1. Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
    It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
    In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

UK Flight Prices

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by Readingfanman, Sep 29, 2014.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Readingfanman

    Readingfanman Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2013
    Messages:
    362
    Location:
    London, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    3
    Looking at flight prices for 2015 from London for next year, and it seems to me as if either, the flight prices to Vegas have increased dramtically, or because they haven't yet released the summer flight timetable, that we're seeing over demand on certain flights pushing the prices up:

    The cheapest flights in between March and September direct are over £730, that's more than it's costing me for 5 nights at the Aria, and flights in December. I know there is seasonal disparity but surely that's not right.
     
  2. ExVegasLocal

    ExVegasLocal Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2013
    Messages:
    395
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    99
    Flights between the US and the UK/Europe can be double the cost during the summer than they are at other times of the year. This is what has always prevented me from visiting Europe in the summer. I generally find the best prices on flights during the winter season (Christmas/New Year's weeks excluded), but flights can also be very reasonable during the "shoulder season" (mid-September through mid-November/early April through mid-May). If you can avoid summer and holiday times, you'll do better.
     
  3. Shipppp09

    Shipppp09 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2013
    Messages:
    152
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    3
    I've done a lot of searching around lately for flights and had similar problems. In the end we just bit the bullet and paid relatively high prices for next August. Exvegas is right though, there were numerous good deals for March/April even early May 2015 but we wanted to go in the summer. Certainly worth looking into if your flexible on dates. Also check out Expedia, if you don't mind stopping a couple of times there seems to be some relatively cheap prices up to May in 2015. Also some travel agents tend to have sales around Xmas time, so you may find some cheaper prices then..we were just too inpatient too wait haha
     
  4. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,466
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    I personally wouldn't book a flight until 2 months before I wanted to go, but I have definitely noticed prices going up (have booked 9 or 10 US flights in the last 18 months and each has been a bit more expensive).
     
  5. Bernie2

    Bernie2 MIA

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2008
    Messages:
    1,466
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    138
    Try Momondo
     
  6. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,466
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    Clever website, but not as cheap as Skyscanner.net for the dates I am looking at next.
     
  7. lotso-bear

    lotso-bear VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2013
    Messages:
    1,225
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    111
    Take a look at airfare everyday since sales can happen for a few days or so without any notice. Not really time consuming since you can just take a look at airfares on sites like Kayak, where they grab fares on other OTA websites (ex. Expedia, Orbitz, etc.).
     
  8. achalm

    achalm Tourist

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2014
    Messages:
    15
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
  9. Sander

    Sander Tourist

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2014
    Messages:
    40
    Can someone explain why à flight from Amsterdam that has à stop in London and from there to Vegas is cheaper then THE Same flight from London to Vegas?
     
  10. scottydoog

    scottydoog Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2009
    Messages:
    367
    Location:
    Birmingham, England. But born and raised in Bonny
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    31
    Ha Ha, trying to work out airline ticket prices is like trying to win megabucks. As previous poster, wait till 2-3 months before travel, check every day, in fact several times every day, prices can change like Vegas hotel prices!! I got my VS ticket LGW-LAS about 7 weeks prior to travel for 667 GBP, it had been up at 804 previously, simply supply and demand. They release the cheaper buckets in dribs and drabs if they have not sold any tickets in a particular time frame. One other piece of advice, delete your cookies after each search, I,m sure Virgin Atlantic track your visits......
     
  11. MrCravat

    MrCravat Tourist

    Joined:
    Oct 6, 2013
    Messages:
    26
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    10
    APT "Air Passenger Tax"....keeps going up every year..

    The Dutch scrapped it and is a reason why it's usually cheaper to fly from my local airport ( Newcastle ) to Amsterdam or Paris..

    Skyscanner has always been the 1st port of call for flights to the US when I'm looking
     
  12. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,466
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    Crikey, could be one of a load of reasons. If the flight originates in Amsterdam it's likely that the landing / takeoff fees are cheaper than a hub carrier. That's a pure guess though.
     
  13. Corinne

    Corinne Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    811
    Location:
    Bucks, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    I've been every year for about 10 years in June or August. We have always get the best price in December or beginning of January. If you have points on Virgin or BA check the reward ones too. You only need 2000 on Virgin to reduce the price between £50 and £150. Just a few points on BA can reduce it too. If you don't get free rooms then sometimes a package works out cheaper and if you register for frequent flyer on Virgin and book over the phone you get 7% discount Whenever we've looked at July and August we always go around the 20th of August and that seems to be a cheaper price bracket as I presume the schools here are due to go back soon. June and end August you should see a sale for at the end of the year and jump on it cos we've never known it to go down again after that. You can also mix and match LGW and LHR with BA. I'm sure you'll pick up something for about £650 on certain dates. We are waiting patiently. Well, not so patiently, lol. Virgin and BA seem to collaborate as when one price changes the other seems to as well within a day.
     
  14. Corinne

    Corinne Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    811
    Location:
    Bucks, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    Out of interest would a flight from Europe via London then go direct to Vegas or go to another hub first? That would be a long long journey and would have to be free for me to do it. The direct one from London is just about my limit. I live near London though so if I lived in Newcastle it may well be a good plan.
     
  15. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,466
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    Hi Corinne, some flights still connect via Amsterdam and then another US hub but it's not as big a drag as you might think.

    Obviously direct is best, but Amsterdam is only 50 mins away from Manchester / London so it doesn't add much.

    I did Man > Ams > Philly > Las Vegas once as I was going last minute and it was bearable. Wouldn't choose it though.
     
  16. Shipppp09

    Shipppp09 Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2013
    Messages:
    152
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    3
    I live in Newcastle and found the exact same thing when looking for flights a couple of weeks ago.
    NCL-LHR-LAS was about 20% cheaper than LHR-LAS, with the London to vegas leg being the exact same flight.
     
  17. Corinne

    Corinne Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2012
    Messages:
    811
    Location:
    Bucks, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    20
    Wigwam: I see you live in Manchester and I've just seen Virgin has Manchester at £602 in December.

    Shipp: presumably you can't just do the LHR-LAS section and you have to go the Amsterdam first? What airline is it?
     
  18. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,466
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    Thanks Corinne! I usually fly US airways when I'm paying though as I have enough miles for upgrades.

    When work is paying on the other hand...
     
  19. madao

    madao Newbie

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2014
    Messages:
    1
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    2
    My guess would be the departure taxes applicable in the UK. As a transit pax from Amsterdam you wouldn't be paying the tax those departing the UK get stung with.
     
  20. Readingfanman

    Readingfanman Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2013
    Messages:
    362
    Location:
    London, UK
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    3
    I had a look last night, flying in say April from Amsterdam to Vegas via London is £591 , flying direct from London is £748 direct. Add in a £20 flight to Amsterdam on the way there, and you save plenty.
     
Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.