Posts Tagged ‘london’

Europe to Buenos Aires Flight Route Analysis

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Buenos Aires is one of the great South American cities and the gateway to Argentina. The main airport is Ezeiza International/Ministro Pistarini (EZE) and flight time from Europe takes approximately 12-14 hours non-stop.

The distance between Madrid (Spain) and Buenos Aires is 6,250 miles – even longer from northern European cities.

buenos aires flights

Fares – Airfares from Europe to South America in general tend to be higher than more competitive routes of similar distance – such as Europe to south-east Asia. The cheapest fares are often found ex-Madrid which is the principal Latin American hub in Europe. Reasonable fares can also be found ex-London.

Below is a rough guideline to “value” for the Europe-Buenos Aires route in economy class priced in pounds sterling:

Excellent Deal – under £500
Good Deal – £500-£600
Average – £600-£750
Expensive – £750-£1,000
Ouch – over £1,000

Normal business class fares are priced in the £2,000-£2,500 range – anything under £2,000 is a good deal whilst biz fares under £1,500 are considered excellent.

Exchange Rate – The Argentine Peso has been consistently weak (currently 1GBP = 6.5 ARS, 1EUR = 5.6 ARS, 1USD/1AUD = 4 ARS). Argentina remains good value for visitors despite experiencing some heavy price inflation of late.

Airlines – The following airlines fly non-stop between various European airports and Buenos Aires:

Iberia - Spanish carrier (now merging with British Airways under the International Airlines Group) which flies 2x daily from Madrid using Airbus A340 aircraft. Plenty of connections are available to many EU airports – but note, Iberia’s short-haul flights are no-frills. Service standards on long-haul can be variable, especially in economy class.

iberia madrid

Alitalia - The Italian airline flies daily from Rome (FCO) to Buenos Aires using a Boeing 777-200 with 3-3-3 config in economy class and 2-2-2 in business.

Air France – Flies daily from Paris CDG also using a Boeing 777-200. Config is 3-3-3 for economy, 2-3-2 business and 4 first (Premiere) seats up front.

Lufthansa - The German Star Alliance carrier flies daily (except Tuesday) between Frankfurt and Buenos Aires using a Boeing 747-400 aircraft. Upper deck has LH’s first class cabin with 8 seats.

KLM - The Dutch carrier will re-start non-stop flights between Amsterdam and EZE on October 31st 2011. The 3x weekly service will be operated by a 2 class Boeing 777-200 going to 4x weekly in 2012. KLM has a good feeder network to/from many UK regional airports.

British Airways – BA will start a daily non-stop flight from London Heathrow to Buenos Aires from the end of March 2011 (the current service makes a stop in Sao Paolo in Brazil). The flights will be operated by a 3 class Boeing 777. Looking at prices today, BA’s lowest quoted fare is £950 economy, £1,380 in premium economy and a whopping £3,700 in Club – although prices ex-Europe are cheaper.

Air Europa – This Skyteam airline flies daily from Madrid to EZE using an Airbus A330-200. Includes a small 2-2-2 business cabin. Prices can be competitive although service is probably lacking compared with the major carriers.

Aerolineas Argentinas – The Argentine national carrier flies from daily from Madrid to Buenos Aires using an (older series) Boeing 747-400. It also serves both Barcelona (BCN) and Rome (FCO) 4x weekly with an Airbus A340. Again, service standards are known to vary and it wouldn’t be our first choice.

Other airlines serving Europe to BA via stops:

LAN Chile – The OneWorld carrier is probably south America’s best airline and a recommended alternative option. It flies Frankfurt-Madrid-Santiago using an Airbus A340. The 700 mile SCL-EZE sector is done with either A320s or B767s.

TAM – Brazilian airline TAM flies to Sao Paolo (GRU) from Madrid, London, Milan, Paris and Frankfurt. (Variety of aircraft used: A340/A330/B777). Onward connecting flight from GRU to EZE done on A320s. Note, Star Alliance TAM is merging with Oneworld’s LAN shortly.

Air Canada – Flies daily from Toronto to Buenos Aires with a short stop in Santiago (SCL) using a Boeing 767-300ER. From Toronto, AC serves a number of EU destinations.

