Is this a decent price for flights to New York?
Discussion
Obviously I've read the other comments on the thread about New York in August, but we don't mind the heat! My problem is a wife who is a teacher so trying to get a reasonable flight is pretty hard work especially when I want direct flights from the north of England/Scotland.
Compounding my concerns is that when me and the lads used to go a lot back in the early 00's we never used to pay much more than £250 per flight, I know things have gone up in the last 10-15 years but some of the prices I'm being asked are eye watering!
All advice appreciated!
What price are you being quoted? If you go when the Scotish school are back (mid August?) should rule out any holiday factor. A friend has just booked flights to Signapore from Glasgow saving £600 a head over Manchester. I'm surpised these kinds of routes are effected by school holiday 'loading' so much.
Over the past 8 years been to NYC 3 times and paid between £300-£400 for the UK-NYC leg return. I'd expect it's getting more diificult to get to the £300 mark these days. BA stopped flying direct form Manchester a few years ago. Continental had direct flights from Glasgow to Newark.
Over the past 8 years been to NYC 3 times and paid between £300-£400 for the UK-NYC leg return. I'd expect it's getting more diificult to get to the £300 mark these days. BA stopped flying direct form Manchester a few years ago. Continental had direct flights from Glasgow to Newark.
nope you can get cheaper. if direct flights are a must, then its about £550 ish to fly continental from edinburgh on the same days.
but can get flights for about £450 ish if you change your flights to having 1 connection.
If you had bought these flights a couple of months earlier you could have got decent flights in the BA sale. I'm flying BA (code share though) Edinburgh- NYC leave friday morning 9am arrive lunch time, fly home 7pm arrive 7am saturday for £550 but booked them in the BA sale earlier this year. they werent the cheapest flights but think the times are brilliant.
but can get flights for about £450 ish if you change your flights to having 1 connection.
If you had bought these flights a couple of months earlier you could have got decent flights in the BA sale. I'm flying BA (code share though) Edinburgh- NYC leave friday morning 9am arrive lunch time, fly home 7pm arrive 7am saturday for £550 but booked them in the BA sale earlier this year. they werent the cheapest flights but think the times are brilliant.
funnily enough i was looking at flights to new york in august as i have a wedding in detroit and wanted a few days in the big apple either end of it.
It works out cheaper to go to new york, then get an internal flight to detroit, rather than fly directly there.
If you fly on a wednesday it makes a huge difference to price too. I always use skyscanner when booking flights as it looks at whole of market.
Return flights, direct to new your were coming back at £449.
It works out cheaper to go to new york, then get an internal flight to detroit, rather than fly directly there.
If you fly on a wednesday it makes a huge difference to price too. I always use skyscanner when booking flights as it looks at whole of market.
Return flights, direct to new your were coming back at £449.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
The price shown in the OP 
I thought I was going insane or dumb, the pic wasn't showing on my works screen so checked my phone.Yeah £600 ish isn't too bad direct. As a rule I don't mind indirect flights if I'm away for a decent duration but for less than a week I'd rather pay the extra and have the time at the destination.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Wonder why Wednesdays make a difference? Flying from Edinburgh does indeed get cheaper-around £950 for both of us which is much more like it!
I've flown United from the US back to europe and it was, without doubt, the worst longhaul overnight flight I've ever had - and that despite having a sickness bug flying back from Vancouver once! Yes, United were THAT bad.I hope your Edinburgh option isn't with United?
(United for U.S domestic flights in business (U.S = First Class!) are actually very good though!)
5potTurbo said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Wonder why Wednesdays make a difference? Flying from Edinburgh does indeed get cheaper-around £950 for both of us which is much more like it!
I've flown United from the US back to europe and it was, without doubt, the worst longhaul overnight flight I've ever had - and that despite having a sickness bug flying back from Vancouver once! Yes, United were THAT bad.I hope your Edinburgh option isn't with United?
