My girls are hoping to travel to Washington to visit friends in July for a couple of weeks. Any suggestions on how to find best value flight. I have no experience of air travel. The price with Virgin and Ba is around £600 which is 3 times higher than out of season. Any suggestions apprecitaed
Thanks

Go on to  www.expedia.co.uk - you can ask for flights only - I've got Hong Kong flights for £402 (direct!)

Margot

You will have to have them crated and have ones made or bought specially so that bumps the price up.

I'm very sure that virgin are one of the best as they allow you to be with your dog most of the time well upto when they are loaded onto the plane.

I can send you an email addy of a friend that is transporting 2 danes over to Texas this year she has got it all sussed.

:)  I actually meant my daughters...not the dogs :) Thanks anyway.
Tried expedia and still not much under £600. better start saving....

Hahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahhahahaha oh deary me and you still don't want to crate them? :D :D :D :D

Oh that tickled me whooops off to the dunces corner

Believe me at times I would love to crate them (age 16 and 17). Probably a cheaper option than treating them to a trip to the states. :)

Have you tried Continental Airlines

Thanks, Still not much below £600 so guess i will have to start saving!!  :)

Try this site www.lowfareflights.co.uk.  They have return flights to Washington advertised for under 400 pounds if you travel at the end of June, returning in July.  As soon as you hit July as your travel out date the price rockets.  School holidays I think.  Worth checking out the site though, you might be able to get something.

CG

Thanks Cg, the dtaes we want still come up at 580. Unfortunately we dont have any flexibility on travel for various reasons. :(

You definitely pay the price for flying at the height of holiday season.

You don't say whether your girls want to fly to Washington D.C. or to Washington state.   If it's Washington state you might try an indirect route.  Try prices for flights to New York -JFK or Newark Airports or any other East Coast city) and then a connecting flight from the East Coast to Washington.  Or any other route, like Atlanta or Chicago to Washington.  Or, you could do the same by making your first stop in Canada and then picking up another flight to Washington.

Or - you could take your chances and hope that closer to July if the airlines are not doing well the price goes down.

Or - if it's Washington DC you might try some of the international carriers that fly into London and then to New York.  Air India, Kuwait, Gulf Air ..etc.      If it's DC your girls could spend a day or two in NYC and then take the train to Washington DC.

Hiya. They are being picked up at Washington Dullas.
Someone else has suggested getting a separate flight from Bham to Paris and then Paris to Washington. Is it much hassle if they had to change flights. I am a complete novice on air travel. Only went once and that was about 30 years ago. :)

Hi Star!

you've had some good suggestions already.And it depends really on what you class as >good value< because the experience, Airlines and route taken can vary wildly.
   My money and bias go with BA/Virgin both have a 'YP' policy for a start (young persons) so your girls can be looked after by staff the same as 'Un mins' which is unaccompanied minors (kids 5 to 12yrs travelling on own) reassuring if its their first time travelling (?)
    With BA you can do the online check in the day before which is brilliant you can choose your seat from a plan of the aircraft so your not by the toilet :rolleyes: and snaffle the best seats by the exit doors for nice legroom :D
     The cheaper you go.. and bottom end would be United,IcelandAir,Aer Lingus etc you will have smaller aircraft,probably wont be a direct flight,so the girls will need to negotiate another airport, and your seat is smaller and with IcelandAir for example drinks are few and far between :( very basic service.
     Get the girls to pack bottles of water (the cheaper the flight the less drinks services) get those little blow up pillows (something else airlines are cutting back on now) theyre young and supple tho' shouldnt be a problem to slum it a bit!! Ive always found Aer Lingus good and when you connect through Dublin they have immigration for US there..its great!! No long queue Stateside as youve already been cleared :D
HTH a little??? youve got your work cut out for you :)

which Airline is it taking them to CDG (Charles de Gaulle-Paris) and which from? (CDG is quite large but easily negotiated..and has GREAT fun rubber bouncy walk ways!! one of my fave Airports :D)

Havent decided yet but my friend in US suggested BA to Paris then Air France. Just worried about them swapping planes at airport or missing connection, you know what teenagers are like. they could just go direct on Air France to washington from Bham. We live nearer to Bham than London. strikes me its a real can of worms out there trying to decide whats best. From the girls point of view, more expensive fares means less spending (LOL)