Airlines

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

who do you think is the best economy airline ? I want to travel to London in February and don’t want to break the bank . Thanks !

 

[kaytieeldr]

First you need to determine which airlines will get you to/from London.

 

[Allison]

You need to look at all your possibilities for specific dates and see how the prices compare.

 

[BadPinkTink]

you should check www.skyscanner.com its an airline price comparison website. Direct flights to Heathrow are the most expensive as Heathrow has high airport taxes. The next open for direct flights is to Gatwick. Both have very good rail transport to central London.

Other options are a layover flight, more layovers = cheaper price = longer travel time

 

[Hrhpd]

who do you think is the best economy airline ? I want to travel to London in February and don’t want to break the bank . Thanks !

Also check airports that you can fly out of. We are doing a European tour next year and it is saving us $1,300 per person to fly west to LAX first and then fly to Europe. It is only costing us $200 pp to fly to LAX + 2 hotel rooms for one night, so we are still saving over $1,000 a person. It adds a few hours to travel time, but we are on vacation, so will have good books and things to relax with and enjoy. We will fly out a day early, spend the day at Universal, and then head over to LAX the next day. Bonus, get to throw a theme park into the mix.

I went through and checked most of the airports east of us to fly out of, but LAX always came out the cheapest with Houston as a second.

Air New Zealand had awesome rates from LAX - London. We got our tickets for $500 RT per person. We did upgrade our seats to extra legroom, so our final price was just over $600 RT. When I was on leave for surgery over the summer, I spent a ton of time doing research. Air New Zealand is also ranked one of the top international carriers.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

Well the best cost is between Norwegian and British airlines , both fares I would need to pay for one checked bag ( we can share one ) , so it’s mostly which would be the better of the two . I can get either for around 380.00 . I’m leaning towards British because they offer in flight meals free even in economy.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

you should check www.skyscanner.com its an airline price comparison website. Direct flights to Heathrow are the most expensive as Heathrow has high airport taxes. The next open for direct flights is to Gatwick. Both have very good rail transport to central London.

Other options are a layover flight, more layovers = cheaper price = longer travel time

Yeh I noticed that , flying into Gatwick and taking the train seems like a better option for sure !

 

[BadPinkTink]

Yeh I noticed that , flying into Gatwick and taking the train seems like a better option for sure !

I used to live in London and Gatwick airport was my airport of choice. Its really easy to get to central London, direct train from the airport building , 30 minutes non stop to Victoria train station on Gatwick Express. But you need to make sure its Gatwick Express as there are other train companies such as Southern who also go to central London. Southern Trains can be cheaper than Gatwick Express BUT its not a direct service and travel time is longer. You can also get National Express bus ( similar to Greyhound) from Gatwick airport to Victoria Bus Station, again its cheaper but it talks 90 minutes.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Yeh I noticed that , flying into Gatwick and taking the train seems like a better option for sure !

I haven't been there in a very long time, but I actually liked the feel of Gatwick better than Heathrow anyway.

 

[PigletsPal2]

My DD#2 is in London even as we speak, and after literally months of research, she found that Aer Lingus had competitive fares and a good schedule R/T from Orlando to London via Dublin. The layover in Dublin is adequate for transfer but not onerous, and her favorite benefit is that she clears U.S. customs and immigration in Dublin and can walk directly off the plane in Orlando to her waiting ride home.

Based on the behavior of the passengers waiting at the gate to board Virgin and Norwegian airlines before a couple of her trips, she's decided she won't fly either carrier.

Queen Colleen

 

[bcla]

Also check airports that you can fly out of. We are doing a European tour next year and it is saving us $1,300 per person to fly west to LAX first and then fly to Europe. It is only costing us $200 pp to fly to LAX + 2 hotel rooms for one night, so we are still saving over $1,000 a person. It adds a few hours to travel time, but we are on vacation, so will have good books and things to relax with and enjoy. We will fly out a day early, spend the day at Universal, and then head over to LAX the next day. Bonus, get to throw a theme park into the mix.

At least in my area, there's competition between airports. Most people think of San Francisco International Airport as the big carrier, but there are nonstop flights from Oakland to Gatwick. It's only Norwegian Air Shuttle now, but British Airways used to operate the same route. And of course there's your suggestion to take a connecting flight, which opens up a lot of options.

Of course the big issue is some of the carriers nickel and dime the customer for everything, including food, beverages, bags, etc. It makes it harder to comparison shop.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Well the best cost is between Norwegian and British airlines , both fares I would need to pay for one checked bag ( we can share one ) , so it’s mostly which would be the better of the two . I can get either for around 380.00 . I’m leaning towards British because they offer in flight meals free even in economy.

