Come fly with glee!
Achieve the perfect take- off this summer with these top tips
CONVENIENT FLIGHTS SAVE CASH
DON’T get carried away by a cheap air fare that departs from an inconvenient airport at an inconvenient time. It is cheaper to get to Heathrow on the Tube than Stansted or Luton on the train, and a well-timed flight that costs more may mean you get extra time at your destination and can avoid an expensive hotel stay at the airport.
LATE GAINS FOR FREQUENT FLYERS
WHILE cash prices tend to jump for short-notice departures, frequent-flyer mile pricing does not vary much between high and low season and does not change at all at short notice. If you can find availability, you will get fantastic value for your Avios, far better than the 1p per mile I usually target.
CASH I N WHILE PRICES ARE HIGH
LONG-HAUL economy tickets using frequent-flyer mile redemptions are often written off as being bad value because you still have to pay all the taxes and charges that make up a high percentage of the ticket cost. During peak summer months, cash prices can be so high that using miles for long-haul economy does make sense, so don’t ignore this route.
AVIOS POINTS CAN TRAVEL TOO
REMEMBER you can use British Airways Avios points on more than 15 airlines, not just BA. Aer Lingus, Flybe, Iberia and Finnair are alternative options for getting around Europe on Avios if you don’t mind connecting. For long-haul you have American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Qatar Airways.
MAKE BUSINESS HUBS PAY
FREQUENT-flyer mile availability in August is better to major business centres such as Milan. Instead of buying an expensive flight to Venice, for example, a free Avios air miles redemption to Milan for a couple of days, together with a cheap train trip to Venice afterwards, might be more fun and better value.
SHORT HOPS ADD UP
IF you’re paying cash for a flight ticket, sign up for frequent-flyer schemes. BA, Virgin and Norwegian let you use small quantities of miles for discounts off future flights, and BA and Nor- wegian let you pool miles from your whole family in one pot.
EXTRAS SPRING NASTY SURPRISES
CHECK out extra charges for seat selection, baggage and food before booking. You are likely to be faced with add-ons that can vary widely.
STRETCH OUT ON LONG HAUL
ON LONG-haul flights it’s worth looking at economy seat width. Out of Heathrow, BA is usually nine seats across on a Boeing 777 while its main competitors are tighter, with ten seats across.
PLASTIC MEANS PRIZES
SOME credit cards such as American
Express Gold (free for the first year) offer airport-lounge passes when you sign up (Amex Gold gives you two). This can be a good way of getting your holiday off to a relaxing start.
BA’S GATWICK BONANZA
BA bought Monarch early this year and has got a lot of extra summer flights out of Gatwick that it hasn’t had much time to sell. Pricing may be better than you think.
PAY NOW, ENJOY LATER
YOU can pick up Avios miles this year that might get you a free flight next year by paying for your holiday with an airline’s credit card.