Singapore Airlines – The Star Alliance carrier will start operating a 3x weekly service from Barcelona to Sao Paolo using a Boeing 777-300ER. Flights start March 28th 2011. From GRU take the TAM flight onward to EZE.

For Europeans willing to go through the relative hassle of a US stopover there are the following options:

American Airlines – Flies New York (JFK) and Miami (MIA) to Buenos Aires using Boeing 777s.

Delta Airlines – Flies from Atlanta (ATL) to Buenos Aires using Boeing 767s.

United Airlines – Flies from Washington (IAD) using Boeing 767s. Partner Continental serves EZE from its Houston (IAH) hub also with B767s.

Note that Buenos Aires has a second airport – Jorge Newbury (AEP) nearer the city centre – where many domestic flights depart. Be aware that domestic airfares for Argentine residents are lower than for non-residents. We recommend flying LAN Argentina over Aerolineas for domestic flights.

Tags: buenos aires, iberia, london, singapore airlines
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How Far Can You Fly From London For Under £400

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

January is usually a good month for special offers when it comes to airfares. Prices in 2011 are a little higher than over the last few years. However, let’s take a fun look at how far from London (UK) you can fly return for £400 or less.  The fares are valid at time of writing for various travel dates in 2011.

Amman, Jordan
Easyjet will fly from London Gatwick to Amman from 27th March 2011. Return prices can be as low as £120, with another £18 for a checked bag. This is an excellent deal.

Tel Aviv, Israel
British Airways has a sale fare from London Heathrow for £282 return, book by Jan 25th. Easyjet flies to TLV from London Luton and its cheapest return fare is around £220 including luggage.

New York, USA
Kuwait Airways can fly you non-stop from London Heathrow to New York JFK using a Boeing 777. The cheapest return economy fare comes in at £269 all in. KLM (via Opodo) offers a price of £279 return via Amsterdam. BA and Virgin Atlantic sale fares are at £315.

Toronto, Canada
Thomas Cook Airlines flies with an Airbus A330 and has fares from £278 return all in. In comparison, Air Canada comes in at £384 and BA at £379.

Cairo, Egypt
bmi has a current sale fare of £298 return for this route. Codeshare partner Egyptair has similar prices.

Abu Dhabi, UAE
Turkish Airlines has a promo fare available to the Emirate for £314 return – with a connection in Istanbul.

Los Angeles, USA
US Airways has a competitive £342 fare to LA – however you need to make a connection in Charlotte, North Carolina. Or take a non-stop flight: Air New Zealand (£389), BA and Virgin (both £394).

Lagos, Nigeria
Opodo has a special KLM return fare to Lagos for £381.

Mumbai, India
Swiss has a reasonable return airfare of £390 from London Heathrow with a stop in Zurich.

swiss air

Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Airways has a fare of £391 return for its B777 flight. Netflights has limited availability of the same flights at £371.

San Diego, USA
American Airlines has fares to San Diego for £396 which can include London to Los Angeles with BA plus a hop with American Eagle to SAN. Other connections are also possible.

No current flights to south-east Asia or south America are available for under £400. Air Asia X flights from Stansted to Kuala Lumpur (and beyond) can sometimes creep under the mark during promo sales, but not at the moment.

Please note that the new 2011 updated version of the Ultimate Airfares & Upgrades Guide has just been released – 80 pages of info on airfare strategies, how to find low business class tickets, mileage anomalies, upgrade tips etc.

Tags: london
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London to Toronto: Flight Route Analysis

Wednesday, November 10th, 2010

Toronto is a pleasant place for a North American city break and a gateway to other attractions such as Niagara Falls. Toronto’s Pearson International (YYZ) is the country’s main airport hub.

Flight time between London and Toronto (3,540 miles) takes about 8 hours westbound and 7 hours on the return leg.

toronto flights

Fares – Flight prices for London-Toronto tend to be higher than the more competitive London-New York route of similar distance. Fares are highest in July and August and during the Christmas/New Year period.

We will state once again that flight costs have been higher this year than previous and look set to stay firm. Below is a rough guideline to “value” for the route in economy class ex-London:

Excellent Deal – under £300
Good Deal – £300-£400
Average -  £400-£600
Expensive – £600-£800
Ouch – Over £800

Standard business class fares are between £1,800 and £2,800, with anything under £1,500 seen as a good deal.

