So went on to the BA website to look at flights for this autumn. Flying Glasgow – LHR – San Francisco 23rd Aug. Returning San Diego – LHR – Glasgow 6th Oct. Came in at just over £700. Which was about what I was expecting since not that many airlines fly out of San Diego. Choice also limited by needing to avoid USA airlines because of their massive bike box fees.

Before booking thought I’d check Skyscanner in case there were better options. Cheapest was shown as BA at £349. So surely that was not including taxes? So back onto the BA site. searched again using same dates – only change was booking a later Glasgow – LHR flight. Result – £349 including taxes. Actual flight part £14.

So I’ve paid the £10 to hold the booking for 72 hours. Just a massive bargain or is there a catch I’ve missed?

From what I’ve heard from people in our company using BA recently, they’ve adjust the seat config etc to cram more people in. More bodies, less cost per person to fill a flight, less flights more profit margin = less satisfactory for you.

Apparantly the service levels have also dropped – not sure if that’s deliberate.

This is second hand BTW, not from my experience (i don’t have any).

Ba are aggressive on price at the moment. A mate paid 20 quid for alicante to gatwick just after easter. No meals now but i think you get free bags. To me all the cheapies are the same so ba are now taking them head on.

they’ve adjust the seat config etc to cram more people in

No. They’re going to on some short haul flights in economy though. Service levels on long haul remain unchanged as well.

I have to fly to the US for work next week – Lufthansa were 60% of the United price.

It’s the same plane.

Go figure.

they’ve adjust the seat config etc to cram more people in.

I’ve not flown BA since 2014 so I’ll see how it goes. At £349 I can afford the extra fees for exit row seats if I can get them (I’m 6ft3).

I checked flights about 6 weeks ago. Skyscanner was showing £600-£700 cheapest. Couldn’t book then as I was waiting for a biopsy result so I could get travel insurance. So a double bonus today. Biopsy clear and saved £300 on flights.

I’d book it, worst case you’ll get a halfords style “sorry we screwed up” email but it doesn’t seem other worldly to me.

Mrs is gutted, she’s been debating buying a couple of flights to NYC to see her Sister – price kept creeping and creeping, I told her not to keep looking lest she created “demand” on the site and push the prices up, but she did. finally booked last month… the prices have been falling and falling ever since.

San Diego flight is on a refitted 747. 10.5hrs back. I did it a couple of weeks ago.

For a clear explanation of how airlines calculate their ticket prices go on BBC iPlayer and listen to Radio 4 at 08.30 last night (Thursday 9th) Evan Davis, The Bottom Line. It was fascinating.

Be MASSIVELY careful!

I can’t remember which website it was I checked, but it came in cheaper than BA’s own website.

The catch was that the third party website (I forget the name, don’t think it was Skyscanner) displayed prices from some notional period in the past, with the caveat that closer to the time of the flight they would update the price and charge you any extra. Whilst they offered refunds apparently they made it an enormous ball-ache to get the refund, and there was some other financial penalty for cancelling also.

So in short, be extremely wary of the fine print, are you sure the cost of the ticket won’t go up?

So in short, be extremely wary of the fine print, are you sure the cost of the ticket won’t go up?

As you said though that was some shady 3rd party site. Skyscanner and BA do not do that. So in short, dont buy stuff from shady sites. Standard internet purchasing protocol.

No. They’re going to on some short haul flights in economy though. Service levels on long haul remain unchanged as well.

Sorry CFH, but my work collegue who fly’s regularly to India with BA noticed the difference and even asked about it and has stopped using them as a result.

Maybe its just that route.

Skyscanner and BA do not do that.

Fair enough, I’ve never used Skyscanner so have no idea how legit or otherwise they may be, but the whole undercutting of BA’s own prices rang extremely true to my ‘shady website’ experience.

CFH BA are going to be updating the 777 and going to the industry standard of 10 a cross in economy. Also the BA 787 is 9 across in economy and widely regarded as been pretty uncomfortable.

Skyscanner have always been good to me.

BA has changed a little recently with the new CEO who came from a budget airline background. Short haul there is less legroom, no free food/drinks, extra charges for things like seat choice etc.. I flew in this morning short haul.

Long haul I haven’t noticed any differences…. but I wasn’t in the cheap seats (company paying 🙂 )

Get it booked. I Imagine the later flight puts it against a competitor they want to beat. That is a great price.

I’d also say the £700 for those flights is a bargain. I’m back in San Diego in June the direct flight from LHR is pretty expensive for a standard ticket.

13thfloormonk – Member

Be MASSIVELY careful!

I can’t remember which website it was I checked, but it came in cheaper than BA’s own website.

I got the same price direct with BA after switching the flight times to match Skyscanner. I will be booking it. I was about to go to work when I found the price. So just wanted to hold the price until I can double check all the details are correct and book carefully rather than rushing it.

You don’t buy from skyscanner; They are just aggregating the market much like these insurance marketplaces. You’ll see the prices are associated with whom you buy from and when you click it redirects to that site some of which as 13FM suggests run shady practices. Who is the selling the 300 quid flight?

EDIT I see it’s with BA themselves which is legit. Skyscanner and Kayak are fantastic websites allowing you to be flexible with both dates and nearby airports. ISTR Kayak is big on trends which shows how the price is changing.

I’d also say the £700 for those flights is a bargain. I’m back in San Diego in June the direct flight from LHR is pretty expensive for a standard ticket.

We flew to Denmark earlier in the year with BA and it was cheaper to get flights with 23kg luggage allownce plus car hire than just buying hand luggage only flights

Flights + luggage + car hire £200
Flights only £290

Skyscanner have always been good to me.

Me too, they pay me a wage every month and everything 😉

Monks situation sounds well dodgy, certainly not something you should expect from anyone you’d find via Skyscanner. As others have said, we are simply an aggregator to find you the best prices, sometimes those are from the airline direct, sometimes not.