Last minute flights - Are they cheap?

[mikey_p]

After weeks and weeks looking at Ryanair flight prices from Stansted to Grenoble (27th Dec to 3rd Jan) and seeing a few "reasonable" deals I think I have shot myself in the foot waiting this long.

I phoned up Ryanair today to ask whether they reduce the prices if I was to turn up to the airport and book there and then, but according to her last minute flights are the most expensive and sometimes can be x2 or x3 the original price.

Obviously she could be spinning lies to get me to book now, but has anyone had experience of this?

The flights have been increasing, and now to take ski's costs £10 more (£60 ). I am currently looking at about £285 return all in (with as many hidden charges as I can find added on). This is more then I want to pay, but if this women is speaking the truth I would pay that now so I don't miss out on a weeks skiing.

[cottonfoo]

She's right, the later you book the more expensive it is. With lo-co airlines it pays to book as early as possible.

[mikey_p]

That wasn't the answer I was looking for.


Bocks

[Mattt]

With a scheduled (proper) airline you might be able to get a last minute cheapy. They operate in reverse to low-cost. (Usually)

[dan1981]

Cheap airline flights goa bit like this.... ( i think i remember)

Ages before flying: Very very Cheap
Quite a bit before flying:Very Cheap
Over a month before flying - still cheap
Anything from a month before you are due to fly and the prices start going up - and then don't stop going up.

[Nimbus]

Mattt said:

With a scheduled (proper) airline you might be able to get a last minute cheapy. They operate in reverse to low-cost. (Usually)

Yes, Ryanair have got you by the short and curlies... pay now before the last seats have actually gone !

and yes, the extras are a rip off.. Its probably better not to take your own skiis any more, they've made it so expensive.
But then, they will still stitch you for taking a bag with your clothes in anyway...

The days of 'cheap' flights for a cheap weekends skiing have long gone, unless you want to get to an airport in the middle of the day and miss a days skiing either end.. or want to book the moment the winter schedules are issued and risk having to bin £100 worth of tickets on an early season weekend because there is no snow..

Good luck with getting a seat, and have a good ski.. at least there is snow this year !!

[hornetrider]

Why not ring them up and ask if they have any availability today? Should give you some idea on price.

[smack]

I was looking at the price of a long haul return yesterday. The price of the outbound leg has dropped about 35% compared to 10 days ago. If the return leg was a reasonable price, there was not much stopping me jumping on that flight out of Heathrow 5 hours later.

Today, the return leg is 250 quid cheaper than yesterday. If they had offered that yesterday, they would have my money. Hey ho, let's see what deals are to be had in the next few months - the forecast for the airlines is not too good....

[mikey_p]

All this time I've been sitting at work seeing flights for (for example) £40 and thinking "nah it's alright, I'll wait a bit and see what happens with the price, or I'll just book really late". That flight is now £110.

Thank f I am not a stock broker.


Looks like i'll be paying £285 and turning up at an airport at 10.30pm with no means of transfer and no money. Woohoo, mountains here I come .

[lawrence567]

When we went to Barcelona with Ryan air the flights cost us £50 return inc all taxes.
We missed our flight home & had to re-book another & it cost us £60 return alone.

[mechsympathy]

mikey_p said:

Looks like i'll be paying £285 and turning up at an airport at 10.30pm with no means of transfer and no money. Woohoo, mountains here I come .

I'd just drive. It'll cost less and you ought to be able to wangle an extra day on the slopes.

[touching cloth]

It's not time based but load based, plenty of seats still to sell = cheap, not many left to sell = expensive. Usually that means earlier is cheaper of course, but it really depends on how many have booked for the date you need - if an airline like BA is holding a block of flexible fare seats that get cancelled then the prices may drop back again nearer the time in line with the newly released availability, low cost carriers this doesn't tend to happen as there are fewer if any flexible fares anyway.

[Nimbus]

mikey_p said:

All this time I've been sitting at work seeing flights for (for example) £40 and thinking "nah it's alright, I'll wait a bit and see what happens with the price, or I'll just book really late". That flight is now £110.

Thank f I am not a stock broker.


Looks like i'll be paying £285 and turning up at an airport at 10.30pm with no means of transfer and no money. Woohoo, mountains here I come .

Got your € yet ? if not prepare to bend over for them too

[mikey_p]

mechsympathy said:

mikey_p said:

Looks like i'll be paying £285 and turning up at an airport at 10.30pm with no means of transfer and no money. Woohoo, mountains here I come .

I'd just drive. It'll cost less and you ought to be able to wangle an extra day on the slopes.

I own a 205 GTI. Probably not the best car to drive to the Alpes. If I had a big old diesal barge I probably would drive.

[mechsympathy]

mikey_p said:

I own a 205 GTI. Probably not the best car to drive to the Alpes.

Pfft. Hairpins

[mikey_p]

Yeah the hairpins would be a whole heap of fun, although with the snow they are currently getting I can't imagine there would be too much grip.

Oh well, flights are now booked. Hopefully I won't get screwed over for more charges at the airport as all my clothes will be taken on as hand luggage with just ski equipement (skis, boots, poles, helmet, googles, board trousers etc. in my ski bag). I can see an arguement breaking out in the airport though.

Nice one PH for clearing up this matter, it means I won't be missing out on a ski holiday .

[Carpie]

mikey_p said:

mechsympathy said:

mikey_p said:

Looks like i'll be paying £285 and turning up at an airport at 10.30pm with no means of transfer and no money. Woohoo, mountains here I come .

I'd just drive. It'll cost less and you ought to be able to wangle an extra day on the slopes.

I own a 205 GTI. Probably not the best car to drive to the Alpes. If I had a big old diesal barge I probably would drive.

Balls to it, just do it!

Buy some European breakdown cover and go for it, it'll be a story if nothing else!

[Nickyboy]

I found with my last holiday the prices change hugely.

I wanted to book 6 tickets to DC with Virgin so looked on their site, they started off at £470ish and stayed like that for a couple of months then dropped to £384 which is when i bought them. They stayed at this price for about 3 weeks before going back up to £470 and finally over £500 before we flew. Trick is to watch the prices on a weekly basis and see if they come down.

[zetec]

mikey_p said:

Oh well, flights are now booked. Hopefully I won't get screwed over for more charges at the airport as all my clothes will be taken on as hand luggage with just ski equipement (skis, boots, poles, helmet, googles, board trousers etc. in my ski bag). I can see an arguement breaking out in the airport though.

If you are flying Ryanair, be prepared to bend over at check in!