finding cheap flights

[Kiwi-family]

I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.

 

[Robo]

I used this recently. Though I use it to find flights and book direct with the airline. Too many hassles dealing with aggregators if things need to be changed.....

Skyscanner

www.skyscanner.com.au

 

[Former member 102963]

I used this recently. Though I use it to find flights and book direct with the airline. Too many hassles dealing with aggregators if things need to be changed.....

Skyscanner

www.skyscanner.com.au

Yes I agree Skyscanner is the way to go. Many USA folks use Kayak too. Book direct with the airline though. Go with a price that feels like value to you. Don’t speculate whether they will go up or down (there are a huge number of variables) and don’t believe the myths about cheaper on a Tuesday or 90 days out! You can search on multiple dates if you have flexibility. Always check connecting times as can be some long layovers!

Start broad and hone in. Ie. Do a search on NZ to Europe. Maybe a cheap flight to another European gateway from where you can connect tho give yourself plenty of time if doing that as bookings on separate ticket numbers/booking refs are separate journies and if your first flight is delayed, the second flight won’t wait.

Seems to be a shortage of capacity Europe to NZ at mo certainly over Asia, and assume same via North America. Airlines seem to be reintroducing flights to potential ‘mid points’ such as Tokyo/Singapore/Bangkok slowly given restrictions were there for longer. It may be that cheapest is 3 sectors, transiting over Middle East!

Did a few random searches and still some decent fares about though, both returns and one ways. One ways are a far more attractive proposition that they used to be pre change of fare structures and internet but some countries require proof of a return journey (in theory anyway)! Fares are volatile because schedules are volatile! The further away your destination is from your origin, the more connecting options you have especially when there is a big land mass!

 

[J Willhaus]

I used to get email from a company called Scott's cheap flights which would track costs for a membership fee. I also set Kayak to track flight costs over time.

Now that we are older, we are less likely to sign up for an ultra cheap fare as we want a bit more legroom and want to chose our seat. I also can't tolerate flights with long layovers where I may be sleeping on the airport floor.

 

[Former member 102963]

Quite right too! I guess many of us (well me anyway) try to help folks get the cheapest restricted fare with ‘minimalish’ pain, but of course many will have the disposable money to sort/filter by a whole loads of other dimensions such as a schedule, flexibility, business class, no. and duration of stopovers etc. I think you can sort all this on the main sites.

 

[CWBuff]

Always check connecting times as can be some long layovers!

And some can be quite short (wouldn't even call them layovers). I personally try not to book anything shorter than 1h20min.... dont feel like sprinting from one end of the terminal to another (that is if somehow you dont have to change terminals to boot)

Now that we are older, we are less likely to sign up for an ultra cheap fare as we want a bit more legroom and want to chose our seat. I also can't tolerate flights with long layovers where I may be sleeping on the airport floor.

I got into a habit lately to buy Basic Economy and then buy the 'premium' seat I want.
Case to point - just booked my next vacation and the difference between Basic & Main Cabin was about $130 and i STILL had to pay to check in luggage!!!! Yes I could chose the 'standard' economy seat.... but had to upgrade to any other seat category...
chose Basic Economy and when i started tinkering with seats - the standard seat was all of $9.00 one way! The best economy seat (extra legroom - in front of the plane and incl complimentary beverages (wine & beer are part of)) - was a WHOOPING $65 one way!
so - moved up to these good seats and still saved couple of bucks in the process

 

[Former member 102963]

And some can be quite short (wouldn't even call them layovers). I personally try not to book anything shorter than 1h20min.... dont feel like sprinting from one end of the terminal to another (that is if somehow you dont have to change terminals to boot)


I got into a habit lately to buy Basic Economy and then buy the 'premium' seat I want.
Case to point - just booked my next vacation and the difference between Basic & Main Cabin was about $130 and i STILL had to pay to check in luggage!!!! Yes I could chose the 'standard' economy seat.... but had to upgrade to any other seat category...
chose Basic Economy and when i started tinkering with seats - the standard seat was all of $9.00 one way! The best economy seat (extra legroom - in front of the plane and incl complimentary beverages (wine & beer are part of)) - was a WHOOPING $65 one way!
so - moved up to these good seats and still saved couple of bucks in the process

Yes each journey has an MCT (minimum connecting time), so if it’s say 60 mins then airlines can sell any connection that gives 60 mins or more to connect based on a strong likelihood of making it (not sure what probability is but would guess >90%). But yes it’s brings a lot of stress to to consumer!

