[RichHI1]

Only way to avoid UK immigration is to fly Aer Lingus via Ireland 😉

[MartynSinclair]

try an ex Europe routing via LCY-JFK-MCO.

I think the early LCY flight does get a same day connection down to MCO. You could always use Tampa depending which side of MCO you are visiting.

Rather than flying sector 1 early morning, try the night before and then go home for the evening. If you are transiting through London and your stay is less than 24 hours you will not get hit for the full added extras in terms of fees/taxes etc

[smartloobylou]

Martyn – do you suggest flying out and back to AMS or DUB on same flight (get on plane, get off plane, get on plane) the night before the connecting flight? that could work if we could sleep at home before heading to LGW in the morning

[BeckyBoop]

smartloobylou hun another option is to fly into Tampa, you will be about 80 miles from Orlando. Works out at about £1,875 pp (£13,128.12) these flights are again with Delta changing once each way but from LHR. BA works out at about £2,062 (£14,427.62) changing once both ways however you leave LHR. x

[Binman62]

I would do that out and back on same flight relatively painless and reduces risk of delays and cancellations.

£1855 per person ( average fare per pax) AMS LGW TPA return club world. Possible same day turn around using first LHR AMS connecting to 10.20 am service to LGW and on to TPA.

If you provide dates can have look at fares that better meet you needs.

Previous BA sales have provided good deals but I have never seen an EX uk fare that beats ex EU including sale fares.

ITA matrix has neat IPad app but not as good as learning the language and using the full blown system.

[MartynSinclair]

Tampa to Orlando Int – I live 15 minutes S W of MCO is 45 minutes.

Which flight to go outbound for an ex Europe ticket – depends on a couple of factors.

The last thing I would want to do is shlaaap my luggage on the outbound in bound flight so you will haave a massive challenge if you are in / out of Heathrow for a Gatwick departure to MCO (BA / VS).

My BKK ex-Europe does not have this problem as I can check bags in for BKK before I fly out to Milan to start my ticket and I always take the same aircraft out that will return me to Heathrow. On occasions the crew allow me to stay on board in Milan.

The USA ex-Europe is more of a challenge becasue of the late morning/early afternoon LONDON departure.

I am sometime able to start the flight using the last flight out of Europe the night before. This has the advantage of not needing to stay in Europe the night before to catch the first flight into London and also nit needing to take any lugage with me.

All sounds confusing, but it does work.

Would use Delta to go to the states though – personal choice.

[stevescoots]

I have often found Matrix to be poor, more often than not offering the wrong class of flights, or prices way over airlines own.

i did quick check to HKG in business, best came up was Malay at 990…except it was actually econ all the way, finnair best was coming in at over 2800, but on thier site i could get 2200 for same dates

[smartloobylou]

Ive seen Delta prices as the best (into ATL and then short flight to MCO) but have always been under the impression their business class offering is pretty dated – just big regular seats? Any one know what their transatlantic config is?

We always check out Tampa prices – and sometimes fly there it only adds about 15 mins to our journey and i prefer the airport/immigration. But they only have one flight per day so less availability.

The last couple of years in the sale we have got direct LGW/MCO CW flights for about £860 each way – but i do realise that the taxes have taken a hike this year so would be happy to get £950 each way. I also have shareholder discount so can get a further 10% of flight price

[smartloobylou]

It’s the 12th! No changes yet. Any ideas vintage Krug?

[BeckyBoop]

Here we are12 May and no change for flights this summer 🙁 except now AA is £2,061.19 (adult) changing in Chicago. BMI is operated by UA £1,605.59 (adult) going out in economy (Q) rtn in business (Z), both times changing in Washington.

The Delta offer is still available, unless you want to go in Feb 2013 with BA as thats only £1845 🙁

[smartloobylou]

Just re reading vk’s reply it did say wait till AFTER the 12th. But I think we’re going to book one way or another next week. Too fed up with all this rain and just want some nice sunshine for us and the kids now

[VintageKrug]

Indeed, I based my post on the expiry of other current promotions; with all the bmi integration cutover going on over Thursday/Friday it would have been too risky to start a sale just then, but now the bmi flights are fully operational on ba.com it would make sense for a sale to start imminently.

Wait until AFTER 12th and while that doesn’t mean certainty of a sale on the 13th, it would be extraordinary if a post bmi/BA merger sale wasn’t being worked on right now.

It’s something of a matter of nerve; if you really/absolutely/must travel then there’s something to be said for booking now with another carrier. But late bookings can be rewarding, viz. the “anywhere for £1006 rtn in Club World” we saw over the peak Christmas period last year.

[BeckyBoop]

ok, thx hun xx

[Binman62]

Sale or no sale….will not matter. EX uk fares will be higher than ex EU.
The £2012 for 2 deal referred to above is a red herring. It was designed to get people who had no plans and who were time rich on to aircraft and generate free publicity. The restrictions on use and the timescale for booking, combined with the very limited number available meant it was of limited use to most people.
There may indeed be a sale and if my intel is right a good one as BA are,as predicted, suffering from people avoiding the UK like the plague this summer. Euro transfer traffic from Germany is holding up but it is transfer driven traffic not London terminating.

[smartloobylou]

lets see what next week brings – i just feel BA have played the pricing game all wrong this year and will suffer for it. They could have been sat on my money from Dec/Jan for July flights but they obv dont need the cashflow.

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