Exchange Rate – being a commodity currency, the Canadian dollar has fared well of late reaching parity with the US dollar. With the current sterling exchange rate of around $1.60 CAD, UK residents will find it more expensive to visit the country than the last few years (in 2007, £1 was $2.30 CAD). Conversely, Canadians coming to the UK will have more purchasing power.

The following airlines fly non-stop between London and Toronto:

Air Canada – Star Alliance carrier flies 4x daily between London Heathrow LHR and Toronto using Boeing 767-300ERs and Airbus A330-300s. Economy seat pitch is 32″, whilst new “Executive First Suites” (business class) have a 1-1-1 herringbone arrangement. Economy passengers are able to purchase add-ons such as extra legroom seating ($50 CAD) or Maple Leaf lounge access (from $55 CAD).

toronto airport yyz

British Airways – The Oneworld airline has 2 daily departures to Toronto from LHR using a Boeing 767 and 777. One good feature of BA’s booking engine is the option of mixed class fares – so you could choose economy or premium economy on the outbound day flight and Club World (business class) on the return overnight flight. BA charges extra for assigning seats before check-in.

Air Transat – Flies 2x weekly from London Gatwick to Toronto. Uses an older series Airbus A310. Codeshare partner Thomas Cook Airlines also flies the route weekly using an Airbus A330. Air Transat is more of a budget airline so prices care often reasonable but standards can vary. “Club Class” – premium economy seats of 37″ pitch – is available for an extra supplement.

Note, if travelling in economy class and you have a Priority Pass card then you will have access to various lounges at YYZ including the KLM Crown lounge or AA Admirals Club, both at Terminal 3.

Other airlines serving London-Toronto

A number of major US and European airlines can also get you between London and Toronto via a connecting hub. Euro airlines Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and Alitalia serve both cities.

US carriers include United-Continental, Delta, US Airways and American Airlines – but note this means the hassle of clearing US customs.

An interesting option if you don’t mind visiting the US and wish to add a stopover in New York is to book a London-NYC return (generally cheaper) – and then add a NYC-Toronto return (from £170) with Porter Airlines, a superb regional Canadian carrier which flies into Toronto City airport (YTZ), literally a short-hop from downtown. Porter flies 11x daily between Newark and Toronto using Bombardier Q400 turboprops and is renowned for great service.

Porter also serves Chicago, Boston, Montreal and other eastern Canadian cities.

toronto city airport

Tags: air canada, british airways, london
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London to Hong Kong: Flight Route Analysis

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Hong Kong (HKG) is one of Asia’s premier financial hubs and a very popular destination with good connections from London. There are a number of airlines flying London to Hong Kong (6,000 miles) non-stop with a flight time of around 12 hours.

In the past, an economy class airfare under £400 was seen as value for this route – however 2010 has seen slightly firmer prices and from November we will get the higher UK Air Passenger Duty.

hong kong flights

Good value business sale class fares have been in the £1,400-£2,000 band – but the £2k-£3k level is standard. In this article we will review all airlines flying London to Hong Kong – but first here are a few factors to consider:

Flight Times – Our preference is to leave London in the late evening and arrive in Hong Kong late afternoon – giving time to get to your accommodation, have an evening meal and then an early night.

Non-stop vs Connections – Obviously it is preferable to fly non-stop but you may find lower fares with a connecting airline. When flying via a hub airport watch out for long connection times.

Alliances - If you have  frequent flyer membership(s), you may want to earn miles/points with your preferred alliance. Oneworld dominates this route with British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas all flying non-stop.

Peak Season – Avoid flying to HKG around Christmas holiday period and also Chinese new year (next dates: Feb 3rd 2011, Jan 23rd 2012).

Exchange Rate – The Hong Kong Dollar (HKD) is pegged to the US dollar. The current rate to pound sterling is £1 to HKD12.25 – during the last year it has ranged between HKD11 – 13. The best time to visit Hong Kong is during weakness in the US dollar.