 

[goebel.travels]

If you are browsing for a flight, and not necessarily buying (or even when you will buy if you find something good), I would recommend "private browsing" or "incognito window" on your browser. This will prevent cookies and trackers from slowly upping the prices because "they" know you desire what you are searching for. Kinda creepy, right?

These windows may be launched from right-clicking on the browser's icon.

 

[C clearly]

This will prevent cookies and trackers from slowly upping the prices because "they" know you desire what you are searching for.

Can anyone provide any credible explanation - i.e. from knowledgeable sources - to support this theory urban myth? If not, I wish people would stop spreading the rumour on no evidence.

We have had this debate several times on the forum, most recently in this thread. My personal browsing experience and everything I have read lead me to believe it is not true that browsing cookies cause airfares to go up. For example, this article explains it well:

Forget What You've Heard: Stop Searching Incognito for Flights

You've heard it: Search incognito so airlines don't track your searches. There's just one problem: It's not true. Stop searching incognito for flights.

thriftytraveler.com

 

[natcire]

I, too, just had a tracked fare (Google flights) go from 218 to 360 in 2 days even though the date is 2 months out. I thought perhaps it was with a cookie. Just did another experiment for early November see if the fare for same cities will go up in a couple of days. Would be nice to know they are not manipulating the prices.

 

[C clearly]

Just did another experiment

The useful experiment would be to immediately check the air fare on another computer and see if the fare is the same. Prices do go up and down. Nobody is arguing that. The question is whether the cookies on one device affect the price, in comparison to another device that has not done repeated searches.

 

[Former member 102963]

I, too, just had a tracked fare (Google flights) go from 218 to 360 in 2 days even though the date is 2 months out. I thought perhaps it was with a cookie. Just did another experiment for early November see if the fare for same cities will go up in a couple of days. Would be nice to know they are not manipulating the prices.

The reality is that the ‘booking class’ offering your 218 fare is closed out for sales so offering fares in higher booking classes.

 

[J Willhaus]

I have a Kayak tracking link on a flight from Denver to Madrid on Kayak and it has gone up and down quite a lot in the last month. I get an update weekly on the price and it went up, then down, then up than down each time rather significantly.

 

[Marbe2]

Can anyone provide any credible explanation - i.e. from knowledgeable sources - to support this theory urban myth? If not, I wish people would stop spreading the rumour on no evidence.

We have had this debate several times on the forum, most recently in this thread. My personal browsing experience and everything I have read lead me to believe it is not true that browsing cookies cause airfares to go up. For example, this article explains it well:

Forget What You've Heard: Stop Searching Incognito for Flights

You've heard it: Search incognito so airlines don't track your searches. There's just one problem: It's not true. Stop searching incognito for flights.

thriftytraveler.com

So the article suggests that using a VPN would possiblly be helpful in obtaining a cheaper fare. It suggests that one could put in a different location as a point of purchase and possibly obtain a lower fare. As anyone done this?

 

[CWBuff]

not I said the first little piggy....

 

[walkinglover]

I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.

Download Hopper.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Those of you talking about US$218 fares are in a different reality. There are two screenshots below for Auckland to Madrid, outbound on Wed 12th April (cheapest day that month) and returning 31st May 2023.

1st shows fares in US$ and 2nd in NZD.

Those Northern hemisphere people who complain about jetlag might like to note the journey times.

 

[trecile]

Download Hopper.

But only book directly through the airline!

Those of you talking about US$218 fares are in a different reality.

Even in the US it's a different reality if you don't live near a major airport. Your NZ$ fares are a lot closer to what I pay in USD to get to Europe.

 

[J Willhaus]

Just checked and it is about $900 right now for winter and $1,300 next summer from where I live in Wyoming to Madrid. Minimum 2 stops unless I want to drive a couple hundred miles and pay $$$ to park my car for 6 weeks. That is for the basic, one small personal item, don't get to chose your seat fare.

 

[LesR]

I used this recently. Though I use it to find flights and book direct with the airline. Too many hassles dealing with aggregators if things need to be changed.....

Skyscanner

www.skyscanner.com.au

I am with Robo - I use an aggregator site (SkyScanner is one, iwantthatflight is another) to map out my flight options with a strong preference with all flights being with the one carrier/alliances and price being a lesser (but not unimportant) criterion, then book direclty with the carrier .

