scrubbedexpat091

Interesting. Even checked, a good 300-600 cheaper if your going UK to US vs the other direction...

I used LAX and LHR as the pairs.

RoadWarriorFromLP

It seems to be a bit early to buy a ticket for September. No guarantees, but I would expect the pricing to be lower about 8 weeks or so prior to departure, as the time remaining to fill the seats begins to run out.

TopSec

Yes, sorry I forgot about that! I guess it's one of the few times that UK is cheaper than US!?

WEBlue

Thanks so much for everyone's insights, experience, and thoughts! It really helps to have different perspectives cast on this, and I do appreciate every word.

I'm amazed that some people have been able to change the date on a cheapest economy ticket for a not-outrageous fee. I must check what the change fee is for these lowest-price fares, because if it's not too unreasonable that is definitely the way to go.

So it seems the advice is that it's a bit too early at this point to look for any ticket for late Aug/early Sept....even a flex ticket? I should wait to shop within 2-3 months of preferred travel time....

WEBlue

I've noticed this, that relatives based in Blighty can get better prices in Bpounds. But when I try to access a UK-based airline site, I seem to be switched over to the US one....

Ozzidoc

Remember that some babies come very early, like nine or ten weeks early!

You could try using an extension like Hola to look at UK-based websites, which will think you are in the UK.

Michael

I doubt if that will help. If you use the US travel sites, round trip tickets from the UK->US are significantly cheaper than from the US->UK so pricing appears to be based on the starting point.

scrubbedexpat091

That is how most airlines do it, its based on the airport pairs and direction generally.

Some airlines even charge in different currency then their home currency, originate on Westjet from a US or Mexican airport and they charge you in US dollar instead of Canadian dollar.

WEBlue

This is discouraging, because we still have a UK bank account and we'd love to pay for my trip out of those British funds....

I think it used to be possible to buy either US or UK tix from anywhere in the world...in fact I remember the husband doing this long ago (90s). But now it seems impossible.

Though maybe it's just the online system preventing it? I wonder if I call up the airline & pay by phone if I can still do it....

scrubbedexpat091

Call the airline and ask. I know with Westjet example, if you call them they can and do take payment in CAD $ on the routes where they charge in USD online. They just don't allow it online for whatever reason.

Pulaski

As Michael said, you can use your UK funds to pay for a ticket starting your journey in the UK, so if you know your future travel plans you can certainly buy successive return flights UK-US-UK, but you'll need a one-way ticket to get to the UK to start taking return trips originating in the UK.

lansbury

If you buy the ticket outside of the country in which the journey commences the IATA requirement used to be that only a published fare could be sold, not a discounted unpublished (consolidator) fare. If that is still the case check that you are in fact not paying more than you need buying the ticket in the UK.

petitefrancaise

Can't you get someone in the UK to book/pay for the flights and you re-pay them? Or get them to use your UK bank card to pay?

Pulaski

But that still doesn't solve the problem that the tickets are priced on where the journey starts (and ultimately returns to), not where the tickets are purchased and paid for. IOW Tickets for a flight starting from, say JFK, and going to LHW cost the same (aside from possible small FX related differences) whether you purchase them in the US or the UK.

petitefrancaise

I definitely remember someone on here talking about using google flights matrix to search for a flight, where you can play around a bit with departure airport etc. to get best price and figure out if companies charge more to fly return from one direction