Flights Home for Xmas Thread (merged)

Jamsiek

I've been thinking about booking my flights home for the Christmas.

I was told that some airlines such as Air Transat release new seats in late September or early October so I should maybe wait a while.

I was just thinking, does anyone here think is it a good idea to wait or is it better to book the flights ASAP?
Cheers

ciaran67

Jamsiek wrote: »

I've been thinking about booking my flights home for the Christmas.

I was told that some airlines such as Air Transat release new seats in late September or early October so I should maybe wait a while.

I was just thinking, does anyone here think is it a good idea to wait or is it better to book the flights ASAP?
Cheers

I think Transat is already booked up mate. Flew with them on Saturday, not bad at all. Loads of entertainment onboard.

wittyusername

I don't know wht the story with Vancouver is, but I'm looking at flights home from Toronto for xmas on skyscanner.ca at the moment and I'm getting some outrageous prices and/or journey times. I'd say book ASAP.

Jamsiek

Thanks for that, I finally booked my flights with BA via Heathrow. Not cheap but had to be done.

tommyombomb

Jamsiek wrote: »

Thanks for that, I finally booked my flights with BA via Heathrow. Not cheap but had to be done.

Booked min two days ago form Toronto. Just shy of $1,600

wittyusername

Yep, that sounds about right. It's something people heading over the Canada need to be aware of - vacation time is thin on the ground and flights home (flights anywhere, in fact) are far more expensive than you might be used to.

leggit

Well, was going to go home for xmas but looking at flights and they're $1,300+ return and I assume just going to get more and more expensive?!

Anybody any ideas on how to get home cheaper? I thought booking them a few months in advance would be fine but I might book next years xmas flights now :eek:

wittyusername

leggit wrote: »

Well, was going to go home for xmas but looking at flights and they're $1,300+ return and I assume just going to get more and more expensive?!

Anybody any ideas on how to get home cheaper? I thought booking them a few months in advance would be fine but I might book next years xmas flights now :eek:

Just the usual - try to fly midweek and accept that you'll be spending some time connecting in various airports - direct flights are either booked out or reserved for lotto winners. But if you've seen a flight for 1300ish that might be as cheap a flight as you're going to get!

bopper

That's less than a thousand Euro, which personally I think is quite reasonable for a return flight at Xmas time. You'd have a tough time finding anything much cheaper than that.

retalivity

i flew home 2 xmases ago...iirc i booked the flights in October, cost just under a grand ($$$s) & went from toronto through heathrow to dublin.
I don't think you'll get much better then that

willabur

For anyone flying home from Montreal beware there is a route which Aer Lingus are operating that connects through New York.
It only becomes apparent later on in the booking process that the layover which is 2.5 hours and that it involves switching between LGA and JFK which is pretty much an impossible connection.

But on the original point, yes, the prices are expensive considering in June the price for the same flights was 900 dollars, gutted I ended up forking out 1400 dollars.

Kippure

850 return Calgary through Chicago to Dublin Aer lingus

willabur

when did you book that? is that euros or dollars?

Kippure

willabur wrote: »

when did you book that? is that euros or dollars?

Yesterday. Canadian dollars.

http://www.aerlingus.com/en-US/home/index.jsp

willabur

really good price. Only time I could take off means that I had to fly the fri/sat before xmas and then coming back the weekend after new years. Both basically peak times. With more flexibility on dates I could have gotten home for 1100 but not any less

Scruffy19

willabur wrote: »

really good price. Only time I could take off means that I had to fly the fri/sat before xmas and then coming back the weekend after new years. Both basically peak times. With more flexibility on dates I could have gotten home for 1100 but not any less

My mate had to change his flight from the 16th to 20th due to work and that cost him £300. I fly home on my return flight as planned on 16th, so its not too bad for me but the flight back out is one way Dub-Chicago-Vancouver and that was $940....

retalivity

not sure if its worth anything to anyone but the last direct air transat flight for the year from toronto to dublin is on October 28th and currently costs $394

NewsMeQuick

Why does no one use Aer Lingus? I'm the last person wanting to stoppover in the US with all the immigration hassle but it's €500 ... I wouldn't pay double that to go through London ...

Tonto86

I waited too late aswell. Booked last week Calgary to Dub connecting through heathrow return for $1580, was $1100 a month ago. And on the way back I gotta go Dub to London to Dallas to Calgary! I might of panic bought it!

emo72

ive a brother who lives in toronto. the price of the tickets to go visit him any time of the year is scandalous. wish someone would come in and shake up that route. theres only gonna be more and more demand for that route unfortunately.

NewsMeQuick

Tonto - I've been browsing those flights too and I noticed some of them on the way back did have 3 airports. You could possibly cut the middle one out. It depends on the cost of the 'change of mind' fee though.

Emo - I don't know but maybe like me you were checking out one-way tickets. That's where I seen 1200/2000/3000 € tickets. I read a few people on here say click round-trip and it's no joke I do see prices 450/500/600 ... I think it's just another price trick. I'll be moving and not returning but I'll pay two-way because it's cheaper.

Aer Lingus is launching Dub-Toronto flights directly in April 2014 and Air Canada will launch various Ire-Can direct flights from May 2014 that may be of use to you. If you need a €500 ticket now for visiting, I'd try Air Canada.com and check via London. I see €500/600 there.

karareilly

@tonto86 make sure you have an esta visa to enter the states, its cheap under 50 dollors and is vaild for 2 year!!! panic bought u say

Jamsiek

karareilly wrote: »

@tonto86 make sure you have an esta visa to enter the states, its cheap under 50 dollors and is vaild for 2 year!!! panic bought u say

Only $14 when I got mine last year