I far prefer to deal directly with an airline than try and sort out any issues with a third party (that probably has to get back to the carrier anyway to deal with anything that has cropped up unexpectedly) and who has marginal interest in any problems that I may have now that they have my money...

OK - I am a pessimist, but the price differential between booking directly with an airline and booking through a reseller site is marginal, especially when compared with the cost (time, money, aggravation) of trying to deal through a third party - especially in another country, with limited phone facilities and when time may be of the essence...

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Even in the US it's a different reality if you don't live near a major airport. Your NZ$ fares are a lot closer to what I pay in USD to get to Europe.

Check out the cost of the fastest journey time from Nelson, NZ (a typical medium sized NZ town, reasonably close to the NZ capital).

Also, I showed USD fares for comparison but, of course, Kiwis earn their money in NZD and the average income in NZ is NZD56K vs USA of USD63K.


The OP is a Kiwi.

 

[C clearly]

the average income in NZ is NZD56K vs USA of USD63K.

I am surprised at that average US income. What is your source? Of course there is a lot more to consider in any such comparison.

 

[LesR]

the average income in NZ is NZD56K vs USA of USD63K.

but need consider the exchange rate - probably around 1 NZD to 0.57 USD? (effective rate even worse when the banks take their bit...)

 

[Robo]

I am with Robo - I use an aggregator site (SkyScanner is one, iwantthatflight is another) to map out my flight options with a strong preference with all flights being with the one carrier/alliances and price being a lesser (but not unimportant) criterion, then book direclty with the carrier .

I far prefer to deal directly with an airline than try and sort out any issues with a third party (that probably has to get back to the carrier anyway to deal with anything that has cropped up unexpectedly) and who has marginal interest in any problems that I may have now that they have my money...

OK - I am a pessimist, but the price differential between booking directly with an airline and booking through a reseller site is marginal, especially when compared with the cost (time, money, aggravation) of trying to deal through a third party - especially in another country, with limited phone facilities and when time may be of the essence...

Another point @LesR , is the ease of making changes.
I haven't used an aggregator for a while, but I seem to recall endless back and forth emails.
Or a flat............sorry, can't do that.

At least booking direct with the airline, you can deal with them 'directly.
But.......this is sometimes not easy either, as there can be long wait times on the phone.
Qantas for example is hopeless at the moment. It's almost not worth the effort.

When I rang Iberia with a query though..........great service, no waiting........

Of course there is another way of dealing directly with the airlines, that I tend to use more these days.
The Airline 'App'.
These can make the whole process much easier.
If your fare type allows changes, it's a 2 minute task on most apps.

A key factor too, is the ticket fare 'type'. I'm not referring to the Economy, Business etc.
But the fare type and what conditions surround it.
Last time I looked there were something like 14 fare 'types'.
You'll see things like Saver, Super Saver, Discount Economy, Flexi...........

One of the reasons I book directly with the airline is that these fare types are usually clearly stated, along with the various conditions surrounding them. Things like:

1. Free changes to date of flight.
2. Changes will incur a $200 fee.
3. No changes allowed etc.

Generally the cheaper the fare the tighter the conditions. Which seems fair.......

Sorry a bit of a ramble that might be obvious to most.

So it's not always about the cheapest ticket. For a small additional cost, you might for example go from a ticket that cannot be changed, to one that can. Very handy for return flights back from a Camino.....

 

[jimmyc]

From Australia use both Skyscanners and Momondo.

 

[LesR]

Another point @LesR , is the ease of making changes.
I haven't used an aggregator for a while, but I seem to recall endless back and forth emails.
Or a flat............sorry, can't do that.

At least booking direct with the airline, you can deal with them 'directly.
But.......this is sometimes not easy either, as there can be long wait times on the phone.
Qantas for example is hopeless at the moment. It's almost not worth the effort.

When I rang Iberia with a query though..........great service, no waiting........

Of course there is another way of dealing directly with the airlines, that I tend to use more these days.
The Airline 'App'.
These can make the whole process much easier.

A key factor too, is the ticket fare 'type'. I'm not referring to the Economy, Business etc.
But the fare type and what conditions surround it.
Last time I looked there were something like 14 fare 'types'.
You'll see things like Saver, Super Saver, Discount Economy, Flexi...........

One of the reasons I book directly with the airline is that these fare types are usually clearly stated, along with the various conditions surrounding them. Things like:

1. Free changes to date of flight.
2. Changes will incur a $200 fee.
3. No changes allowed etc.

Generally the cheaper the fare the tighter the conditions. Which seems fair.......

