Ozzidoc

I just paid $48 for the flight component of a return flight between San Diego and Heathrow, flying with United.

Taxes were an extra $600 ish.

How do airlines make any money??

Bink

Well United are going to have to make this kind of price drop to keep anybody flying with them. As soon as I've spent all my airmiles with them, I'm done with them.

I never figured out the 'taxes'. BA's taxes are considerably higher than United's...

AmerLisa

I have to agree! I've flown United international and domestic (the last time domestic was a couple of weeks ago in what I dubbed "the flying toilet") I won't fly with them again unless they're absolutely the last plane flying where I need to go!

I know, I know never say never....

wtkp0u

"Taxes" or "Taxes and Fees?" There's often airline fees that they lead you to believe are taxes, e.g. fuel/security surcharges.

Bink

Back on the subject of transatlantic flight prices, I'm really struggling to get good prices these days from Houston-London. I'm looking to go in April next year and it's $3,600 for my wife, me and our 2 yr old.

Ozzidoc

Yes, you are correct. "Taxes and fees".

Ozzidoc

www.hipmunk.com often finds me a good price.

Bink

Thanks. Unfortunately it doesn't get me a cheaper price. This route has been steadily increasing in the past 5 years. I used to be able to fly LHR-IAH for GBP 350

AmerLisa

cattle class?

markwm

Prices appear to have risen markedly in the last 2 years. I recently paid $1600 for a round trip to LHR from LAX, cattle class. At least it was bearable in BA and pretty good on a brand new AA plane on route to London. I'm sure the time of year you fly bears on the price, but even so, very expensive.

Speedwell

Houston to London is affected strongly by the fact that oil and gas companies use the route heavily as a way to Aberdeen. Four out of the last five times I've been to the UK, I went through Heathrow on BA (the fifth being Dublin on Aer Lingus, and don't prefer it). So long as the O&G companies pay whatever the going rate is, it will affect the rest of us who go for other reasons. Triple ugh.

AmerLisa

We've done Aer Lingus via Dublin the last few times and we think it's ok. The only downside was the domestic United flight we had to catch back and forth to Chicago. But it was relatively cheaper than anything else we were seeing.

Speedwell

That's really my point. United. Blarg.

Bink

Oh yeah. Business is outrageously expensive. I wouldn't fly business with a child anyway, not until he's a lot older.

I looked up business class just out of curiosity. $14k with a stop, $27k no stops...

Lord PercyPercy

This is almost exactly what I just paid for my wife, a 2 yr old and myself from Tampa to Gatwick.

I even took a peek at the business class price and almost had a coronary.