Florida- Xmas flights 2024

SoSad44 · 2023-12-11T14:48:51+00:00

When is the best time to book Christmas flights from Heathrow or Gatwick? We want to visit family (not going to the parks) but unfortunately their closest airports are Tampa or Orlando. I checked in March this year and December 23 flights were already super expensive. I think they go on sale jn January, is there anything else we should know/consider? Flying with 2 children. Preferred route would be Heathrow to Tampa.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 11/12/2023 16:51

BA fly direct to Tampa from Gatwick.

They’ve recently had a sale but sometimes there is a January sale too.

Original poster

SoSad44 · 12/12/2023 13:15

Thanks! They are also not on sale yet. I was hoping for some advice on when it’s the best time to buy Christmas flights 2024. I assume
the earlier the better?

OP posts:

Shamrockk · 12/12/2023 13:23

For years we booked our summer flights either December 31st or January 1st. Always got the best deal for some reason at that time, January is a good month as no one is really booking holidays so always good prices at that time. One year we paid about £400 per person from Glasgow to MCO, spoke to a woman behind us and she paid nearly £2k per person.

Also, we have before booked flights + hotel as it worked out cheaper than just the flights, we go to a villa anyways so keep an eye out there incase you get a really good deal.

Once you know your dates I would just check skyscanner etc daily and see what the prices are per day but I’ve worked in travel for years and January usually is your best bet x

cheezncrackers · 12/12/2023 13:23

BA releases its flights 355 days in advance, Virgin release theirs 11 months in advance and other carriers have their own precise release dates, so look these up in advance so you'll be able to start searching as soon as those dates appear. They may not be the best prices you'll see though. There are all kinds of hacks for getting the best prices, but if you need specific dates and want direct flights then it's a good idea to start searching early, keeping note of the prices and also having some idea of what a good price is, so you can jump when you see it.

It's really hard to get a good deal though these days, particularly on flights to/within the US during peak times like Christmas/New Year and the summer holidays. If you use SkyScanner and look at indirect flights too you might find a good deal. Flying via another European hub (Dublin, Amsterdam, etc) or via NYC, Atlanta, etc can save you money, but obviously it's that much more hassle, takes longer and there is more risk that your luggage will be lost.

cheezncrackers · 12/12/2023 13:25

One more thing - both BA and Virgin hold seat sales in January, which can be a great time to book your summer travel (as the PP says above), but because Christmas is more than 11 months away those sales don't include flights for the following Christmas.

Original poster

SoSad44 · 12/12/2023 13:38

cheezncrackers · 12/12/2023 13:23

BA releases its flights 355 days in advance, Virgin release theirs 11 months in advance and other carriers have their own precise release dates, so look these up in advance so you'll be able to start searching as soon as those dates appear. They may not be the best prices you'll see though. There are all kinds of hacks for getting the best prices, but if you need specific dates and want direct flights then it's a good idea to start searching early, keeping note of the prices and also having some idea of what a good price is, so you can jump when you see it.

It's really hard to get a good deal though these days, particularly on flights to/within the US during peak times like Christmas/New Year and the summer holidays. If you use SkyScanner and look at indirect flights too you might find a good deal. Flying via another European hub (Dublin, Amsterdam, etc) or via NYC, Atlanta, etc can save you money, but obviously it's that much more hassle, takes longer and there is more risk that your luggage will be lost.

Thanks. We are travelling with small kids and Christmas presents and as there are two direct routes from London, I don’t think we would consider indirect. Seems too much of a hassle.

i will check in January and book asap. Unfortunately this route is so popular because of Disney and Universal…

OP posts:

cheezncrackers · 12/12/2023 17:59

SoSad44 · 12/12/2023 13:38

Thanks. We are travelling with small kids and Christmas presents and as there are two direct routes from London, I don’t think we would consider indirect. Seems too much of a hassle.

i will check in January and book asap. Unfortunately this route is so popular because of Disney and Universal…

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Yeah, we have the same issues when we go to the US - travelling with our kids, lots of luggage, etc - so we end up sucking it up and paying for the direct flights. And on the day I'm always glad we did, even if they're significantly more than the cheaper, indirect ones. We tend to book really early and not wait, because with school holidays we tend to only have a small window within which we can travel, so we need certain dates on a certain route with direct flights. So my advice to you would be - work out your travel dates and then if you're travelling with BA count back 355 days from your return date - that's when you'll see the tickets for your travel dates on sale.