Air fares - *so* depressing...

[gjm124]

We started looking at moving from the UK to NZ a few years ago. You could get (at some times of the year) NZ$3 = UK£1. Not any more...

Flights were also much cheaper. £600 bought a return ticket, London to Auckland.

These days though, and despite the fares being advertised ("from £769") for return airfares, I've just priced 3 singles for the end of June (our daughter is now 2 and therefore an adult in the airline world) and I might, if I'm really lucky, have a little change from £3k!

This is obviously the same for everyone - we're not a special or particularly unfortunate case.

Have we missed something fundamental? Is there a way to reduce the flight costs? Please help!

[Hagabel]

Nope just a long way and things have gone up like everything else!

[tk1]

Pound slipped and oil prices rose. Oil prices cost in pounds more than twice what are they did 3 years ago. And it takes a lot of fuel to fly half way around the world. Flying from the US to the UK has also jumped tremendously, but a lot of that is increased fees and taxes

[mirnz]

have you looked at prices for return flights?
The inscrutable logic of airline fares often has return tickets be lot cheaper than one way.

[gjm124]

It is true... everything has gone up in price. A shame income has matched this change!

I read somewhere about buying a return ticket, then somehow reclaiming the cost of the return part if it wasn't used. I don't recall if this was just specific to an individual airline, or an insurance policy, or what the details were. Any ideas...?

(And our daughter is now 12, and not 2! Oops...)

[JandM]

There are some tickets on various airlines at some times which allow you to reclaim for any part not used. You have to look at the small print before you book.

[benandclare]

Wait till you see the cost of flying out from NZ Same flight but reversed from London Christchurch is $900 more from this end when last checked

[rogercruse]

Moving across the planet and starting again isn't cheap. And I'm not just talking about airfares!

As I'm quite tall as 6' 5", we travelled Business Class.

[gjm124]

Wait till you see the cost of flying out from NZ Same flight but reversed from London Christchurch is $900 more from this end when last checked

Fortunately we aren't planning regular trips back to the UK! We will be back, we have older family here, but we'll be sorted by then.

Moving across the planet and starting again isn't cheap. And I'm not just talking about airfares!

As I'm quite tall as 6' 5", we travelled Business Class.

>ouch!<

Still, so long as you were comfy! I do appreciate the problem even though I'm only just over 6'.

[Lauralocks]

I don't know about June but I found singles from London to Auckland for early October for £650 each. From memory they were with Malaysian.

I haven't booked yet as we're having trouble pinning down the exact date with OH's exam and work etc.