[Anonymous]

[Hktbound]

Hi
I am going to a wedding on 2nd September so thought it would be better to get in early on booking a one way flight from Malaga to London or even Gibraltar to London as Easyjet just released their new fares.
The cheapest direct fares are really high with both Ryanair and Easyjet wanting more than 200 euros each for a one way leg. BA is a little cheaper.
These are really high prices for a competitive route with all companies now having released their fares. We are spoilt living here regularly getting fares for around 50 euros one way or less off peak.

Question for the forum experts. Should I book and get in early and accept that fares are just going up or do you think that the prices will go down to more normal levels if I wait until next year sometime.
I had always thought that LLC carriers were better to book early for the best fares.
Thanks for any advice!

[MrDarwin]

I don’t have any experience of the Malagar or Gilbraltar routes, but sometimes we do go to the Greek Islands in September which makes Easyjet a necessity. We found the late summer flights usually cheapest to book during January.

[Hktbound]

Thanks. I have been waiting for Easyjet to release their prices as I thought it may bring them all down a bit but they have released very high. Of course it is still peak season with schools still off but I am really surprised to be paying over 200 euros before bag and seat fees on Ryanair multiplied of course as there is a family travelling and not just one person. And this is only the way out! Thanks for your comment, I will wait I think until January or any sale!

[planegeek]

Hi hktbound, it’s pricey because it’s around the end of the UK school holidays. I suggest you read this http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/easyjet-tricks its written by a well respected consumer champion and some of these ‘tricks’ may help with exactly your situation especially the section ‘Beat the school hols price hike’

[mkcol74]

If you don’t mind going via MAD and arriving into LHR I can see IB have fares around £90 level for that date.

Have a poke around on http://www.skyscanner.net to see what suits you.

[Hktbound]

Thanks Planegeek, tips 1 and 2 are especially interesting as 3 weeks later the schools are back so the prices will drop so if I can switch to the non phantom date could be interesting. Thanks also mkcol74 but I really want a direct flight but yes, I directs are much better value.

[Cheeryguy]

I would advise you to book BA now. I booked for a similar time this year, booking two months out, the fares started at about €500.00 one way. I ended up going via DUB with EI and BA.
As has been mentioned the end of the UK school holidays is always an expensive time.

[GBAIR72]

I normally fly both routes reguarly and prefer flying out of Gibraltar than Malaga especially in the summer due to check in times in Gibraltar and its less hassle at the airport, together with great prices on Duty Free. I pretty much fly there every other weekend in the summer. I am already booking now for next summer.

For prices it varies, I find Monarch normally the cheapest from Luton or Birmingham. I have never seen prices go down if you book now with the exception of BA on their sales

I think demand has gone up on both routes the past year with very little capacity added especially on Gibraltar route every time the flights are pretty much full.

if you are going peak UK holiday times you should definitely book now.
BA (LHR-GIB) have just this week launched an additional 2 flights on Monday and Friday so check for those flights as sometimes you can get a good deal.

[AnthonyDunn]

By way of a travel experience GIB is preferable to AGP – and it’s also in a duty free area. But one thing to be aware of, particularly late Summer and into the Autumn, is that the Med gets rather breezy at that time of year. As the GIB runway is sited on an isthmus between the Rock and the Spanish mainland, it is subject to very strong crosswinds which can lead to diversions (to AGP..!) and delays as you are then bused all the way to the Rock and through the Spanish shilly-shallying at the border.

Such weather patterns are pretty standard and I always remember my late father telling me of the times he flew into what was then RAF Gibraltar during the last war – and the number of occasions he flew over crews sitting on the tails of their plane after they’d miscalculated the winds. Thankfully, that tends not to happen these days.

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