Sorry a bit of a ramble that might be obvious to most.

So it's not always about the cheapest ticket. For a small additional cost, you might for example go from a ticket that cannot be changed, to one that can. Very handy for return flights back from a Camino.....

I am in furious agreement...

what point is a 'cheap' ticket if it disrupts one's entire Camino?

 

[chinacat]

The useful experiment would be to immediately check the air fare on another computer and see if the fare is the same. Prices do go up and down. Nobody is arguing that. The question is whether the cookies on one device affect the price, in comparison to another device that has not done repeated searches.

It was a few years ago, but I was searching for a flight and the price did go up every time I went back.
So I called my cousin, with whom I was travelling, gave her a few pointers, and she got the original fare.
It could have been a coincidence but it didn’t feel like it.

Edit:
This was directly with the airlines.

 

[keith duke scott]

I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.

I'm not sure about new zealand but I frequently use Skyscanner app to look for fares and also Google flights can come up with some good #s. From the USA it has seemed for awhile the best location cheapest to fly into Europe is Barcelona? Not sure why but what a great city to travel too then you just take the fast train to Madrid and off you go. Hope that helps and buen camino

 

[david&mia]

Can anyone provide any credible explanation - i.e. from knowledgeable sources - to support this theory urban myth? If not, I wish people would stop spreading the rumour on no evidence.

We have had this debate several times on the forum, most recently in this thread. My personal browsing experience and everything I have read lead me to believe it is not true that browsing cookies cause airfares to go up. For example, this article explains it well:

Forget What You've Heard: Stop Searching Incognito for Flights

You've heard it: Search incognito so airlines don't track your searches. There's just one problem: It's not true. Stop searching incognito for flights.

thriftytraveler.com

Yes it is true from personal experience. When my wife and I flew out to India together, then later my daughter joined us, and my wife returned earlier, so 3 separate bookings. I booked my tickets at the lowest price, then when I tried to book my wife's ticket the cheapest price was greyed out and I had to pay mid price. Then when I tried to book my daughters tickets only the expensive tickets were available. So when I was at work (different computer/location) I got the cheapest tickets for my daughter.

 

[C clearly]

Yes it is true from personal experience.

I am still curious if there is any thorough investigation that has examined this in a way that eliminates or proves the role of cookies on a personal computer. That is why I keep asking for a credible reference other than personal anecdotes. I simply don't know, and my personal experience demonstrates consistency of the prices. If it is true, I would expect there to be some analyses and more formal reports about it.

 

[david&mia]

I am still curious if there is any thorough investigation that has examined this in a way that eliminates or proves the role of cookies on a personal computer. That is why I keep asking for a credible reference other than personal anecdotes. I simply don't know, and my personal experience demonstrates consistency of the prices. If it is true, I would expect there to be some analyses and more formal reports about it.

Oh, I tried clearing cookies, it didn't make a difference. I had to use another computer at a different location to succeed, perhaps using another IP address made the difference?

 

[C clearly]

perhaps using another IP address made the difference?

I have a different IP address (or several) every day.

 

[david&mia]

I have a different IP address (or several) every day.

So it's not cookies, not IP address, but I booked the cheaper flight the following day so maybe its activity in a time period.

 

[Canche]

I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.

Rome2Rio

 

[Former member 102963]

Rome2Rio

R2R is about finding ways from getting from origin to destination (modes of transport, operators, etc) and should not be used for accurate pricing and timetable information.

 

[Vacajoe]

When IP, I just choose the closest toilet, regardless of cost….

 

[C clearly]

So it's not cookies, not IP address, but I booked the cheaper flight the following day so maybe its activity in a time period.

Maybe it is simply that the airline releases more seats at that price. Nothing to do with your individual activity, but it would likely be related to overall supply and demand.

 

[VNwalking]

I personally try not to book anything shorter than 1h20min....

I prefer more than 3 hours in some big airports - like Singapore or Amsterdam - where the distance from gate to gate can be a long way.

@Kiwi-family, I recently got a ticket via Singapore that I found with Kayak, but booked direct with Singapore Air, with two stops (SIN and ZRH). But it certainly wasn't cheap. The cheapest flights go via the States, an extra 3 or so hours in the air, going west to east, and on United (my least favorite airline).

There're more limited options than before: connections from AKL through some big hubs (like Bangkok) are no longer possible.

