dominoman

Why are flights from Dubai / Abu Dhabi to the UK so crazy expensive, compared to flying the other way?!

Actually don't answer that. What I care about is how to save some money.

Is it worth booking a flight from here to somewhere else, and then the return journey from there?

Or better to buy a single to London and then a long dated return ticket from London to here (means planning too far ahead for me).

I don't get any flights paid by my company so want to try and save on the cost of flying home especially as I need to go back several times this year.

Are there any tricks or tips?

Thanks!

Millhouse

Sometimes flying to Qatar. Followed by a return to UK on EK starting from Qatar works.

But the wise man buys a single (and cries while doing this) to the UK and then does all further flights from the UK. I go to the UK around 10 times a year - it's saved me a fortune.

scrubbedexpat141

I got my first company here to give me my repatriation flight.
Now all flights start in London. Come Christmas, you'll be desperate to have a flight starting in the UK compared to here.

jam25mack

Well that advice was short lived....

There are a few ways:

1. Go via places you don't want to. Transavia (KLM budget airline) for instance are generally v cheap but take you via eastern Europe.
2. If you know where you want to go on holiday and when you can add Dubai in as a stopover en route to somewhere distant and put the next flight as several months away.... Generally works for UK - BKK for example. Just make sure the dates are not fixed in case you need to change them.
3. Have a play around with multi stop ticket. Last year I knew I was going to be back in the UK twice in one month so I did London - DXB - Manchester - DXB for just a bit more than the price of a standard return. Again, make sure your dates are certain or its a flexible ticket.
4. Get a single / cheapie long legged return and dingy the return then book UK - DXB return as its always cheaper.

I have little in the way of loyalty when it comes to carriers and am not too bothered about a stopover and so I generally find myself on BA or KLM / Air France as they usually come up cheapest. Also if you fly KLM / Air France you can have a nice stop over in Amsterdam. Did just that last week and opted for a 6hr stopover instead of just the 1.5hr minimum. Was plenty of time to get out the airport, into the city, have a smoke and a pancake, a pint, a wander round and then lazily make my way back. Was a great way to break up the journey.

scrubbedexpat141

Good advice.

All depends on if you want to have / enjoy / can deal with / don't mind stopovers.

If you're positive about them, just book those, always cheap.
If you're not, then get a single to London.

sicklyman

Go to Cairo, start a new ticket from there.

Dubaiexile

Turkish Airlines have gotten some good reviews..and under 2000 aed for a return economy to Heathrow, and some flights you are only in Istanbul for a couple of hours!

scrubbedexpat141

I paid 2,800 for return, direct with Emirates over the weekend. Don't always have to stop in a dump for a good deal

flares

I flew via Riga a few years back - saved a packet

Brains1983

blast from the past! Hope your well!

dominoman

That's cheap, but still double what my mother has just paid to come and visit us.

£285 return, direct London to Abu Dhabi on BA. Of that £37 was the fare and all the rest was tax

DXBtoDOH

UK airport taxes.

I have 150,000 avios points on BA and it's completely pointless to use them for free flights because once you factor in the taxes you still need to pay you're not really saving much money.

scrubbedexpat141

All our visitors pay about 3-400 quid. But having the UK as origin over the last 6 years, I still don't think I've had a sub-£3-400 flight because they're generally on a sale when it's not the right timing or less favourable times of day to fly or popular periods (Xmas etc).

Book in advance, try to have origin as the UK and you'll always do alright.
Don't expect 285 quid flights regularly though.

Millhouse

My flights vary between 350-550 from UK to here depending on the time of year etc.

scrubbedexpat141

I don't do it all that often, last week was a one-off.
Normally mine are Xmas so 500 mark sounds right, maybe more maybe slightly less.