Airlines flying non-stop LON to HKG:

Cathay Pacific – 4x daily flights from London Heathrow, 3 using Boeing 747s and 1 with B777-300. New economy seats (32″ pitch) are in their own shell – which do not recline into your space. Excellent business class product with full flat seats. New, improved lounges have recently opened at Heathrow T3.

cathay pacific boeing 747

British Airways – 2x daily flights using B747s and a popular option for UK travellers and BA Executive Club members. Economy seat pitch quite tight at 31″ – alternatively you can pay extra for an exit row (£50 fee booked between 14 and 4 days before flying, subject to availability) or choose to fly premium economy with 38″ pitch. BA’s business class Club World, in our experience, is a a very decent all-round product – try to choose a seat on the upper deck (with 2-2 config) as the main deck has a more cramped feel at 2-4-2. Watch for BA sale fares.

Qantas - Daily flight out of London (QF30 using B747). Seat pitch in economy similar to BA – you can also purchase the exit row up to 7 days in advance for AUD80. Qantas has a very good premium economy offering, currently superior to BA’s. Note, Qantas’ business class seat on the 747 is angled lie flat.

Air New Zealand – Non-stop option for Star Alliance members with 5x weekly LHR-HKG flights using B777-200ER. Good economy seats with up to 33″ pitch. Note the Skycouch “economy bed” is being rolled out (in 2011) only on the London-Los Angeles route rather than HKG flights. Pacific Premium Economy has 41″ pitch on the 777 while the impressive business class is a flat seat 1-1-1 herringbone arrangement. Watch for regular fare sales.

Virgin Atlantic – Daily flight to HKG using Airbus A340-600. Standard 31″ pitch in economy – the A340s 2-4-2 config means plenty of availability for couples wanting to sit together in a 2-seater window row. Upper class is 1-1-1 in original herringbone arrangement; on the ground there are the excellent Clubhouse lounges. Prices similar to BA.

Connecting Airlines:

Finnair – This is a viable Oneworld option as Finnair is able to take the shorter northern routes to Asia. Daily flight from Helsinki to Hong Kong using an Airbus A340 taking just under 10 hours. 3 hour hop from London (A320s) with departures spread throughout the day. Good product and service and some competitive prices on offer.

Jet Airways – Flies LHR to HKG via Mumbai or Delhi. Flight from London on a B777 takes around 9 hours; onward flights to HKG on A330s. Offers some good economy and business fares but watch for connection waiting times.

jet airways

Emirates – Flies from London to Hong Kong via its Dubai hub. London Gatwick to Dubai flown with B777-300ER with 10 across economy seating (3-4-3 instead of the standard 3-3-3). Dubai-Hong Kong operated by both 777-200 and Airbus A380, but note the A380 makes a stop in Bangkok.

Qatar Airways – Operates London (Gatwick and Heathrow) to Doha flights with a variety of aircraft (A340s, A330s, B777s) and then Doha-Hong Kong on A330s. When choosing flights watch for long connection times – total journey times range from 17 hours to 38 hours. If flying business choose the lie flat seats on the 777 (rather than the angled seats on the A330/A340s).

Other European carriers serving Hong Kong are Air France-KLM (via Paris or Amsterdam), Lufthansa (via Frankfurt or Munich) and Swiss (via Zurich). Other main Asian carriers that can get you from London to Hong Kong are Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airlines.

Some more “offbeat” options from London to Hong Kong:

Turkish Airlines – Occasional competitive fares in economy and business via its Istanbul hub.

China Airlines - Flies London to Taipei (A340) and then the short hop to HKG. Business fares can be on the lower side.

Royal Jordanian – Another Oneworld carrier with flights via its Amman hub using Airbus A330s. Note the Amman-Hong Kong flight makes a stop in Bangkok.

China Eastern Airlines – Flies London-Shanghai-Hong Kong and offers some low business fares. Be aware of long total journey times of circa 30 hours.

Aeroflot – Skyteam’s Russian carrier flies London Heathrow to Hong Kong via Moscow using Airbus aircraft. Can offer reasonable business class fares but watch for some overnight connections.

Air Asia X – Discount airline flying from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur using an Airbus A340. Special promo fares can occasionally be quite cheap. From KL, parent Air Asia flies 3x daily to Hong Kong airport using A320s. You need separate bookings for both legs so always allow ample time for connections and any delays.

Tags: cathay pacific, hong kong, london
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