 

[trecile]

Had an interesting ‘seach’the other day, which I had come across before, but forgotten.
I did a search between two airports in Europe and it threw up a fare of €40. Good deal. I normally travel alone but this time was accompanied so changed the search criteria to 2 people and it threw up 2 fares of €665. Obviously the €40 fare only had 1 seat avail (and I was suprised at the jump from €40 to €665 without other ‘steps’) but what it showed was that in most if not all cases, systems default to the booking class where there is the required number of seats available. So rather than quotes 1 @ €40 and 1 @ €665 it just quoted 2 @ €665… a lot more. I have never seen a travel org quote the former above and don’t think they can but I normally quote on 1 person? Anyone seen it? Probably not?

I knew this from reading posts on the Tripadvisor Air Travel forum, which is full of good information from frequent flyers about the ins and outs of air travel.

Air Travel Forum - Tripadvisor

Travel forums for World. Discuss World travel with Tripadvisor travelers.

www.tripadvisor.com

 

[DoughnutANZ]

I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.

Expedia have just released an analysis of the best days, times and number of days before travel for 2022, based on their data.

They do various reports for different countries, the USA report can be found here (https://www.expedia.com/stories/2023-flight-hacks/# ) and I saw a Canadian report while Googling. I couldn't find a report from them for Aotearoa New Zealand or this region but the release of their report has prompted various local news sites to produce their own interpretation of the Expedia reports and these local reports can be found here:

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/w...es-and-disruption/NPBUDOSXCFCRRSHOZFNIJQ4QY4/

New research offers insight into when to book 2023 holidays to save as much as possible

www.newshub.co.nz

 

[Former member 102963]

I knew this from reading posts on the Tripadvisor Air Travel forum, which is full of good information from frequent flyers about the ins and outs of air travel.

Air Travel Forum - Tripadvisor

Travel forums for World. Discuss World travel with Tripadvisor travelers.

www.tripadvisor.com

I knew this from reading posts on the Tripadvisor Air Travel forum, which is full of good information from frequent flyers about the ins and outs of air travel.

Air Travel Forum - Tripadvisor

Travel forums for World. Discuss World travel with Tripadvisor travelers.

www.tripadvisor.com

Thank you! Not sure if you are aware of flyertalk. It’s a bit hardcore but some incredible info. It’s navigations comes across about being all about FFP but it’s not!

Airlines and Mileage Programs - FlyerTalk Forums

Airlines and Mileage Programs

www.flyertalk.com

 

[Stivandrer]

alternatively, you can try using Momondo

Please verify that you are a real user

example Auckland

https://www.momondo.com/flight-search/AKL-MAD/2022-11-19/2022-11-26?sort=bestflight_a

 

[RobertS26]

I prefer more than 3 hours in some big airports - like Singapore or Amsterdam - where the distance from gate to gate can be a long way.

I recently flew from Seattle to Victoria Falls. I had two connections: one in Doha and one in Johannesburg. After landing in Johannesburg, I made my way towards the immigration checkpoint. When I was about 5 feet from it, three adults (who were on my same flight from Doha) came running towards me screaming, "Tight connection! Tight Connection!" To emphasize their desperation, they were waiving their passports above their heads. So, I stepped aside and said, "No problem, my next flight does not start boarding for another 55 minutes." Once their passports were stamped, they sprinted away in a complete frenzy.

After immigration, I continued to walk through the terminal and even took a few minutes stop and grab a bit to eat. I arrived at my gate with 10 minutes to spare before boarding started.

And guess what? Sitting there at my gate, covered in sweat, were those same three "Tight Connection! Tight Connection" adults. I guess one person's "tight connection" is another person's "no sweat connection."

 

[trecile]

Thank you! Not sure if you are aware of flyertalk. It’s a bit hardcore but some incredible info. It’s navigations comes across about being all about FFP but it’s not!

Thanks. Yes, I know about Flyertalk, though I've only had occasion to visit that site a few times. Definitely more hardcore!

 

[Former member 102963]

Expedia have just released an analysis of the best days, times and number of days before travel for 2022, based on their data.

