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#914848 by Donkeh
26 Dec 2015, 22:35
Hi All,

Having just bagged a superb UC ex-DUB deal to LAS in July next year, I started to look for a positioning flight. My intention is to drive to LHR, park the car with the bags in, fly to DUB and back again, then drive to Gatwick ready for the VS flight the next day.

Having taken an ex-DUB flight back at the start of November, with hand luggage only for my whole trip, I started my journey close to home and took an EI flight from EMA to DUB, costing the princely sum of £12.

Looking at LHR <> DUB I find there are only two options and the prices are somewhat dearer. £78 one way or £82 return on BA and more expensive on EI. Are these normal prices, or should I wait in the hope of a sale?

Thanks.
#914850 by honey lamb
26 Dec 2015, 23:16
Donkeh wrote:Hi All,

Having just bagged a superb UC ex-DUB deal to LAS in July next year, I started to look for a positioning flight. My intention is to drive to LHR, park the car with the bags in, fly to DUB and back again, then drive to Gatwick ready for the VS flight the next day.

Having taken an ex-DUB flight back at the start of November, with hand luggage only for my whole trip, I started my journey close to home and took an EI flight from EMA to DUB, costing the princely sum of £12.

Looking at LHR <> DUB I find there are only two options and the prices are somewhat dearer. £78 one way or £82 return on BA and more expensive on EI. Are these normal prices, or should I wait in the hope of a sale?

Thanks.

EI currently have a sale on from Ireland. If they don't suit, keep looking as they are like the DFS of the skies.
#914852 by tontybear
27 Dec 2015, 01:12
why drive to LHR to fly to DUB to fly back then drive to LGW?

Why not drive straight from home to LGW then fly LGW to DUB then get the national express coach from LHR to LGW for when you land in LHR.

At the moment you can get a on way LGW-DUB for £20 on both FR and EI in July (based on one way on google flights)

It would be worth costing out the options and you'd only need hand luggage only fares

You'd save on the LHR parking fees and some driving.

That would throw Ryanair into the options. I did fly FR earlier this year LGW-DUB and TBH were pretty good (or at least not as bad as I imagined)
#914866 by Donkeh
27 Dec 2015, 12:00
tontybear wrote:why drive to LHR to fly to DUB to fly back then drive to LGW?

Why not drive straight from home to LGW then fly LGW to DUB then get the national express coach from LHR to LGW for when you land in LHR.

At the moment you can get a on way LGW-DUB for £20 on both FR and EI in July (based on one way on google flights)

It would be worth costing out the options and you'd only need hand luggage only fares

You'd save on the LHR parking fees and some driving.

That would throw Ryanair into the options. I did fly FR earlier this year LGW-DUB and TBH were pretty good (or at least not as bad as I imagined)


Thanks for pointing out this option, I hadn't considered it.

We leave DUB -> LGW at 11:40 on 1st July. (My mistake, I had meant to book a ~3PM departure, but got had issues with my credit card being blocked by the anti-fraud system and when I went back through it with MBNA on the phone, I managed to select an earlier flight than intended!)

Both the earliest FR (Arr: 11:00) and EI (Arr: 10:30) options I think would be pushing my luck in case of any problems. This only leaves night before options, which throw a couple of other things into the mix, getting to LGW after a days work to make a flight and the added cost of a hotel in DUB.

I will take a look though. Thanks.
#914867 by stuart_f
27 Dec 2015, 12:20
There's a FR flight from LTN that'll get you in at 0750 £24, another FR from STN that gets in at 0755 (also £24) and a BA from LHR that arrives 0805 (£78).

Might not be totally convenient but if you want to save on the hotel costs they are options.
#914884 by AndyK
27 Dec 2015, 20:28
Hi guys

Could use some assistance - trying to book ex DUB to JFK in J on VS.
All fine..seeing c £800.
However, when I change from DUB>LHR>JFK>LHR>DUB to making the final leg from either LGW or LCY, Expedia won't return any options at all.


Any reason for this?
#914885 by tontybear
27 Dec 2015, 21:03
Can you give the dates that you are trying to book each leg on
#914888 by Donkeh
27 Dec 2015, 22:15
stuart_f wrote:There's a FR flight from LTN that'll get you in at 0750 £24, another FR from STN that gets in at 0755 (also £24) and a BA from LHR that arrives 0805 (£78).

Might not be totally convenient but if you want to save on the hotel costs they are options.


Thanks, but none of these options are suitable, because after flying DUB -> LHR, I need to get our bags from my car before we get to LGW.
#914948 by AndyK
28 Dec 2015, 17:59
Hi

So this is what I'm trying to book

DUB>LHR>JFK>LHR>LGW>DUB Leaving 12 July, return 17 july

If I select in Expedia these selections (i.e. to give me VS) https://gyazo.com/871580471c18344b5f4c2cb924798e9b it returns 'no flights found.'

