Forget the Train - Take the Plane.....

[Butts]

Anyone thinking of making a UK Domestic Trip from Autumn onwards (including X-Mas) Flybe have got a sale on for the next few days where they pay the APD.

Fares from Edinburgh to Birmingham for example at X-Mas are £16.99 each way and you can book them now......

I was so pleased to find this out as two days before I had booked 4 flights over the X-Mas Period for what I thought was the reasonable price of £29.99 each - Yes Butts is £52 down

I can't remember Flybe ever doing Domestic Flights at £16.99 in recent memory.

There are lots of routes available and these fares are better than Standard on the Train let alone 1st Class which they really compare to.

Worth thinking about

 

[yorksrob]

Out of interest, in what way does the air journey compare to first, rather than standard class?

 

[Bungle73]

Out of interest, in what way does the air journey compare to first, rather than standard class?

That's what I'd like to know. :?

And air travel is such a hassle: you can't take this and you can't take that, they want more dosh if you're luggage is 1 gram over the weight limit, you have to arrive about 5 days before your flight, there's the hassle of security to go through and on top of that you need to get to and from the airport at each end as well, where as the train is city centre to city centre and no tiresome rules about what one can and can't take on board or security to go through.

 

[SS4]

Always good to have options although it's far from environmentally responsible.

 

[Butts]

Out of interest, in what way does the air journey compare to first, rather than standard class?

Speed - if like me you are travelling from Edinburgh to Birmingham or any other English/Welsh/Irish Cities a day trip is quite conceivable.

Also you can book much further in advance (ie year not 3 months) - to far in my case

I don't think anyone would disagree that £16.99 for a flight between Edinburgh and Birmingham is any less than a bargain !!

 

[SS4]

Speed - if like me you are travelling from Edinburgh to Birmingham or any other English/Welsh/Irish Cities a day trip is quite conceivable.

Also you can book much further in advance (ie year not 3 months) - to far in my case

I don't think anyone would disagree that £16.99 for a flight between Edinburgh and Birmingham is any less than a bargain !!

That is very good. Might have to partake in this myself if only to get cheap duty-free booze but where to go?

 

[Aldaniti]

Always good to have options although it's far from environmentally responsible.

Which one? flying or travelling on a five carriage diesel unit under the wires for several hundred miles?

Neither would be a particularly pleasant experience but I guess using Flybe minimises the agony.

 

[yorksrob]

Speed - if like me you are travelling from Edinburgh to Birmingham or any other English/Welsh/Irish Cities a day trip is quite conceivable.

Also you can book much further in advance (ie year not 3 months) - to far in my case

I don't think anyone would disagree that £16.99 for a flight between Edinburgh and Birmingham is any less than a bargain !!

Ah right. Although I still don't quite get it as first and standard tend to go at the same speed on the railway

Now a flag carrier with hot meals and free booze - I can see the comparison there!

 

[Butts]

Ah right. Although I still don't quite get it as first and standard tend to go at the same speed on the railway

Now a flag carrier with hot meals and free booze - I can see the comparison there!

No frills on Flybe but with a fare of £16.99 a Coffee and Sandwich will only add a Fiver or so.

Even on BA Domestic now you still get booze but the only "meal" is Breakfast, outside of that it's an "east coast appetiser" - clue Kp, Big D

 

[starrymarkb]

If it wasn't so close to my big German trip next month I'd certainly be making some bookings

As it is I'll keep saving my Nectar Points for Easyjet and Tesco for Birdseed Airways.

 

[David Barrett]

Train vs. plane, here we go again.

 

[HST Power]

I normally do one international flight every year, but you wouldn't catch me swapping a First Class seat on the intercity for a domestic flight, ever! My most recent First Advance was £40 return for a three hour journey. Had I done the same route with BA (I checked) it would have cost me £120. Considering that's a bog standard economy seat, packed in with all the others and without free food, I can just about manage to sacrifice the speed factor!

On top of that, as has been said, you've got to do all the driving and the luggage restrictions......it just isn't worth it, at least not for me anyhow.

 

[JoeGJ1984]

Speed - if like me you are travelling from Edinburgh to Birmingham or any other English/Welsh/Irish Cities a day trip is quite conceivable.

Is there really much speed advantage of plane v train on routes such as Edinburgh/Glasgow to Birmingham/London? Yes, the actual flight time will be less, but when you add on the check-in times and the times you get to/from the airport, it probably adds up to about the same, so you might as well take the train and have a more comfortable experience. And no luggage restrictions.

 

[telstarbox]

Of course it depends where you need to be. For example, if you have a meeting at Canary Wharf, a flight into London City Airport with a swift exit from the terminal is much quicker than the train.

 

[Butts]

Is there really much speed advantage of plane v train on routes such as Edinburgh/Glasgow to Birmingham/London? Yes, the actual flight time will be less, but when you add on the check-in times and the times you get to/from the airport, it probably adds up to about the same, so you might as well take the train and have a more comfortable experience. And no luggage restrictions.

There are no flights from Birmingham to London -sorry realised you mean EDB to LHR !!!

If you have to be in Birmingham early there is no alternative other than travel the day before from Edinburgh or drive.

I wouldn't describe the Standard Class on a Voyager or Pendelino for four hours as comfortable. However I will put up with it on a Mega Train £1.50 special
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Of course it depends where you need to be. For example, if you have a meeting at Canary Wharf, a flight into London City Airport with a swift exit from the terminal is much quicker than the train.

Aberdeen/Wick/Inverness obviously is a no-brainer on the time front !!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I normally do one international flight every year, but you wouldn't catch me swapping a First Class seat on the intercity for a domestic flight, ever! My most recent First Advance was £40 return for a three hour journey. Had I done the same route with BA (I checked) it would have cost me £120. Considering that's a bog standard economy seat, packed in with all the others and without free food, I can just about manage to sacrifice the speed factor!

On top of that, as has been said, you've got to do all the driving and the luggage restrictions......it just isn't worth it, at least not for me anyhow.

It's "horses for courses" - I would choose as you did with the prices and 1st Class Travel.

I was just alerting people to £16.99 fares between Edinburgh and Birmingham that are available now and can be booked for Christmas Time. This enables those who require it to plan ahead.

 

[HST Power]

It's "horses for courses" - I would choose as you did with the prices and 1st Class Travel.

I was just alerting people to £16.99 fares between Edinburgh and Birmingham that are available now and can be booked for Christmas Time. This enables those who require it to plan ahead.

Of course, if you need a cheap flight then by all means go for it. It looks a good offer if air travel is more convenient for your plans. I was just drawing on my thoughts on domestic air travel.