Ukmed1

Hey guys I was hoping someone could advise me on the best deals and best airline for my wife's visit.

Heres the situation I'm only on 3 month contracts and the job could easily not continue once each contract is up, I want to get my wife out here to stay with me and I will do the visa runs with her when needed, do any airlines do a flexible return date or are there any that charge a small fee to change the Return date? Also whats the longest trip with a return date I can book for her ?

Thanks everyone

lionheart

Hardly the best time of year for anyone to visit from the UK, leaving behind the long warm summer days and instead finding oven-like temperatures with oppressive humidity.

Oyibopeppeh

Depending on the type of ticket, most carriers give you the first change FOC. It's just usually the absolute rock-bottom priced flights that are either non-changeable or carry a high penalty.

typical

Which specific carriers flying UK to Dubai do this? Because going by personal experience, BA and EK don't...

Oyibopeppeh

It's a case of reading the small print for the class of ticket.

typical

I can access the small print for all classes of ticket these airlines sell and I've never seen such a clause... would be really happy to know where it is, because it'd save me a lot of money. But I've never seen it.

In my experience, either changes are charged for, or they are free, in the vast majority of cases.

E.g. here is BA's "L" fare, not the cheapest by any means:

CHANGES

ANY TIME
CHARGE GBP 100.00 FOR REISSUE/REVALIDATION.
NOTE - TEXT BELOW NOT VALIDATED FOR AUTOPRICING.
THE CHANGE FEE APPLIES PER TRANSACTION-PER PERSON
FOR ADULT AND CHILD
INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY
CHILD DISCOUNTS DO NOT APPLY
------------------------------------------------
WHEN MORE THAN ONE FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED
THE HIGHEST PENALTY OF ANY OF THE CHANGED FARE
COMPONENTS WILL APPLY
------------------------------------------------
A CHANGE IS A DATE/ OR FLIGHT/ OR ROUTING/ OR
RESERVATION CHANGE
------------------------------------------------
PASSENGERS WHO NO-SHOW FOR A FLIGHT WILL BE
CONSIDERED AS A CANCELLATION AFTER DEPARTURE AND
WILL RECEIVE NO REFUND OF THE FARE.
CHANGES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED
-------------------------------------------------
WHEN THE ITINERARY RESULTS IN A HIGHER FARE THE
DIFFERENCE WILL BE COLLECTED - AND - ANY CHANGE
FEE APPLIED
-------------------------------------------------
WHEN THE ITINERARY RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE
CHANGE FEE APPLIES AND THERE IS NO REFUND OF
RESIDUAL
-------------------------------------------------
REISSUE/REVALIDATION MUST BE MADE AT THE SAME TIME
AS THE RESERVATION IS CHANGED
------------------------------------------------
//CHANGES BEFORE OUTBOUND DEPARTURE//
1.WHEN THE FIRST FARE COMPONENT IS CHANGED THE
ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING CURRENT FARES IN
EFFECT ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED
THE ITINERARY MUST MEET ALL RULE PROVISIONS OF THE
NEWLY TICKETED FARE I.E. ADVANCE RESERVATIONS/
TICKETING DEADLINE/MINIMUM/MAXIMUM STAY/BOOKING
CLASSES/SEASONALITY ETC....
-----------------------------------------------
2.WHEN THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE FIRST FARE
COMPONENT BUT OTHER FARE COMPONENTS ARE CHANGED
THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING
HISTORICAL FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS
TICKETING DATE OR USING CURRENT FARES IN EFFECT
ON THE DATE THE TICKET IS REISSUED-WHICHEVER IS
LOWER.
THE NEW ITINERARY MUST MEET ALL THE PROVISIONS
OF THE NEWLY TICKETED FARES
-----------------------------------------------
//CHANGES AFTER DEPARTURE//
THE ITINERARY MUST BE RE-PRICED USING HISTORICAL
FARES IN EFFECT ON THE PREVIOUS TICKETING DATE.
THE NEW ITINERARY MUST MEET ALL THE RULE
PROVISIONS OF THE NEWLY TICKETED FARES SUCH THAT
THE RECALCULATED FARE COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR THE
NEW ITINERARY IF PURCHASED ON THE ORIGINAL TICKET
ISSUE DATE.

Victor Meldrew

We book Emirates in UK via internet. We usually travel to Dubai around end August with a return date to UK at end July. However, we both have work permits. I am guessing if a tourist arrived at the airport with similar ticket they may not be allowed to travel with a return ticket dated beyond the tourist visa period (30 days I believe).

Emirates charge around £75 to change dates on a ticket.

Brains1983

dont know about UK to AE, however we're flying back to UK next month and changed our return date by 3 days last week, BA charged us 2000dhs each. Basterds.

Bahtatboy

It might be worth going through a travel agent. I sometimes buy online directly from the airline, but invariably for fixed dates. But travel agents (both here and in UK) can usually get a similar price but with changeable dates--if I recall correctly, it would cost about 50 quid to change dates.

OWM

Mite as well check Qatar Airways as well

Even Virgin Atlantic has a few flights during the week

mission

Emirates lets you change once without any fee.

typical

I can't find any fare rule that says they will, in which case it sounds like it might be up to the individual agent?

UKCityGent

Qatar allows you to change once free, then 10KD after on economy tickets

busybee2

wasnt it 300 aed or so to change with ba?

typical

Again that's not in their fare rules, maybe they waive the fee but I wouldn't want to rely on it unless it's written somewhere?

Depends on the ticket, it can be a lot more.