(United for U.S domestic flights in business (U.S = First Class!) are actually very good though!)
Bearing in mind we used to travel British Airways to and from New York back 15 years ago-Shirley nothing could be that bad!
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Indeed it is with united! Are they really that bad?!
Bearing in mind we used to travel British Airways to and from New York back 15 years ago-Shirley nothing could be that bad!
I'll be honest and say i probably wouldnt fly US airways across the atlantic again. the planes are pretty old, service not great, in flight entertainment pretty rubbish. they are the cheapest but there's a reason for that. Bearing in mind we used to travel British Airways to and from New York back 15 years ago-Shirley nothing could be that bad!
I've flown with them to vegas last time (edinburgh- NYC- vegas) and it was ok, but thats only because it was boys holidays, we got drunk/ drank some duty free onboard, had banter, passed out/ slept. i think there was a snack/ soft drink/tea coffee, but certainly no free booze.
but if i was going on a holiday with the other half i'd probably stump up the extra to fly with a nicer airline.
5potTurbo said:
OP, they are that bad for trans-atlantic. malks222 said:
.....but if i was going on a holiday with the other half i'd probably stump up the extra to fly with a nicer airline.
^^^THIS, honestly. 
t food and no inflight entertainment how bad can it be? Unfortunately driving to New York via a ferry isn't possible 
We go to lanzarote regularly and have to put up with jet2/easyjet/Ryanair etc so will it be packed in worse than those?
Edited to add, it's not a matter of stumping up extra to get a better carrier, we're talking twice the price for anything good with added stops on the way or travelling from airports that are miles away. As I said, I truly cannot be arsed with flying and consider it something to be endured for as short as possible!
Edited by LaurasOtherHalf on Thursday 23 April 16:21
there wasnt one exact thing that I could put it down to, I never usually moan about these things, i'm more than happy to fly easyjet/ryanair etc..... dont get fussed being crammed into them with people with loads of carry on bags etc..... i'm also only 5'6 so not the tallest, but there was something about the whole experience that made me look elsewhere.
The space was very cramped even for a shorty like me, the lack of drinks was poor, being stuck in a cramped place for 6hrs with crap entertainment etc.... all just added up to being a poor experience that I would try and avoid in future.
now if it was affordable to fly with someone else, I would pick the other option, but if it meant looking for another holiday completely i would suck it up and make the most of it. maybe i'm just getting soft as i get older!
The space was very cramped even for a shorty like me, the lack of drinks was poor, being stuck in a cramped place for 6hrs with crap entertainment etc.... all just added up to being a poor experience that I would try and avoid in future.
now if it was affordable to fly with someone else, I would pick the other option, but if it meant looking for another holiday completely i would suck it up and make the most of it. maybe i'm just getting soft as i get older!
We had United as a codeshare, and I thought it was Lufthansa from JFK to FRA. I should hva ehcecked and now make sure I do on all my flights.
It was a very old 747, and even in 2012 they still had the large screens in the distance to view their choice of film on.
Alcoholic drinks had to be paid for by credit card, food was inedible - you couldn't actually tell what it was - so we were all starving when we arrived back in FRA (me, wife and 2 girls then aged 10 & 12).
I wrote to Lufthansa and United about the experience. I got some compensation and 25000 miles on my FQTL account and a hamper, but I'd rather not have used United.
As I said above, it's odd that their domestic US flights are far, far better than the longhaul.
It was a very old 747, and even in 2012 they still had the large screens in the distance to view their choice of film on.
Alcoholic drinks had to be paid for by credit card, food was inedible - you couldn't actually tell what it was - so we were all starving when we arrived back in FRA (me, wife and 2 girls then aged 10 & 12).
I wrote to Lufthansa and United about the experience. I got some compensation and 25000 miles on my FQTL account and a hamper, but I'd rather not have used United.
As I said above, it's odd that their domestic US flights are far, far better than the longhaul.
Gassing Station | Holidays & Travel | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff