Rip Off Uk Airfares

[Bigfellah]

I want to book return travel to Cape Town and I am met with this ridiculous example of Rip Off Britain.

BA Non Stop London (LHR) to Cape Town fare is £975
BA Amsterdam to Cape Town via London (LHR) is £552 - same LHR to CT flight as above.

I need to add the cost of an one way Easyjet flight to Amsterdam - £31 - so total comes to £583. Return via LHR (making sure baggage only booked to LHR) and dont bother with onward journey and a saving of £392.

How the heck is that explained? Anyone got any ideas?

[jno]

maybe they're trying to attract more Dutch business with promotional fares?

Have you tried people like Trailfinders? They can usually get fares much lower than the airlines advertise.

[Bigfellah]

Hi jno, I have researched these flights a lot on many websites and it's not just Amsterdam - BA in Frankfurt and Brussels have similar fares.

I have found cheaper fares from London but it is the disparity of the fares that BA have for the UK when compared with mainland Europe that I am referring to here.

[237SJ]

UK airport tax - enough said.

[237SJ]

Oh sorry, Passenger Duty ( how many words can be invented that mean "tax"?

[dzug2]

You may not be allowed to check your luggage just to Heathrow on return - at least not without cancelling that last leg and paying the difference in fares


As to why it's so - you have to understand that distance travelled, length of flight, etc have only a tenuous relationship to price charged. Added to which indirect flights - anywhere - are often priced cheaper than direct ones - to attract business

[zebo]

We found a similar thing to the USA. Flying from Manchester, via London, was £60 cheaper than flying from London, on the same plane!