Hi folks
I have a free weekend coming up in two weeks and have two options 1. sort out the garden, it's a mess 2. Go somewhere.
I prefer option 2. I'm seriously considering turning up at a London airport on friday afternoon and seeing what I can get to take me somewhere, anywhere, that isn't England, and get me back on sunday night, or v.early monday.
Has anyone any experience of doing this recently? Out of Stansted, Heathrow or Gatwick which are the best ones?
What's the best airline desk to go haggle with?
Is it possible to get any last minute bargains these days, literally just before the plane goes? I realise I'll probably have to pay a bit more to get me back on the return flight.
Any thoughts welcome
cheers
Andy
andyhants
2
gmc
I'd suggest going to a travel agent instead of just showing up at the airport. A travel agent should at least be able to give you a range of last minute choices at hopefully some good deals, and you'll also get the accommodations done at the same time.
3
bjoern
Cheap ticket nowadays are something you get 6 month before. The airlines offices in the airport (those airlines that has such one at all) are specializing in selling 1000+€ business tickets for 1 hr flights to ppl. that are stranded and desparate to get home/to their destination.
I have not said that you will not succeed - but the probability is low IMHO.
4
stevegerms
Although I've not, since I discovered the internet, been inside a travel agents for years, for circumstances such as the OP describes I would make an exception. Provided you are flexible as to where and when you want to go the travel agent is ideally suited to get you the best deal available.
5
ben
Metempsychosis reminded me of something. A few years ago in Frankfurt compagnies that had chartered airplanes would auction their remaining tickets at the last minute.
It was an electronic auction organised by Frankfurt airport authority. You could learn in the morning there was 3 tickets left for Brunei or Cuba and then bid on one or all of them and then leave the same or following day.
I haven't heard of that auction in a few years. I suspect this does not exist anymore. Does anyone here know about that Franfurt auction or any similar auction somewhere else?
6
ferweg_
It still exist, though not on a huge scale. Both Dusseldorf and Koln/Bonn Airport have large areas with sales desks.
Amsterdam has several "last minute" sales desks too.
But these offer last minute deals on charter/holiday flights, and are usually exclusivly for 8 or 15 day vacation trips. Never for 2 day weekend breaks. Last month we got last minute tickets on line. Booked 3 weeks in advance and paid 125 Euro each for a Amsterdam-Corfu return ticket.
Ferdinand
7
meka
Hey .. I think this is worth a go .. there are a lot of last minute internet specials thomspon fly has latedeals.co.uk and there's latsminute.com etc .. but I tend to agree that the days of "standby" prices has gone as the price of the advance purchase discount fares is so so cheap that it makes a cheap standby fare look expensive .. but it depends what you call cheap .. I saw some flights to Marakech for about GBP55 with easyjet for early July .. that's cheap ..
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