British isn't too bad on the long haul flights, and even have small chocolate-covered ice cream bars, but when we flew from Rome to Heathrow earlier this month (just over a 2-hr flight), they charged for all food, including soda. pffft. Even Southwest will give you pretzels and a drink on their short flights.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

Booked with virgin , I have to pay 60.00 for a bag but otherwise not a bad deal . They provide all food, drinks and snacks along with a kit with earbuds , blanket and things like toothbrush . I got two round trip for 822.00 total .

 

[Domo]

As far as budget airlines go, EasyJet is my clear winner. DO NOT GO RYAN AIR!

Will be flying with Norwegian Airlines in a few weeks from London to Vegas, technically a budget airline in it's own right. Will report back when I fly with them.

Used to fly with FlyBe to the Continent from Southampton Airport on the old BAE 146 aircraft and loved them! Since then they've rolled out an entirely new fleet of Embraers so could be worth a look.

Then there's FlyBMI from the Midlands to the Continent, but since I'm south coast I've never flown with them.

British Airways is fairly cheap now - could be worth a look? Flew business class a while back as a treat and unfortunately it was a bit grubby, so wasn't impressed.

 

[g00fy!]

We are flying Lufthansa to Rome (stop in Frankfurt) next summer for a cruise. A coworker who grew up in Germany highly recommended them. Got them for under $900 RT per person (exit row seats,) includes one checked bag, one small carryon, and a purse or laptop sized bag. Also includes 2 meals, snacks and free booze.

Hoping to bid for premium economy or business class when the flight gets closer.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

I am sooo glad I purchased my tickets on cyber Monday ! The same flight I’m on is now CRAZY expensive. I only paid 822.00 for both tickets .

 

[Domo]

View attachment 367521 I am sooo glad I purchased my tickets on cyber Monday ! The same flight I’m on is now CRAZY expensive. I only paid 822.00 for both tickets .

For Virgin Atlantic that's really good. If I can afford that I always go with Virgin.

 

[okeydokey]

As far as budget airlines go, EasyJet is my clear winner. DO NOT GO RYAN AIR!

Will be flying with Norwegian Airlines in a few weeks from London to Vegas, technically a budget airline in it's own right. Will report back when I fly with them.

Used to fly with FlyBe to the Continent from Southampton Airport on the old BAE 146 aircraft and loved them! Since then they've rolled out an entirely new fleet of Embraers so could be worth a look.

Then there's FlyBMI from the Midlands to the Continent, but since I'm south coast I've never flown with them.

British Airways is fairly cheap now - could be worth a look? Flew business class a while back as a treat and unfortunately it was a bit grubby, so wasn't impressed.

I would be interested in hearing how Norwegian was. We are considering a week in Paris next summer and Norwegian offers an Orlando/Paris flight that is much lower than other airlines.

 

[Fldisneyfamily4321]

I would be interested in hearing how Norwegian was. We are considering a week in Paris next summer and Norwegian offers an Orlando/Paris flight that is much lower than other airlines.

What made me not choose them was the they want 180.00 to check my baggage plus it’s a international flight and they give you no food service ( unless you are in a higher cost seat ) only water . Nope nope ... just didn’t like the reviews I saw .

 

[mel2014]

I would be interested in hearing how Norwegian was. We are considering a week in Paris next summer and Norwegian offers an Orlando/Paris flight that is much lower than other airlines.

We flew Norwegian from Oakland to Gatwick in March and were very happy with our experience. The planes are all near-new, the seats were comfortable, and the entertainment system was great. It's true that they don't include a meal unless you pay for an upgrade, but you can either bring your own food with you or buy some of their smaller snack offerings on board (they have sandwiches for reasonable prices). Personally, I feel like international airlines provide too much low-quality food anyway, so this wasn't a big issue for us, especially on a red-eye flight. With four people and only one checked bag, we saved over $1000 total flying Norwegian vs. any of the other airlines out of nearby airports for the same days.

I would happily fly them again for similar savings. Now, if the difference were only $50-60 per person after accounting for fees, I might go with British or Virgin instead.

I say this as someone that has flown internationally on Lufthansa, United, Singapore Air, Norwegian, WOW and Turkish airlines within the last three years and on British, Virgin, Aer Lingus, Continental, US Airways, and Air Canada in the past. WOW is on my never-fly-again list after having flight delays both directions and misplacing our baggage on a direct flight (I'm willing to put up with no entertainment and no food, but I expect the airline to do the basic job of getting me and my stuff where I want to go).