How do you get longhaul flights as cheap as possible?

[P3onyPenny]

Just that really.

Wait for the airline to have a sale. Get a rewards credit card where you get air miles in return for regular spending. Use a comparison website like Sky Scanner to find the cheapest option. Play around with dates (airlines often have low fare finder tools on their websites). Go with a low cost airline e.g. Norwegian to the US. Cut back on extras like not paying for a checked bag or seat selection.

Book early - 11 months in advance for BA for example. Be prepared to not go direct and for it to take a long time! Many skyscanner deals will be this. If you book really early or when there’s a sale on you can go direct fairly reasonably unless it’s Australia or New Zealand of course.

Skyscanner - you can set alerts and breaking flights in less popular locations. Returns to India for under 300 quid with a good carrier :)

When does BA have sales?

Ugh I don't like ba. But from memory around sept/oct and in spring

If you are willing to fly indirect you can save hundreds

Skyscanner & Kayak will offer the cheapest flights - indirect will save loads but figure in if transfer times are realistic & if it's an airline change whether you would need to re-check baggage & therefore potentially have to have a visa. Airlines release their flights at different times so if you know who you want to fly, call them to find out release dates and book then. There's less hassle both at booking & if you have an issue booking direct with the airline rather than booking through an agency who can be a bit useless!

Think about routes. Starting outside the Uk helps.

Not my first choice of airline but BA usually has a sale around this time of year. Sign up to the executive club (their frequent flyer programme) and you’ll get a email when it launches, which will probably be anytime between now and October.

Why do people on this thread not like BA?

Can you sign up to frequent flyer if you're not one? Also if we go in and out of different cities will that make a difference and be more expensive?

Okeydokeys

I’ve flown on 4 flights with them, all about 8 hours.

2 x delayed luggage
1 x horrid blocked stinking toilets by 25% of the way through the flight
Combined 17 hours of delays
2 x seat not reclining and tv screen not working

Personally I find the cabin of the BA planes dated and not the same as airlines such as Etihad/Emirates. Their business class is also not as good as other airlines, but fares just as high.

BA is fine - it's very middle of the road and not Emirates but then it doesn't charge Emirates prices either. Neither is it Ryan Air though so just put it into perspective. We use BA often - no delays and only one or 2 glitches (one non working tv, reclining seat issue). Both Kayak and Skyscanner have multi city return options on their flights section - whether it will be more expensive than a straight forward return will be dependent on where those cities are. Most airline booking systems online won't let you book a multi city return so you'd have to call them or just book 2 single journeys.

I’ve flown on 4 flights with them, all about 8 hours.
BA are ok as far as it goes and they are bringing in newer planes across their fleet of existing aircraft. They do try and get you to your destination and they have enough contingency in terms of plane numbers and routes they offer.

Delayed luggage as an earlier respondent cited is not BAs fault, that lies with the baggage handlers at the airport concerned. Airlines have no control over baggage handling.

Delays to departures are also not the fault of the airline, they have to work within the confines of air traffic control.

Have also had a frozen tv monitor that was unrepairable but was given a fulsome apology by the CSD and Avios points.

OP, yes to both your questions. Go to the BA website and follow the link to join the executive club. And yes you can book a multi city itinerary online, you just might need to use the desktop site. We can’t tell you if it will be more expensive though, you’ll need to price that up.

And I don’t dislike BA, just that if you have a choice of airlines it would never be my first pick. Ive found that on most routes I fly and in most travel classes another airline usually offers better service/facilities for the same price or less.

I use Jack’s Flight Club to get the cheapest flight deals!

Sign up using the link below and you’ll be entered into a draw for free flights to Japan and Iceland!

www.jacksflightclub.co.uk/giveaways/win-flights-to-japan/?lucky=39054

Hope you find what you want!

Look into flying from a different UK airport if you have any it's easy to get to. I've found flying from Scotland to London or Manchester then out from there often cheaper than flying directly from Glasgow or Edinburgh for example. It also depends on the time of year, especially summer as the Scottish school holidays are earlier than English so if I'm travelling late June/early July it's cheaper to go to England first for me, and I guess it could possibly work the other way too for later in the summer (our schools go back mid-August). I'm one for booking as far in advance as possible as well and I've definitely saved money doing that. One (internal) flight I had to change last minute and the fee for that was more than I'd originally paid.

I’d agree with being prepared to go indirect. We saved £250 each last year on going to Cuba with a two hour stop in Paris rather than going direct. For 4 if us, that was £1,000 so we’ll worth it to extend the journey by 3 hours.

P3onyPenny The flights I booked last week with BA are now £75 cheaper Gatwick-Toronto and LA-Heathrow next June/July now £436. Not sure if it’s just those flights, or if it’s the start of their sale which I think is often end Aug/beginning of Sept.

BA sale now on. I use all sorts of things:

Jack's Flight club is a great heads up (notified me of BA sale before it was actually on the BA website!).

I use Skyscanner (although find the click throughs often different to what quoted on Skyscanner, so quite frustrating).

The last few years to the US, we've found BA to be the most competitive (although the deals haven't been as good this year). You need to check a variety of airports if possible. Also consider a fly-drive or fly-hotel package as they can often have great deals.

I've this morning booked for the 4 of us to go to New York next Easter holidays (we're flying across 2 weeks, but nearer the time will try to find some cheap domestic flights to go somewhere else) with BA for £1300. Had some Avios to cash in, so paid less than £1k. Bargain!

I've got no problems with BA, they've always served us very well.

OP, if you’re still interested the BA sale just launched.

All above, plus...

Fly midweek on relatively unpopular days and times

If doing Aus/NZ look at round the world fares not just return.

Look at bus/first class as well, you can sometimes get cracking deals!

But really you just need to be able to book the second you get the deal you want.

Google Flights has a very nice price graph feature along with customisable search filters. I find it much better than Skyscanner (I think it works directly off the live Matrix database not reported or delayed fares like ss)

Well BA isn't coming up that cheap for NY- over £600 each!

When are you flying?

If it's peak season/school hols/national holidays etc then it'll be peak fares. That's just how it is.

If you can be flexible about flying on an off peak mid week less popular flight then you'll probably get better deals.