[nickydwuk]

I am not a seasoned flyer so hopefully someone can help. I have been scouting the airlines looking for the best deal and also the best airline to fly with. We have decided on Singapore Air and a few weeks ago I checked out their flights for September. On 18th Sept (the date we planned to fly out) the flight for 4 of us was just over £2000. This weekend I checked and the price has gone up by £200 - but only on this date. The 19th is still the original price. Any idea why this could be and is it likely to happen to the flights on 19th? If so I think we need to book flights now to save oursleves £200. :)

[Milliemoo]

It's all down to the demand for the seats on a particular flight. The less seats, the more expensive they are. That's why it (generally) pays to book your tickets as soon as possible.

So yes, the price for your flight on the 19th will almost certainly go up the longer you leave it.

Milliemoo

[Jon&Candy]

The airlines allocate a limited number of seats at the cheapest prices. When they've run out, you have to pay a higher price.

The thing is though, when you buy a block of seats, you get charged the highest price for all of the seats. In your case, there might still be 3 seats available at the lower price, but because you want 4 you have to pay the higher amount.

You could try booking 3 seats together, and then 1 other seat. It might be cheaper. I'm sure Singapore Airlines could then sit you all together if you phoned them. Alternatively, you could always leave a family member behind!!! ;)

[ourquest]

Taxes and surcharges also change from time to time depending on exchange rates and this affects the price of tickets. Flying from Africa, Singapore Airlines have a much bigger tax component in each ticket compared to Emirates, for example, and so their prices can fluctuate more.

[Tia Maria]

When I was booking flights from NZ to UK, I compared the cost booking 4 months in advance, 3 weeks in advance and 1 week in advance for the same flights:

For an adult return, NZ to UK via Singapore, Feb 2007:

4 months in advance: $2100

2 weeks in advance: $2700

1 week in advance: $2380

So, on this occasion, booking early was best and last minute was second best. However, booking inbetween was the most expensive.

Also with last minute, availability is worse, so you would have to be more flexible with dates.

Do try different days as some days are more expensive than others. Also I found mid week flights were less busy, so increases your chances of having empty seats next to you. All the flights that I was on that arrived on a Saturday were full.

I've always found booking directly with the airline cheaper.

Cheers

Tia

[nickydwuk]

Thanks guys - I will probably book them this week. We haven't yet submitted our ITA (medicals end of March) or sold our house but September is a long way off.

Tia - you answered my next question - is it cheaper to book direct or through an agent or cheap flight search engine?

[ourquest]

I've always found booking directly with the airline cheaper.



On their website, but not necessarily at their offices. For the latter we've found Flight Centre to be cheaper, but not quite able to match website fares.

[Tia Maria]

Thanks guys - I will probably book them this week. We haven't yet submitted our ITA (medicals end of March) or sold our house but September is a long way off.

Tia - you answered my next question - is it cheaper to book direct or through an agent or cheap flight search engine?

I've always checked various options as it doesn't take long and it can save you a couple of hundred. Sometimes the cheap flight search engines come close but when it comes to the final price they often add a credit card charge which means it either makes it more expensive, or you can't take advantage of any credit card points.

As Ourquest says, its online booking with the airline which is cheaper, although you will have to phone up to book any infants.

If you sign up to the Singapore website they will send you details of any current promotions.

Cheers

Tia

[ourquest]

A bit annoyingly not all websites have the facility to book codeshare flights from non-major airports though, so in South Africa for example, Singaporeair.com will let you book JHB-AKL, but not DBN (Durban)-JHB-AKL, which they do actually offer by combining with either SAA or British Airways, but you have to go through an agent for this.

Emirates, however, works out about 2/3rds of the price, but if you need to make changes you will have to pay for them. BUT, you can arrange to pay this fee at the airport on your return flight, so you can actually postpone your flights to satisfy immigration if you are extending your visitor's permit, and then if you obtain your PR and don't use your return flights then the changes were actually "free". I am sure this will apply to some on this forum.

[KerryS]

If you don't pay by credit card it is often cheaper to use Flight Centre to book flights, as they will beat any quoted price. I've just printed out the online prices and they have then sold me the flights for about $5 less. Not a huge amount, but it can add up if buying lots of flights.

[jshack52]

we flew out with air NZ on the 9th Jan and it cost £2011 for 2 adults and 1 childs seat one way. This was booked about 1 month before we were due to fly. I think the prices go up the longer you wait. i checked how much it would have been if we waited till we had PR a month later and it would have been another £300.

[Jon&Candy]

we flew out with air NZ on the 9th Jan and it cost £2011 for 2 adults and 1 childs seat one way. This was booked about 1 month before we were due to fly. I think the prices go up the longer you wait. i checked how much it would have been if we waited till we had PR a month later and it would have been another £300.

Gosh.That seems really expensive. We've paid £2342 for 2 premium economy seats with Air NZ from London to Wellington (at the end of March), with a 10 night stopover in L.A. If we'd flown economy direct with no stopover it would have been £979.20 (inc all taxes).

I prepared a matrix of all suitable departure dates and flight options to see when the best prices were. I expected it to get much more expensive around Easter, but it just didn't. It seemed to be random which flights were more expensive than others.

[Den]

[QUOTE=Jon&Candy;183905]We've paid £2342 for 2 premium economy seats with Air NZ from London

Hi Jon & Candy - did you have a good flight in premium seats with Air NZ? we are using them from Hong Kong to Auckland. (using Virgin Atlantic, London to Hong Kong) Total cost of flights similar.

[Jon&Candy]

Hi Jon & Candy - did you have a good flight in premium seats with Air NZ? we are using them from Hong Kong to Auckland. (using Virgin Atlantic, London to Hong Kong) Total cost of flights similar.

We haven't been yet. I'll update you in April!

[nickydwuk]

I checked the prices from the cheap flights websites against the online prices and Singapore Air still came out on top by booking direct online. So I have bitten the bullet and booked our flights now. We are flying a day later than planned which will mean we will arrive in Chch on a Sunday (21st September). I know this is really early but I don't want to risk the prices rising again. It has cost us £2082 for 4 adults to Chch via Singapore. The day earlier it is already at £2267.

Getting excited now the flights are booked :clap

[jshack52]

congrats on booking your flights!

That seems like a fab price to me!

Good Luck with the Move!

Jess
xxx

[theSingsons]

Having worked for a US based Travel company, the best advise I can give you is to book your flights at least 4 months from your travel date. If you go beyond 4 months, the airfare is sure to skyrocket. Taxes and Surcharges basically remain the same all through out, but its the cost of the seat that you are buying for the trip which fluctuates. Generally, most travel agencies get or reserve their "block bookings" for a flight where they purchase a number of seats at a flat rate with options, but usually, whether that seat is sold or not, its already paid for.
So go book straight with an airline 4 months before the trip. My wife and I are visiting Wellington this August, and we're buying the tickets in April.