Flighs to San francisco - help needed

[Normal Rob]

In June I am looking to take my wife and daughter to San Francisco for a family wedding. Relative to our income this is a big cost.

looking at websites flights in June are around £500 pp however flights in the next 6 weeks can be picked up for around £350.

Are the Juhne flights expensive because of seasonality? or do flight costs come down nearer the time as airlines look to fill seats?

Saving £450 could make a real difference to us. I know I am probably clutching at straws...


Thanks,

NR

 

[Frutos]

I would suspect it's a seasonality thing.

When I first went to New York a few years back, I was able to book my flights about 6 months in advance of travelling, and a few casual checks in the interim period showed that the cost only went up as the time got nearer.

Prices will probably drop dramatically in the very last few days and weeks before the flight (as they look to fill any empty seats), but obviously that's a lot of a risk to take in your situation.

 

[Bozza]

Another option might be to look to either take a cheaper indirect routing or to look to get a flight to New York (or somewhere similar) and then book a US low-cost carrier (such as Jetblue) to get you to San Fran.

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

If you try to book a flight for travel in the next 2 or 3 days, prices can go through the roof, as the airlines know people probably have to travel, and will pay whatever they have to.

 

[Adam Virgo's Shirt]

Have you checked www.delta.com?

As Bozza posted a few days ago, they are doing some very cheap deals at th mo but not sure if they extend to June or not? Worth a look though

 

[cannedheat]

The £350 flights is that the price before taxes ect.

 

[El Presidente]

I've just booked 8 days in a hotel plus flight to San Fran for £650.

 

[Chicken Run]

Doesnt look good to me just done a check on virgin, expedia and BA all coming in at £500 plus what you should check is Virgin Hols and BA hols as as el pres said it may be cheaper as these sub companies of the airline have a number of seats already set aside, also it's a myth that the later you leave it the cheaper they will get!

 

[Il Duce]

The cost of flights fluctuates all the time. Most airlines have some kind of bizarre formula which recalculates prices on an ongoing basis based on several factors including proximity to the date, large bookings etc. When I was booking a flight to HK recently with BA the same class of seat for the same flight varied from £450 to £900 and back down again over the course of 2 days.

I'd recommend you try and revisit sites like lastminute.com and expedia.co.uk and see if you get any luck on price fluctuations.

 

[NMH]

I've had good experience with 'lastminute.com', for booking late and getting a deal.

However, leaving it late is risky, and yes, the prices WILL go higher around mid May anyway.

There are several online sites though, like Orbitz.com too - but once you find a decent price do NOT assume it will stay there! You can leave it for a few minutes and lose the fare price, and keep the window open and open another browser if you get a fare you may want but still want to shop.

 

[csider]

In June I am looking to take my wife and daughter to San Francisco for a family wedding. Relative to our income this is a big cost.

looking at websites flights in June are around £500 pp however flights in the next 6 weeks can be picked up for around £350.

Are the Juhne flights expensive because of seasonality? or do flight costs come down nearer the time as airlines look to fill seats?

Saving £450 could make a real difference to us. I know I am probably clutching at straws...


Thanks,

NR

You need to book ASAP to get lowest prices. Scheduled flights work the opposite way to charters. The seats that get left til last are first class, flexi etc. You are going in summer time and have weekend suppliments. You must stay a saturday night or you will be paying double. Not really a cheap way to do it. Air India are really shit and fly to NY, maybe you can then get internal flight??

 

[Man of Harveys]

My advice is that if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. Hope this helps.

 

[Trufflehound]

My advice is that if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair. Hope this helps.

Gives your hair lots of bounce and a healthy shine. But it might make you smell like a pub.

 

[Mr Blobby]

I booked up on lastminute.com and we are flying with Northwest to San Francisco via Minneapolis for £315 return (including tax). We fly back from San Diego via Detroit as that was closer to where we will be before flying home. Also Northwest fly from Gatwick so that saves us a long hike round to Heathrow!

That was booking up 4 months in advance

 

[Bozza]

NWA have just released some good fares, including San Francisco for £299 return but this only extends until the end of April currently.

 

[El Presidente]

NWA have just released some good fares, including San Francisco for £299 return but this only extends until the end of April currently.

You can't beat those Niggaz With Attitude, hip-hop and now transatlantic flights, hats off to Dr Dre and Ice Cube.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Proper gangsta

 

[Tummy Burger]

I can tell you that it is a seasonal thing and unlike your easyjets etc the type of airlines you are looking at to SFO at that time are far less likely to reduce prices. BA for example will have a set number of seats in economy that they sell at a cheap price and then when they go the price goes up and so on and so on.

An option worth looking at if you are not flexible with your dates is to look at package holidays with 2 or 3 nights hotel stay thrown in. Whilst you might not think that is a cheap option , you generally find tour operators will have cheap seats and the price of that seat will not change. Of course you do not need to use the hotel but it would be a waste not to.

Alternatively find someone who works for an airline to get you cheaper tickets

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

United also fly direct from Heathrow to San Fran and when I looked on Expedia for my folks holiday, the United flights were a bit cheaper to book through BMI who are one of the Star Alliance partners.

 

[Fungus]

Blimey, is anyone NOT going to San Francisco in June? Wife was looking at quotes of £580 today (direct from Heathrow). Ouch! Return flights at end of June seem to put the price way up, maybe that's when school's out over there?