Stop Press: Z fares found behind rocking horse poo

Good news! Found 3 Z fares to BGI next spring!

Bad news... Have to go from LGW instead of MAN.

Good news! We get the Clubhouse instead of the Escape Lounge!

Bad news... Connecting flights with BA mean only 23Kg of luggage each.

I could go on. At least we've bagged return Zs. Those of you bored enough to have been following my wingeing recently may have been aware that we were very close to going BA for this trip. Well, sticking with VS has worked out 80 quid more, so here's hoping we get our money's worth...

I'm trying to do the same for the Senior Ponds now, but the best seems to be D/Z from LGW, or D/D from MAN - the latter of which works out at nearly £3K each. Never found it this hard to find decent fares before.

[ChuckC]

Hi, mdvipond. I totally agree. We can blame increase in worldwide travel demand for the difficulty in finding decent fares.

Chuck-

WHERE have the Z's gone - have VH got them? or have they been sold that far in advance??

Originally posted by NS
WHERE have the Z's gone - have VH got them? or have they been sold that far in advance??

Chuck's point is entirely valid but in addition to this, NS, yes - VH do appear to be nicking 'em. There were a handful of Zs showing from MAN on ExpertFlyer which never became available via VS, but which appear to have been accessable to VH customers. The swine.

Mdvipond,
Re the BA luggage allowance.
Would it not be possible to travel down by train?

Originally posted by mdvipond

Originally posted by NS
WHERE have the Z's gone - have VH got them? or have they been sold that far in advance??

Chuck's point is entirely valid but in addition to this, NS, yes - VH do appear to be nicking 'em.

Have you approached VH for a quote? Could you book the flights and hotel with them?

Originally posted by AlanA
Mdvipond,
Re the BA luggage allowance.
Would it not be possible to travel down by train?

Hi Alan. We can live with the BA allowance now that mdvipond jr. gets her own - 3 x 23Kg ain't all that bad.

The Senior Ponds, however, (and my mother in particular) don't know the meaning of 'travelling light'. We've done the train down before, but you need to man-handle your luggage between Kings Cross and Victoria and I don't think they're up to it. I'm looking into a door-to-door luggage delivery service for them at the mo (anyone got any recommendations?).

Originally posted by NS

Have you approached VH for a quote? Could you book the flights and hotel with them?

Unfortunately I despair of VH's choice of hotels. They don't do where we like to stay.

[RichardMannion]

Can you not do the flydrive option?

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion
Can you not do the flydrive option?

Thanks,
Richard

Well, the section of the journey through South Yorkshire would probably be more of a flysail at the moment...

Seriously though, Leeds to Gatwick is a pretty rough drive, and the return leg after an overnight flight would be even more unpleasant.

Thameslink - or First Capital Connect if they insist - goes to LGW. Not quite as much of a trek as King's Cross - Victoria.

It surprises me that long off fares (336 days ish) are no longer a decent bet for the cheaper fares, but then VS and BA among other all seem to sell them cheap nearer the departure date with their sales. I think we may be seeing a change in marketing stance (as I guess most airlines realise they WILL have a sale at some point) rather than seats selling out earlier or not available full stop.

For the past 5 years I have generally bought tickets around the 336 days mark. Currently I have flights for Jan 2008; I need to travel in May, June and September and haven't bought any of these yet as waiting for better prices. If they don't come then I fly another carrier. I personally feel that if open skies works then prices will fall, still we have to see if open skies is actually going to work

I have also noted that you can no longer buy a FD from VH over 336 which you used to be able to do. You can however buy a package from them well over the 336 days.

Paul

Originally posted by mdvipond
...

The Senior Ponds, however, (and my mother in particular) don't know the meaning of 'travelling light'. We've done the train down before, but you need to man-handle your luggage between Kings Cross and Victoria and I don't think they're up to it. I'm looking into a door-to-door luggage delivery service for them at the mo (anyone got any recommendations?).

....

With the cost of a single tube ticket these days, you don't need too many people in a Taxi to make that a far more convenient way of getting between mainline stations. Between Euston and Paddington the break even point is only two people!

Originally posted by PVGSLF
With the cost of a single tube ticket these days, you don't need too many people in a Taxi to make that a far more convenient way of getting between mainline stations. Between Euston and Paddington the break even point is only two people!

Thus we are priced out of using the tube and into increasing our carbon footprint ... an interesting factor that has me scratching my head!

Another option is to train down from Leeds to Bedford, then pick-up the Thameslink there for the through trip to Gatwick. If that works its one stop to change the bags to a different train, much better than train taxi train etc.