If I leave 'preferred airline' blank it gives me BA etc:

https://gyazo.com/4acc9271139a6bfd7084e2248af982af

There is definitely inventory available on the main VS flights - if I do a straight DUB>JFK return in J I can see them:

https://gyazo.com/7b44acf01b16d732d5e17a600ed1ff57

So unsure why when I choose VS as carrier it won't show me LGW or LCY > DUB for the last leg
#914949 by Linyilee
28 Dec 2015, 18:32
Hi Andy
It never works for me doing the multi city option
I just had a quick look and it offers me a return to Dublin via LGW on the 17th
If I can one day work out how to post a picture I'd show you
However it shows the vs46 at 19:00 arriving 07:20 and connecting to aer lingus at 15:25 out of LGW at £789
Lee
#914956 by Sunseeker
28 Dec 2015, 19:16
Hi looking to book my first ex Eu trip
Couple of questions if you can help please
Looked on Expedia do do the booking what do I need to do to make my flight to Heathrow the day before I depart Heathrow
Also do I need to do the return flight to Dublin

What I am looking to book is Dublin to Heathrow on 11 August
Heathrow to lax on 12 August
Lax to lhr 27 August
The if I have to it offered LGW to Dublin on 28 August
#914966 by gumshoe
28 Dec 2015, 21:15
It's becoming increasingly hard to find ex-EU itineraries involving VS flights on Expedia.

Try using the multi-city option and selecting VS as your preferred airline. If it doesn't work try ebookers or - my new favourite - STA (who also have high street branches which can access more combinations of flights than any website will ever offer).

Alternatively if you know how to use the ITA Matrix use that to price up your exact itinerary and either call VS or go to a travel agent to buy it.

You don't need to take the final leg to DUB but you do need to book it and you are doing the right thing booking it from LGW instead of LHR.
#914968 by Sunseeker
28 Dec 2015, 21:27
The itinerary comes up fine depart Dublin 11august to lhr then vs 007 to lax on 11th return lax to lhr on 27august arrive 28th then slide part LGW to Gatwick on 28th just I ha would rather do Dublin to lhr on 11th then lhr to lax on12 th
#914973 by mallivflyer
28 Dec 2015, 21:51
Hi all

I'm a frequent V flyer and never knew about this trick. Really amazing prices coming up. Thanks for this information, you guys are amazing.

Thinking of trying this and have seen prices with BA as well that are similar, my only concern is there a way to book the connections through VA as well? I feel a bit panicked about booking a connection through a different carrier when I could get straight through flights with BA (thus avoiding any issues if there were delays!).
#914984 by honey lamb
28 Dec 2015, 23:33
mallivflyer wrote:I feel a bit panicked about booking a connection through a different carrier when I could get straight through flights with BA (thus avoiding any issues if there were delays!).

Hi and welcome to V-Flyer. I live in Ireland and from my local airport (Cork) I only have the option of using Aer Lingus to fly to LHR and on some occasions when the price isn't right, using ex-AMS to snag one of these fares. Basically, what I do, is book a flight from Cork one flight earlier than the one that has the shortest connecting times. In other words, if the 4pm flight to LHR is the connector, I choose the earlier option of the midday flight and sometimes I fly out the night before depending on the time of my main flight.

If there are delays, then because all your flights are on the same ticket (be it EI or BA ex-DUB) then it is the responsibility of the airline to get you to your destination. However for your positioning flight to DUB (or whatever EU point of exit you use) you really need to make sure that your flight to that destination will allow enough time in case of any disruption caused by delays, weather, etc.
#914986 by mallivflyer
28 Dec 2015, 23:56
Hi and welcome to V-Flyer. I live in Ireland and from my local airport (Cork) I only have the option of using Aer Lingus to fly to LHR and on some occasions when the price isn't right, using ex-AMS to snag one of these fares. Basically, what I do, is book a flight from Cork one flight earlier than the one that has the shortest connecting times. In other words, if the 4pm flight to LHR is the connector, I choose the earlier option of the midday flight and sometimes I fly out the night before depending on the time of my main flight.

If there are delays, then because all your flights are on the same ticket (be it EI or BA ex-DUB) then it is the responsibility of the airline to get you to your destination. However for your positioning flight to DUB (or whatever EU point of exit you use) you really need to make sure that your flight to that destination will allow enough time in case of any disruption caused by delays, weather, etc.


Thank you honey lamb. So being as my ticket is for all sectors, to be clear, if my DUB-LHR flight is delayed quite disastrously late there is some duty to pop me onto the next outbound flight to the USA? That was my only concern. I wouldn't book one with a short connection anyway (Why waste valuable CH time? ;-) ) so hopefully it would all be pretty smooth.

I would fly out to DUB 1/2 days before (on an early flight) so hopefully that sector would be fine.

Thank you
#914989 by gumshoe
29 Dec 2015, 05:39
Next available flight, yes. Which might not be the next flight if it's full. And might be on a different airline to the one you booked. But it's their responsibility to get you to your ticketed destination.
#915010 by Sunseeker
29 Dec 2015, 11:57
Well I took the plunge and booked very impressed £961 for upper class return to lax in August
1question will they check my bags through to Dublin or can I ask for Lhr as the connecting flight is from Lhr the same day
#915012 by honey lamb
29 Dec 2015, 13:00
Sunseeker wrote:Well I took the plunge and booked very impressed £961 for upper class return to lax in August
1question will they check my bags through to Dublin or can I ask for Lhr as the connecting flight is from Lhr the same day

Do you mean for the return flight from LAX? If so, they will check your bags through to DUB but if you are not taking that last leg, then ask them to check only as far as LHR.
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