Flight release and best price

washy777 · 16 Jan 20, 05:29 PM

Just finalising detail and we are looking at a return trip on 1st July 2021.

Booking everything independently so I’m asking the best time to book flights for the best deal.
Out of curiosity I searched this year and for 4 adults LGW - MCO with Virgin on the Economy lite package the total price was £2,300 which I thought was decent ?

Thanks in advance.

Sew109 · 16 Jan 20, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by washy777

Just finalising detail and we are looking at a return trip on 1st July 2021.

Booking everything independently so I’m asking the best time to book flights for the best deal.
Out of curiosity I searched this year and for 4 adults LGW - MCO with Virgin on the Economy lite package the total price was £2,300 which I thought was decent ?

Thanks in advance.

I would not use one year to the next as a yardstick currency and oil fluctuation as well as supply and demand can change Manchester is getting expensive because of less competition.

The very earliest we book is 9 months out we now fly to Miami as it’s cheaper and so is car hire.

Work out what you are prepared to pay and set an alert on sky scanner book when it hits your price and don’t check prices again. Remember with economy lite you are last on the plane so chances are selfish people with big hand lugguage will have taken all the locker space, you don’t get hold luggage included nor seat reservations.

mitch-fishguard · 16 Jan 20, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by washy777

Just finalising detail and we are looking at a return trip on 1st July 2021.

Booking everything independently so I’m asking the best time to book flights for the best deal.
Out of curiosity I searched this year and for 4 adults LGW - MCO with Virgin on the Economy lite package the total price was £2,300 which I thought was decent ?

Thanks in advance.

Have a look at booking 4 separate seats. You wont believe what you see

washy777 · 16 Jan 20, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by mitch-fishguard

Have a look at booking 4 separate seats. You wont believe what you see

What as in it will be a lot cheaper ?

mitch-fishguard · 16 Jan 20, 07:10 PM

Was scanning for 4 adults 1 child. I tried individually and they all worked out cheaper

Peko · 16 Jan 20, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by mitch-fishguard

Was scanning for 4 adults 1 child. I tried individually and they all worked out cheaper

You wouldn't be able to book all of them at the lower price. The 5 seat search would have taken you into the higher fare bucket because the airline was offering less than 5 seats at a particular price. The way airline availability works, all the seats in a booking will be returned from the same fare bucket, so if only 3 available in a given fare bucket, it will give you all 5 at the lowest fare bucket with 5 seats available.

So, searching for one will show a lower price, but you wouldn't be able to book all 5 at that price because the availability isn't there. In my example you'd be able to book 3 at the lower price, but you'd have to do one booking for the 3 seats at the lower price, and a separate booking for the remaining 2 seats at the higher price.

People do this sometimes to save money, and nothing wrong with it. The risks are around parties being seated together, and issues with rebooking etc in the event of oversold flight, upgrades/downgrades, delays and cancellations.