Non-motoring > Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Mike Hannon Replies: 12
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 13:18 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Mike Hannon
Why is that when people I know want to fly anywhere or rent a car when they are there they manage to get dirt-cheap offers, while when I try it never happens?
We have to visit the UK briefly next month and I thought it might be a good idea to fly and rent a car rather than head the poor old Prelude northwards yet again. But there never seem to be any special offers that I can spot. For example, my s-i-l passed through here the other day, having flown from Bristol to Beziers or somewhere for 3 quid, with a hired Ford Ka that cost them peanuts as well. When I looked on the Flybe site for Limoges-Southampton all I could find was 'flight €99 euros including tax' that translated into €198 one way on the running total, and a hire Ka (god help me) for 213 quid a week.
What don't I do right?
Looks like the Prelude will be stretching its legs yet again...
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 13:44 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Bromptonaut
Book early is the first lesson though occasionally very late can work. I think FlyBe have got a pretty good match of demand with capacity on the SOU routes. It's a damn good London airport and particulalry for those destinations with only a handful of rotations a week you'll struggle to find anything cheap. We certainly couldn't get anything from them that came near the eurostar rate for a recent trip to Paris.

Can be a bit easier on busier routes such as Brum to E/boro or Glasgow where there are several flights a day and the return legs of the busier flights can be cheap.

In terms of Limoges to UK are there other French airports nearby used by eg Ryanair Squeezy or Jet2? Do any of those fly to places in UK you can use and particularly are there likely to be roatations that are hard to fill as for example the return leg of a Friday 'stag night shuttle' might be.

As for car hire shop around. No reason why the airline's tame partner is going to be the best deal.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Fri 18 Feb 11 at 13:45
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 13:51 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Stuartli
One of my offspring lives in the Caribbean and says that it's impossible to get anywhere near the prices charged by BA, Virgin etc when coming into and then out of the UK, rather than the reverse.
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 14:52 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - devonite
Preludes are fantastic motors (is yours the mk2?) should be a pleasure to "stretch it`s legs! " if time is no object! - my first choice everytime!
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 15:03 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Tooslow
You're not alone Mike. :-( And not just on travel. Where's that darned -60C screen wash?

John
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 15:09 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Mike Hannon
;-)
It's a 1998 fifth generation Vti that still goes well but, like it's owner, it's now getting a bit long in the tooth - not to mention a recent close encounter with a wild boar...
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 16:05 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Perky Penguin
When do you drive where the tepereature is -60?
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 15:37 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - CGNorwich
"from Bristol to Beziers or somewhere for 3 quid, "

Well that might have been the headline figure quoted by Ryanair for a one way journey but by the time he paid all the fees etc i doubt that it cost less than £120 return
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Fri 18 Feb 11 at 15:38
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 15:45 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - movilogo
Use MoneySavingExpert site's flight checker tool or screen scrapers like Kayak.

In MSE site, if you provide you budget and select I'll go anywhere, it can show you all the flights available within your budget and dates.

If you are flexible, you can get some damn cheap deals.
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 16:06 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Perky Penguin
and skyscanner.net.
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 16:01 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - John H
>> can spot. For example, my s-i-l passed through here the other day, having flown from
>> Bristol to Beziers or somewhere for 3 quid, with a hired Ford Ka that cost
>> them peanuts as well.
>>

Did they show you their invoice? As CGN says, it is probably a headline figure and not the final cost.

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New Fri 18 Feb 11 16:58 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Mike Hannon
I expect you're right - but it still irks me because I was always known to the motor business as a bit of a horse trader. I have my reputation to think about...
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New Fri 18 Feb 11 17:10 
 Travel offers - what am I doing wrong? - Iffy
...I was always known to the motor business as a bit of a horse trader. I have my reputation to think about...

Another old saying, motor trading is horse trading on four wheels instead of four legs.

True, too.

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