Some say that it is cheaper to buy air tickets once over in Europe (we just need a one way ticket from Athens to Porto) rather than buying before leaving North America. Does this still hold true? Right now, in Canada, I am looking at Cheap Flights and Kayak, fares start at around 250CAD$. Just wondering if we should book these now for late April, or wait until we are in Greece in mid March?
Posted by
Chicago
7808 posts
I do not believe what some say. When you search for your preferred flight short of buying the ticket look at the seat map to see how full it is. I would wait to buy if it is empty. But $250 Canadian dollar (186 USD) looks like a reasonable price as that route you are trying to buy is long, there are Zero direct flights and it is going to take over 5 hours or more.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Most airlines in Europe are much cheaper the sooner you buy them and fares for April have been available for months.
There is only Aegean that flies this route and they only seem to fly a couple of times a week, so there is no competition to keep prices down. It’s not great timing, arriving in Porto just before midnight, so you aren’t going to be at your accommodation much before 1am, assuming your flight is on time. The later in the day you fly, the greater the chance is of being delayed.
I just tried a dummy booking on Skyscanner. Fares for late April are about double those for June, because it’s school Easter holidays. Most Europeans wouldn’t head to Greece for a holiday as early as April, which is low season, as the weather would be much better in June - this demonstrates that you should book your flights ASAP. Fares are always significantly more expensive in school holiday times.
Posted by
Florida, USA
12172 posts
I bought a ticket recently from Dublin to Leeds for this coming May. I searched on one computer and got prices of more than $200, and more than two hours each way, that connected in London. My friend in Leeds said there is a Ryan Air flight that goes direct from Dublin to Leeds but it wasn't reflected in my searches.
I searched on a different computer with a VPN and instantly found the Ryan Air flight. One hour each way and $50 total round trip. I told my friend and she said she had heard it was like that when trying to book from the states.
Is there a way you can search on a computer that doesn't show it's location?
Posted by
Boston, MA
137 posts
I agree with Brad, the above poster.
Do a surch on another computer, as if you live in Europe and look for prices in euros.
If you find a good price, buy in euro, just let your credit card know so that they don’t block the transaction.