Booking Air Flights.

[leefer]

Just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on booking flights.

I am off to Peurto Del Carmen....Lanzarotte in May....go there most years though not last because of money shortage..anyway my question is this..
Most years i just book the flights really whenever i have the money to book....the price has gone up around 30% in the last two years making decent flights(times etc)a lot more expensive so i am looking really for any advice on WHEN the best time to book is...i am going in the first week in May......should i book now....someone has told me a month before is better...i can't risk leaving it to late as i need two seats.
Is it really just luck.....or is there a good time to book regarding saving money?

Cheers for any input.

[jimbob]

Hello mate...I would have at look at prices now and if u like wat u see then book..I think the days are gone when last minute cheap flights are available...that said if ur only after a flight,book a cheap self catering hol and don't bother with accom and ul probably find it works out cheaper.

[leefer]

Cheers jimbob......think i will book them this week.

[joteddyred]

Leefer - we're going to Puerto Del Carmen in July.  Never been to Lanzarote before so any good places to go/places to avoid very welcome.

I booked our flights about 2 weeks ago.  I dilly dallied for about a week before that and in that time they went up by £70 for the four of us.  I checked a few days ago and they've gone up even more now, I assume as the flights are filling up?  We're flying out with one airline and back with another, as it was a fair bit cheaper.

The only way you're likely to get the price cheaper than they are now is if an airline puts on an additional flight, which can happen.  We got some very cheap flights to Majorca a few years ago, because Thomson suddenly put on an extra flight at the time we were planning on going.  Very risky though to wait and see, as the prices are a lot more expensive this year generally.

[oxford_fan]

go and see the volcanic bit of the island, we got a coach up there and ate dinner cooked by the heat of the lava which was pretty cool. and they pour water down a hole in the earth and it gets shot back up quite dramatically about 20 seconds later.

[THE FLASH]

Hello mate...I would have at look at prices now and if u like wat u see then book..I think the days are gone when last minute cheap flights are available...that said if ur only after a flight,book a cheap self catering hol and don't bother with accom and ul probably find it works out cheaper.

this is good advice

[leefer]

http://www.lanzarotetourist.com/images/lanzarote_map.jpg

Hi Jo.....this map gives you an idea of the island hotspots.....and you will be hot going in July...though there is a continuous wind that make it bearable.
Peurto is made up of old and new....the old harbour is lovely and i would recomend going there in the evening....when the sun is going down,plenty of bars/restaurants what suit every need...cheap meal or something a little better.
As Oxford fan says Timanfaya national park is a must....you stand on the volcano that formed the island and you cook on its heat.....then a drive round the park and its lunar landscape.
My favourite place i visited is El Golfo.....a small fishing village with a stunning cliff landscape.
Teguise(not to be confused with Costa Teguise)is an old market village almost Mexican in style...worth a visit.
For these places hiring a car is a must really....but there are buses and coach trips if you are unable to do this.
We are exploring the north of the island this time...Mirador del Ray etc.
Ceasar Manrique was a famous artist of the island and his archtecture and paintings fashion the island...and a museum on his life is worth a visit.

If exploring the island is a no/no for you dont worry....Peurto del Carmen has plenty to do in itself with brilliant beaches and good nightlife if thats what you want.......one tip,the sun goes down early(about and though still warm it feels very nippy so take a cardy/jumper if you are out at night.
There is also a daily ferry to Futureventura if you want to visit this island.....not far away.
Also from Arecife airport it will cost you 12/15 euros for a taxi to Peurto......and the same back.
There isn't a massive tipping culture but if you do leave a tip....always leave it after paying and getting your change.
I once bought a meal for 30 euros gave him a 50 note....told him to keep 5 as a tip but he didn't bring nothing back!
Needless to say it caused a bit of hassle once i realised.....so pay..get change..then leave a tip if you want to.
Buses are a plenty and cheap...and if you cant get a car there are plenty of coach trips to Fire Mountain(Timanfaya Park)
The island is clean and the many times i have been have never seen any trouble at all.
Any stuff like Suncream etc take with you....there are loads of Supermarkets and food is cheap,and wine is cheaper than water!...but things like cream etc are a lot dearer.
Dont forget your adaptor plugs........................and a must i always do is go online and get an European health insurance card(EHIC) around about a tenner but it will save you shitloads if you need a doctor/hospital....maybe worth checking this onlin....just google Ehic card.
If you do need a doc etc show this card and it will help.

Sorry to go on!......PM me if you have any questions.

[blah blah]

Best way to book if you're looking for cheap no-frills air travel is to sign up for their email/text alerts and book as soon as you can when they are released. Although EasyJet have now started releasing their flights to travel agents before they go on sale on their own website so keep looking on sites like www.skyscanner.net where you can compare all cheap flights in one place.

My other tip would be to be as flexible as you can with times, airports & even destination. If you look for flights to a particular destination on a particular date, you really are cutting down your options. Much better to have a general idea about when you want to go, and see what is available & cheap at that time.

[jayohaitchenn]

Use this website:

http://www.skyscanner.net/

In the search function you can specify a date range. If you select the whole month it gives you a little which shows the most expensive days and the cheapest days to fly.

EDIT> Sorry, I didn't see blah blah has also put this.

[blah blah]

Use this website:

http://www.skyscanner.net/

In the search function you can specify a date range. If you select the whole month it gives you a little which shows the most expensive days and the cheapest days to fly.

EDIT> Sorry, I didn't see blah blah has also put this.

I'll forgive you once.....

[woolster]

A1 travel is where i get my flights from, hit it at the right time and you can grab yourself a bargain.

[joteddyred]

Thanks Leefer and Oxford Fan, I really appreciate all your tips.

We are staying all inclusive, because it works out better with the kids, but we usually eat out a couple of evenings for a change. We will hire a car for a few days, as my husband likes to explore. Personally I'm happy to lie by the pool reading, but there's not much chance of that with two little ones! Will def go and see the volcano had heard it was amazing. Are there any water parks on the island or other places for the kids?

I was going to book a transfer from the airport, but if it's that cheap are we better just getting one from outside the airport?

Already got the EHIC cards, but must sort out some travel insurance.

Really looking forward to going somewhere we've not been before. I'll prob pm you with some more questions nearer the time. Thanks again

[leefer]

http://www.spain-lanzarote.com/uk/aquapark.html

Probably the best....about half hour from Peurto.

Loads of taxis at the airport...always just grab one,bit of a scrum but 10 mins waiting max.

Note the temp on the link ...not bad for March.

[leefer]

http://book.flythomascook.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi?campid=agg/dealchecker/LGW/ACE&from1=LGW&to1=ACE&ADULT=2&CHILD=0&INFANT=0&departDay1=12&departDay2=19&departMonth2=201105&departMonth1=201105&numberMarkets=2&travel=2&mode=PROMO_X&event=search&module=SB&page=SEARCH&language=EN&sid=&ref=&selectedUtil=&route=LGW_ACE&mpch=ads


£235 for two adults........return

Happy with that..........got to add two suitcases maybe £50?

[joteddyred]

Good flight times as well. There's nothing worse than getting somewhere in the middle of the night or having to hang around all day waiting for the flight home.  Did you book them? Kids will enjoy the water park, so we will def go there