Glitch/Cheap price thread July/August 2018

[Moorlandman]

I think a separate thread for direct flight bargains would be ideal as 90% of people go direct!

[twinkly-tink]

Originally Posted by PixieBoot

I saw these too; we're in Cov so brum flights would be ace, but noticed the sub 2 hr layover in Frankfurt. I'd be mega stressed at possibility of delays etc.

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We are doing these flights in march with sub 2 hr layover. We decided on paying for seats on Frankfurt leg and got them as close to front as we could do that way we will get off quickly ... should be less stressful... hopefully!

[Hil]

Originally Posted by CosmicGirl

I don't live in the UK, we've had them here much longer. But a good place to start is to find the IATA code of the rail station you're looking to depart from, then look for flights with that IATA code as the point of departure.

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Thanks for this info

[rsvdaz]

Originally Posted by CosmicGirl

Please read the last 10 pages or so of the first thread, as we've already been over this.

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Accessrail have promised to get back to me as I have highlighted their itinerary is not complete as there is a gap between Heathrow and Gatwick. I have pointed out that this element of the trip (Cardiff to Heathrow) is pointless given that it leaves you short for your ongoing connection.

I know cosmic girl you say these are common on the continent but I'm struggling to see where BA will be contacted to cancel the whole trip - they don't operate the coach company ( national express) and there's a huge gap between the connections

[joanna23]

Originally Posted by CosmicGirl

Please read the last 10 pages or so of the first thread, as we've already been over this.

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With the greatest of respect I have read over the last 10 pages you suggest at least twice. As a long time Dibber and follower of the Glitch thread for the last 8 years we're a friendly bunch and try and help each other out. I apologise for possibly taking the written word the wrong way but I will put that down to my sensitivity.
I can see I'm not alone in querying these unusual travel arrangements (obviously not unusual to you but I assume you're in the trade) but I only politely asked for your help.

[chmurf]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

I know cosmic girl you say these are common on the continent but I'm struggling to see where BA will be contacted to cancel the whole trip - they don't operate the coach company ( national express) and there's a huge gap between the connections

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The question you have to ask yourself is not to know how and if BA has the ability to know.
No, the real question is : do you want to find out at Gatwick when they tell you that you can't board that plane to Florida ?


This is the same issue as with hidden city ticketing. You don't get caught, good for you. You get caught, your vacations are over before they even started, and all the good money you've saved for months or years is gone too, and you can use your travel money to drown your sorrow at the nearest pub in Crawley before heading back home.


The rules are simple : a ticket must be used in the order of its segments. If a segment is not used, all subsequent segments become void (= cancelled)

Sorry to sound a bit harsh, but I think it's important for anyone to understand that there are rules. People get away with breaking them. But it's playing Russian Roulette.

At the end of the day, you decide, because now you know the risks.

[CosmicGirl]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

Accessrail have promised to get back to me as I have highlighted their itinerary is not complete as there is a gap between Heathrow and Gatwick. I have pointed out that this element of the trip (Cardiff to Heathrow) is pointless given that it leaves you short for your ongoing connection.

I know cosmic girl you say these are common on the continent but I'm struggling to see where BA will be contacted to cancel the whole trip - they don't operate the coach company ( national express) and there's a huge gap between the connections

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None of the buses or trains are operated by the airlines here, either, but they work together to avoid abuse. Rail&fly tickets are carefully designed to attract passengers from a region who would be very unlikely to fly with your airline if you did not offer them this option. As I've mentioned before, I cannot speak of experience with BA because I have none. If you choose to book, I wish you the best of luck with showing up at Gatwick. I can only offer advice based on the experience that I do have with other airlines who work with Accessrail to make sure that the choice you and other readers of this thread make is an informed one.
And to give you an example of how easy it would be for BA to check: National Express could simply have a list of passengers with BA bookings at the door of the coach upon boarding in Cardiff. Whichever names are not ticked off can be communicated to BA.

