Flight prices ridiculous for april

[crabbie1]

Just checked flights with VA tonight. £2589!!!!! VH flydrive was £2091???? What is going on. For april after easter hols I thought they would be cheaper. Cheaper to go in bloomin august. This was for 2 adults and a child. Wish I could get rid of these VA vouchers and go indirect!!!

[Kath2003]

Originally Posted by crabbie1

Just checked flights with VA tonight. £2589!!!!! VH flydrive was £2091???? What is going on. For april after easter hols I thought they would be cheaper. Cheaper to go in bloomin august. This was for 2 adults and a child. Wish I could get rid of these VA vouchers and go indirect!!!

Yeh it's bonkers. Someone must be paying it, though.
For 4 adults, we paid £1648 indirect.
Virgin want £5202 for the same dates but direct.
Not a chance - £3.5K more?! We could go twice more and still not pay that!

Flying indirect also means we can fly from a more convenient UK airport (saving us 1.5hrs each way). It adds 4 hours to each trip, so 8 hours total, less 3 hours we'd spend travelling to the airport to fly direct, less an hour as we deal with immigration at our first stop on the way over - so essentially flying indirect "costs" us 4 hours. Or, in other words, we save £220 per person per hour extra travelling by flying indirect. For £220, I'll happily sit in an airport and have a cup of tea, thanks!

[bee86]

That is insane!!! What is the story with them being so high for that particular time???? Isnt it unusual?

[crabbie1]

Bee I havent a clue. Im just holding out for a bit as seem ridiculous. If after christmas its still like this will consider going later in the year. I could understand if it was easter but its suppose to be a low season.Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I dont get it either. What is odd is I booked a while ago and then went to amend our booking only to find now if I do that the same holiday is nearly twice the price. I coukd not figure out why sometimes the price is high when its not half term, spring break etc. same thing happens in october - november should be low season. Only thing I can think its its just supply and demand. When the flights start to get full they realise its popular so raise the price. Sometimes waiting as op suggests works as they add flights. This worked for our October ( not in half term ) trip next year. I noticed it was a BA flight price through the roof ( va must have been full ) then one month later the price for the same date came down by half and it was a VA flight again!

Confused...you will be lol. So glad I didnt pay those rates. How mad would you be! Best advice is never too early to book. Imo always the best price.

[wayneg]

I thought you had found better prices and booked a while ago.

The amount of money VA are losing they will be holding out as long as poss before dropping the fares. I am surprised they have not sold out to Delta or another US airline. They sold off 49% of the company a few years ago, I can see them selling more. Richard Branson thinks they will be around in 5 years, I am not so sure, maybe the brand will continue but I think it will be majority owned by someone else. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20665041

[Samaya]

The current USA offers from VA ends on the 19th December so hopefully the next offer will include lower fares to MCO.

We are waiting for a reasonably priced April flight so will hang out for a little while.

The current price with VA for our dates is £666 and £598 with miles plus money.

Leaving from a local airport with Aer Lingus via Dublin works out at £604 and includes free seat selection and 23kgs of luggage, also less overall travel time from home to MCO, so at the moment this would be a better choice as no 3-hour car journey to Gatwick plus petrol and parking cost and I believe will clear US immigration & customs in Dublin so quicker when arriving at MCO.

But £600 is over our planned budget for flights so fingers crossed for those lower fares, direct or indirect.

[wilma-bride]

I don't know what the value of your vouchers is but you might be better off looking at indirect flights and saving your vouchers for a future trip.

Bear in mind the possible repercussions of leaving it too late to cancel any DVC bookings you have, regarding points going in to holding and also being past the banking deadlines. Also, if you have borrowed points, bear in mind you won't be able to return them to the UY they came from.

[Samaya]

Thanks for the info, March is the start of our user year and they're all next year user points.

I realise we are taking a gamble but even if VA don't reduce their prices I think (hope) there will be lower indirect fares over the next 10-weeks.

I know we can't go on previous offers but between 22/12/11 and 24/01/12, VA had an offer and prices then were from £496 for flights between 8th April and 23rd May.

While a little later their next offer between 26/01/12 and 02/02/12 was from £447 for flights between 8th April and 23rd May.

So a waiting game.

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Originally Posted by Samaya

I realise we are taking a gamble but even if VA don't reduce their prices I think (hope) there will be lower indirect fares over the next 10-weeks.

I know you can't go on previous offers but between 22/12/11 and 24/01/12, VA had an offer and prices then were from £496 between 8th April and 23rd May.

While a little later their next offer between 26/01/12 and 02/02/12 was from £447 for flights between 8th April and 23rd May.

So a waiting game.

Sometimes if the flydrive works out cheaper with virgin holidays I trade my VA points for a virgin holidays voucher and use that to pay off some of the balance. I also do this because I can book early, give just the deposit and for an amendment fee change dates if required. I got caught once booking flights direct where I wanted to change the dates and it wasnt possible! Sometimes I even opt for paying a bit extra with VH as you can book further in the future than the flights direct and you dont have to pay the balance till 8 weeks before. I booked for oct 2013 a couple of months ago. Already the price has gone up as I said. Just a thought.

[crabbie1]

Originally Posted by wilma-bride

I don't know what the value of your vouchers is but you might be better off looking at indirect flights and saving your vouchers for a future trip.

Bear in mind the possible repercussions of leaving it too late to cancel any DVC bookings you have, regarding points going in to holding and also being past the banking deadlines. Also, if you have borrowed points, bear in mind you won't be able to return them to the UY they came from.

I have over £1300 in vouchers and cannot afford to save that before april. They have me over a barrel.
My dvc points are fine as I have no intention of cancelling and if I have to find another £500 odd I will. I rented my 2011-12 points and some of 2013.
Thanks for the advice anyway.
As I have nearly 20,000 miles I will try and buy 1 m+m and 2 full fare to use most the vouchers but will see. Going to wait till mid Jan at the latest to book. A risk I know

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Originally Posted by crabbie1

I have over £1300 in vouchers and cannot afford to save that before april. They have me over a barrel.
My dvc points are fine as I have no intention of cancelling and if I have to find another £500 odd I will. I rented my 2011-12 points and some of 2013.
Thanks for the advice anyway.
As I have nearly 20,000 miles I will try and buy 1 m+m and 2 full fare to use most the vouchers but will see. Going to wait till mid Jan at the latest to book. A risk I know

Good luck! Hope it works out for you!

[wilma-bride]

Are you looking at Gatwick or Manchester? 2A, 1C from Gatwick to Orlando on 10 April, returning 24 April is coming out at £1803.90. From Manchester is £1802.52

[crabbie1]

Originally Posted by wilma-bride

Are you looking at Gatwick or Manchester? 2A, 1C from Gatwick to Orlando on 10 April, returning 24 April is coming out at £1803.90. From Manchester is £1802.52

Yes I know. When I looked on the monday morning they had come down over £600. It would be manchester. Gatwick too far unless big price difference.

[wilma-bride]

Originally Posted by crabbie1

Yes I know. When I looked on the monday morning they had come down over £600. It would be manchester. Gatwick too far unless big price difference.

So are you planning to book now then?