They do various reports for different countries, the USA report can be found here (https://www.expedia.com/stories/2023-flight-hacks/# ) and I saw a Canadian report while Googling. I couldn't find a report from them for Aotearoa New Zealand or this region but the release of their report has prompted various local news sites to produce their own interpretation of the Expedia reports and these local reports can be found here:

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/w...es-and-disruption/NPBUDOSXCFCRRSHOZFNIJQ4QY4/

New research offers insight into when to book 2023 holidays to save as much as possible

www.newshub.co.nz

Australia

https://www.expedia.com.au/stories/2023-flight-hacks/

 

[Former member 102963]

A

I recently flew from Seattle to Victoria Falls. I had two connections: one in Doha and one in Johannesburg. After landing in Johannesburg, I made my way towards the immigration checkpoint. When I was about 5 feet from it, three adults (who were on my same flight from Doha) came running towards me screaming, "Tight connection! Tight Connection!" To emphasize their desperation, they were waiving their passports above their heads. So, I stepped aside and said, "No problem, my next flight does not start boarding for another 55 minutes." Once their passports were stamped, they sprinted away in a complete frenzy.

After immigration, I continued to walk through the terminal and even took a few minutes stop and grab a bit to eat. I arrived at my gate with 10 minutes to spare before boarding started.

And guess what? Sitting there at my gate, covered in sweat, were those same three "Tight Connection! Tight Connection" adults. I guess one person's "tight connection" is another person's "no sweat connection."

Absolutely ‘got to be at the airport two hours before’ is one of the biggest urban myths in UK. I prefer early, and have friends in the ‘early’ and ‘last minute’ camp.

 

[trecile]

A

Absolutely ‘got to be at the airport two hours before’ is one of the biggest urban myths in UK. I prefer early, and have friends in the ‘early’ and ‘last minute’ camp.

I'm in the "I'd rather sit around the airport for an extra hour reading a book, than miss my flight by one minute" camp.

 

[Former member 102963]

I'm in the "I'd rather sit around the airport for an extra hour reading a book, than miss my flight by one minute" camp.

Yes me too! Annoyingly all my ‘last minute’ mates never seem to miss their flights. Back in the day the number of arguments we had re what time to leave by car to drive to Vegas to get to LAX!!!

 

[VNwalking]

I'm in the "I'd rather sit around the airport for an extra hour reading a book, than miss my flight by one minute" camp

Same. Even then I've had some close shaves. Flights can be late and that always seems to happen when you have a shortish connection ahead.

 

[Marbe2]

Same. Even then I've had some close shaves. Flights can be late and that always seems to happen when you have a shortish connection ahead.

I couldn’t agree more. I never schedule a connecting flight that doesn't have at least two hours time when flying overseas. If the connection is a larger airport I allow 3 hours. I once had a connecting flight at Heathrow that I almost missed, even though we landed on time and we had three hours to make the connecting flight.

Yes, the airline is obliged to put you on the next a v a i l a b l e flight if you miss your connection, but sometimes that is not until the following day or two, given how full other scheduled flights might be.

 

[Former member 102963]

I couldn’t agree more. I never schedule a connecting flight that doesn't have at least two hours time when flying overseas. If the connection is a larger airport I allow 3 hours. I once had a connecting flight at Heathrow that I almost missed, even though we landed on time and we had three hours to make the connecting flight.

Yes, the airline is obliged to put you on the next a v a i l a b l e flight if you miss your connection, but sometimes that is not until the following day or two, given how full other scheduled flights might be.

I guess this is down to personal preference. I like plenty of time too, but each airline has minimum connecting times which they monitor. I am not sure what the threshold is for missed connections, but sure it would be <10%! ! Or 90% make it!

 

[trecile]

I'm more concerned with making my connections when I'm traveling to my destination. When I'm flying home I don't care as much.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I'm more concerned with making my connections when I'm traveling to my destination. When I'm flying home I don't care as much.

I'm exactly the same - in fact, I often secretly hope they'll overbook and ask for someone who is willing to be put up in a hotel for a night - I'd have my hand up!

 

[Former member 102963]

I'm more concerned with making my connections when I'm traveling to my destination. When I'm flying home I don't care as much.

I'm exactly the same - in fact, I often secretly hope they'll overbook and ask for someone who is willing to be put up in a hotel for a night - I'd have my hand up!

There are plenty of folks who book flights tactically, in the hope of reaping the offer, should offloads be required. Will work sometimes, though most overbooked flights clear!

 

[Jamieb]

I'm exactly the same - in fact, I often secretly hope they'll overbook and ask for someone who is willing to be put up in a hotel for a night - I'd have my hand up!

Me too! A friend of mine had layover in Amsterdam - next flight was overbooked, they managed to get credit for another flight and to stay in Amsterdam for 48 hours when they volunteered to be rebooked.