Consolidated thread about Ex-DUB and other Ex-EU travel.

If you upload the journey into google flights you can see a useful overview of all prices for each day.

I can never find ex EU with Virgin. BA yes but never VS

The trick I use is look on the VS site for flights around the time you want with lots of availability, then check out expedia from the various ex eu departure points.

It kinda cuts down on the searching a little

Its a pity sites like expedia didn't allow you to search over a range of dates instead of showing you the results for just one date.

David

Sounds like you need the ita matrix. matrix.itasoftware.com

Ability to search from/to multiple airports (though it times out with a lot of options, so you don't get a good search).

Ability to specify airlines, and hops.

Ability to search for dates within a month.

Choose DUB as start airport (can be DUB, AMS, BRU for three airports)
Choose MIA as end airport
Click advance routing.
Put BA LHR VS in first routing box (means airline, airport, airline)
Put VS LHR BA in second routing box (reverse of last)
Click see calender of lowest fares. I chose April 1 2017.
Click length of stay 6-10
2 adults
Business class or higher
Currency GBP

And search.

I see 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12th of April at £1227.

How do you get ITA Matrix fares in a state on a site where you can actually book them?

How do you get ITA Matrix fares in a state on a site where you can actually book them?

You phone VS. You write down the date, times, flight number and booking class and phone them.

You have to click through to make sure that the fare isn't cached and gone on the main page of ita matrix, but if it hits the details page, ie: giving all the fare rules, it should be bookable.

Just to remind you, this is not a _trick_ it is a valid bookable fare.

Will they do an ex-EU booking without questioning the fact you live in the UK?

Wonder if this will sort itself out when the "new" booking system eventually comes into being ?

Will they do an ex-EU booking without questioning the fact you live in the UK?

No problem at all. Under EU rules you cannot be restricted by a company over where you buy its products from (some minor exceptions but travel isn't not of them)

Will they do an ex-EU booking without questioning the fact you live in the UK?

Whatever makes you think they'd question you in any way where you are from?

Is this going back to thinking this is in some way an actual "trick" against the airlines?

Let me repeat this. This is a valid fare. To compete with other fares, often sale, of other airlines who may fly direct to locations. So in order to compete, they offer flights which fly indirect from that airport.

I believe it originated a long time ago with KLM, who decided they wanted to poach a lot of lucrative direct traffic from other major airlines. So they offered ex-AMS fares massively lower than other airlines, and did grab a bunch of traffic from Paris, London, Frankfurt and Brussels. Over the years it has just been an airline rule.

They may mention that dropping any leg of the journey may make it cost more or cause cancellation. Only one worth doing is last leg, and that involves some planning about getting hold luggage back, discussed earlier in this thread.

Is there a way to force the EU legs to economy and the long haul legs to upper/business? The way i used before simply doesn't work and hasn't since August with VS (but does with others).

Is there a way to force the EU legs to economy and the long haul legs to upper/business? The way i used before simply doesn't work and hasn't since August with VS (but does with others).

Ex Dublin the Are Lingus legs are always economy as there is no business class on Aer Lingus. For an upcoming trip to Vegas I'm economy on the EU legs and UC on VS to & from Vegas.

Is there a way to force the EU legs to economy and the long haul legs to upper/business? The way i used before simply doesn't work and hasn't since August with VS (but does with others).

Ex Dublin the Are Lingus legs are always economy as there is no business class on Aer Lingus. For an upcoming trip to Vegas I'm economy on the EU legs and UC on VS to & from Vegas.

That's what i have done before to JFK and Boston. It's simply not working at all. How are you doing it?

I use skyscanner, which has always worked perfectly. Eg, currently business class rtn (all legs) to Hong Kong on BA ex AMS is cheaper than a PE direct return from London and of course picking up exactly the same flight in London after transiting in from AMS. (I live near Stansted so its easy for me). I take hand luggage and simply not return to AMS.

Does anybody ever find good ex-EU deals these days? haven't anything decent for a good 12-18 months...

[mitchja]

I've not looked recently, however, I got a great fare from DUB to BOS in August with VS.

£788 for a return Upper Class fare was an absolute bargain in my book!!!

Sadly fares that low are very rare now. £1200-1300 for US east coast and £1500-1600 for west coast are more typical now.

The real bargains these days seem to be on the ME3 to Asia when they have their flash sales. £560 business class return to Tokyo anyone?

Seany it really depends where you want to go to, date and starting point (yeah we are in piece of string territory here!)

Oh and airline too. I've sometimes seen better prices by booking the codeshare rather than the main code flight. (£200 cheaper on IB than BA)

I'm seeing reasonable ex-EU fares for some of my planned trips (which until now have always been to the US but am thinking of going east now)

Not spectacular but reasonable but only just on the margin making an overall saving considering positioning flight(s) and a hotel to be worth the bother.

I'm lucky in that I have total flexibility of dates and can just wait until there is a sale though I appreciate not everyone else can.

My trip last year to SFO was just under £1,300. Just doing a dummy booking for same trip it's just over £1,600. The same flights just departing / arriving into LON is just a tad over £2,000.

Do the EX-DUB fares no longer work on VS ? Because of the skyteam alliance I assume. If they do still exist can someone point me in the right direction please
Thanks