It's starting to sound like a re-make of 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' here (has a funnier 'road' movie ever been made?).

The ease of Leeds to MAN, MAN-LGW, night at the Hilton then LGW-BGI has been proven for us on a number of previous trips. It's purely the luggage issue which is proving to be a thorn in my dear mother's side. Wasn't too bad when BA domestic flights allowed 32Kg, but now that it's down to 23Kg, Mater is concerned she won't cope (she generally likes to pack the stock of a small to medium sized Boots store). Her and pa are in their mid 60s, so aren't really in the mood for jumping on and off too many trains, cabs etc.

I'm still researching the luggage delivery service idea, but it ain't looking cheap (£490 return for a medium sized suitcase).

Hi

I hate to say it (will I get stoned to death? [xx(]) AND probably too late for this trip...

But have you considered flying LGW-BGI on BA (assuming they do this route) if you have the seniors in tow? If you flew BA MAN-LGW-BGI the the heavier "international allowance" (i.e. THREE 23kg bags per person in Club World) would apply for the domestic legs also if you have a through ticket... [:?] - http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... blic/en_gb

Ok, am not suggesting that you defect to BA, just that that it might be an option if you are travelling with people who just can't travel light...

ALternatively can Virgin provide some form of connecting flights (maybe BMI?) added on to your itinerary to ensure that you get the full international allowance for the domestic legs too?

Best Wishes,
Boo

Originally posted by mdvipond
It's starting to sound like a re-make of 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' here (has a funnier 'road' movie ever been made?).

The ease of Leeds to MAN, MAN-LGW, night at the Hilton then LGW-BGI has been proven for us on a number of previous trips. It's purely the luggage issue which is proving to be a thorn in my dear mother's side. Wasn't too bad when BA domestic flights allowed 32Kg, but now that it's down to 23Kg, Mater is concerned she won't cope (she generally likes to pack the stock of a small to medium sized Boots store). Her and pa are in their mid 60s, so aren't really in the mood for jumping on and off too many trains, cabs etc.

I'm still researching the luggage delivery service idea, but it ain't looking cheap (£490 return for a medium sized suitcase).

As I beleive someone on this very website once stated:

"Baggage allowances are a limit, NOT a target" or in the case of some people I know, a starting point!:D

Originally posted by Boo Boo
Hi

I hate to say it (will I get stoned to death? [xx(]) AND probably too late for this trip...

But have you considered flying LGW-BGI on BA (assuming they do this route) if you have the seniors in tow? If you flew BA MAN-LGW-BGI the the heavier "international allowance" (i.e. THREE 23kg bags per person in Club World) would apply for the domestic legs also if you have a through ticket... [:?] - http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... blic/en_gb

Ok, am not suggesting that you defect to BA, just that that it might be an option if you are travelling with people who just can't travel light...

ALternatively can Virgin provide some form of connecting flights (maybe BMI?) added on to your itinerary to ensure that you get the full international allowance for the domestic legs too?

As a wise man once said, "No one is to stone anyone until I blow this whistle". My parents haven't booked anything yet, Boo, and we have been looking into them going BA for the sake of the luggage, so to speak. However, it's the older style Club on a 777 to BGI - which isn't ideal - there's at least three times as many seats as in UCS, there's no pre-selecting of seats at booking and the miles won't be as useful to my parents as the VS ones will be. Suffice to say, mother's not too keen. She said she'll give First a go (bless her stoic soul), but a stern 'harumph' from my father soon put pay to that.

And I don't think you can do connecting flights with BD anymore, although if anyone knows differently please point me in the right direction.

Manchester to London with BMI is Heathrow not Gatwick I think.

Can you not just pay the UK domestic baggage excess - £21 per bag if you pay up front:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... blic/en_gb

further down the page they also offer a service whereby your luggage is picked up and delivered to your final destination (via a third party partner)

Originally posted by oxmatt
Manchester to London with BMI is Heathrow not Gatwick I think.

Can you not just pay the UK domestic baggage excess - £21 per bag if you pay up front:

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/ba ... blic/en_gb

further down the page they also offer a service whereby your luggage is picked up and delivered to your final destination (via a third party partner)

And there you have it - yet another example of what a truly indispensable travel tool V-Flyer really is!
(you can have that for the front page, Pete - copyright mdvipond 2007).

Thank you, oxmatt; as per usual the simplest answer is the one that escapes my enfeebled mind. My mother will be delighted. My father will invest in a new back brace.

All in a days work.