

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13 hours ago, Günther said:

I'm assuming you saved £200 as there was more than one passenger?? Would struggle to think that a flight to Albania would be more than £300 tops, a £200 saving from the one airline on a £300 fare seems quite odd. 

Yeah, two people, but the percentage discount was still ridiculous. After taxes I paid something like £20 each. I just checked and if I booked today (the departure is still well over a month away) it would cost €700 for the two of us.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Skyscanner price for my flight  £173; directed to Ryanair's site - price £183.  Really annoying.  Skyscanner, though, is pretty good as an indicator.

I have found that flying in the Far East can be much cheaper if you get a local to book for you. Eaststar jet and Peach were, I think, quite a bit cheaper.

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  • 1 year later...

Bit of a bump here, but found out today if you visit BA's website a few times checking prices, the price goes up. If you clear your cookies it goes back to the old one. Saved about £30. Probably the same with other airlines. Japan thread has the details, and a cheaper alternative.

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  • 2 weeks later...

If you're gonna be doing various flights in the far East then you can save a bomb booking through a travel agent.

I booked flights through STA when I went away last year and got Glasgow - Dubai, Dubai - Bangkok, Bangkok - Sydney, Brisbane - Christchurch, Auckland - Dubai and Dubai - Glasgow all for about £870. Would have been cheaper had i not booked the Christchurch flight later on.

They can access a lot if discounts we can't when they book all the flights together

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Over the past few years I've started going around Europe quite a bit and when it comes to booking flights I've always found it easier to book directly with the airline and also tend to find that it works out a bit cheaper doing it this way than going through sites like Skyscanner or Kayak


Slightly off topic; but recently booked ferry through direct ferries.(compare site). Was 45 pound cheaper than going directly to ferry company site
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  • 2 weeks later...

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