Originally Posted by joanna23

With the greatest of respect I have read over the last 10 pages you suggest at least twice. As a long time Dibber and follower of the Glitch thread for the last 8 years we're a friendly bunch and try and help each other out. I apologise for possibly taking the written word the wrong way but I will put that down to my sensitivity.
I can see I'm not alone in querying these unusual travel arrangements (obviously not unusual to you but I assume you're in the trade) but I only politely asked for your help.

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And I politely pointed you in the direction of the answer. Helping other Dibbers is the exact reason I started posting in this thread yesterday. I had been browsing it and suddenly noticed things moving very quickly with people booking tickets, unaware of the strings attached. Indeed, you don't see these itineraries every day, so I tried my best to make everyone aware of the risk so they would know what they are stepping into. However, I have done what I can to explain the risk and do not intend to continue explaining it if anyone feels that the terms of the ticket do not apply to them.

The easiest way to make sense of this is to compare it to a connecting flight. If you you had booked a flight to Orlando, connecting at Gatwick all on BA aircraft (not even sure that's possible), would you expect your ticket to still be valid if you showed up at Cardiff airport to check in, got your boarding pass, and then teleported to Gatwick to show up for the flight to Orlando? Even though you had checked in and were given a boarding pass, BA would consider you a no-show because you had not physically boarded the aircraft flying from Cardiff to Gatwick.
These trains and buses should be treated no differently if you want to be 100% sure your ticket will remain valid.

[Rosielady]

My preference would be with Thomson , Edinburgh to Sanford . Does Thomson ever have a sale ? ( in know I'm asking for a lot 😂&#128077

[CosmicGirl]

Originally Posted by rsvdaz

Accessrail have promised to get back to me as I have highlighted their itinerary is not complete as there is a gap between Heathrow and Gatwick. I have pointed out that this element of the trip (Cardiff to Heathrow) is pointless given that it leaves you short for your ongoing connection.

I know cosmic girl you say these are common on the continent but I'm struggling to see where BA will be contacted to cancel the whole trip - they don't operate the coach company ( national express) and there's a huge gap between the connections

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Sorry, I forgot to add this part to my previous post:
It is not uncommon for there to be a gap between segments connecting in London. If I were to book a flight from Düsseldorf or Brussels to Orlando on BA or even Virgin, I would always be stuck with the airport change because there are no flights to Gatwick. Even if book directly on BA's website that would be the result I get if I don't want a second connection. London, like New York for instance, is treated as one connection point in the ticketing world. Some search engines will allow you to exclude tickets with airport changes, but if you book a ticket with a change it is always your own responsibility to get from airport A to airport B.

[joanna23]

Originally Posted by CosmicGirl

And I politely pointed you in the direction of the answer. Helping other Dibbers is the exact reason I started posting in this thread yesterday. I had been browsing it and suddenly noticed things moving very quickly with people booking tickets, unaware of the strings attached. Indeed, you don't see these itineraries every day, so I tried my best to make everyone aware of the risk so they would know what they are stepping into. However, I have done what I can to explain the risk and do not intend to continue explaining it if anyone feels that the terms of the ticket do not apply to them.

The easiest way to make sense of this is to compare it to a connecting flight. If you you had booked a flight to Orlando, connecting at Gatwick all on BA aircraft (not even sure that's possible), would you expect your ticket to still be valid if you showed up at Cardiff airport to check in, got your boarding pass, and then teleported to Gatwick to show up for the flight to Orlando? Even though you had checked in and were given a boarding pass, BA would consider you a no-show because you had not physically boarded the aircraft flying from Cardiff to Gatwick.
These trains and buses should be treated no differently if you want to be 100% sure your ticket will remain valid.

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Thank-you for the answer above that's the information I was asking for your thoughts on. If I'd wanted the read the thread answer or do a search I'd have gone to the more notorious FB groups. Your expertise is valuable here and thanks for your help.