Airfare...

Kris, my suggestion would be to wait to purchase the ticket, as the fares for next summer likely won't be posted for a month or so. I always use a Travel Agent to purchase overseas tickets, however I research these online using the airlines websites so that I have an idea what's available. ¶ I generally try to use Gatwick when possible (or even Manchester on occasion, depending on flight availability), as Heathrow is a LARGE airport. Good luck with your planning!

I paid about 800 a tkt for a direct flight from Dallas to London (Heathrow). From NC you most likely will have to get a connecting flight. Or drive to a major airport-price it. You will most likely want to fly into Heathro airport. With this much time before your trip you can check online and also price w/ a travel agent or airline agent.

Jack, just curious how many hours your direct flight was from Dallas to London? We live in Oklahoma City and last year flew to Washington DC first and then took off for Heathrow. We considered a direct flight from Dallas but worried about the extra time inflight. It was 6.5 hours from DC and still a killer! I guess I just get really restless and can't sleep while in the air!

Kris, American Airlines has one non-stop daily from Raleigh-Durham airport to London Heathrow. The flight out is a night flight (most east coast flights to London leave in the early evening and arrive in the early morning London time). The flight back leaves Heathrow at 11:00 and arrives in Raleigh at 2:15 pm or so. It's an 8 hour flight. The price isn't a bargain because the flight serves the corporate types in the Research Triangle, but I have seen it on sale occasionally for about $800 round trip. BTW, the fares shown in many advertisements do not include fees and taxes, which can be quite substantial. You might want to make use of some sites that send you regular [INVALID]s on fares to and from different locations. I use AirFareWatchDog.com and FareCompare.com. Others are out there. Almost impossible to predict when, or if, prices will drop. My own guess is they won't. I bought a round-trip from Raleigh to London, through Boston on the outbound leg, In June and have been tracking prices since. They have not changed significantly. Raleigh is a long drive from Hendersonville. Charlotte is a bit closer and has several, at least, daily nonstops to London. Of course, Atlanta has even more. I know fares out of Asheville to Raleigh and Atlanta aren't exactly a bargain, but check into what is called a "Multi-city" fare. An example would be flying from Asheville to Atlanta and then on to London. Sometimes the initial leg, e.g., Asheville to Atlanta, comes as a bargain. Travel sites like Orbitz and others usually offer a "multi-city" option, but you may have to look for it. Good luck.

Cindy, I can't sleep on airplanes, either. Some flights do depart for London in the morning. I know there's one out of Dulles. And at least two out of Boston Logan. Pretty sure there are some in the JFK-LaGuardia-Newark mix in New York. That's why I'm making the Boston stop I mentioned in my response to Kris. I'll fly to Boston, spend the night in a hotel, and catch the flight to London in the morning. It will be around 11pm London time when I get to my hotel. I'll crash and wake up refreshed the next morning, with minimal jet lag and not feeling like a zombie. Costs more, but I think it's well worth it. BTW, the Boston-London flight is 6 hours. That's the shortest you're going to get from the U.S. Coming back is a bit longer due to the prevailing winds out of the west.

j.c. I do have a sister that lives in Chapel Hill... however it would have to be a great deal to tack an extra 2 hrs onto my drive time. I'll keep my eye out. Cindy I am considering Benadryl so we can sleep, but want to be awake enough to find the exit door if needed!! Thanks for the advice!

Use Farecompare.com or kayak.com to help you est. for next yr.

Kris, There is also a non-stop from Charlotte to London Gatwick with US Air, almost every day. It leaves around 6:25 pm. I just returned from my London trip (we did the US Air from Charlotte) and the flights were perfectly fine - and probably a bit more affordable than flying into Heathrow via the Raleigh airport. Your prices will be vastly different than mine considering we went around the beginning of off-peak season. I booked 5 months in advance and was very glad I did, because the closer it got to our trip, I noticed the prices got much higher. Rather than paying a travel agent a booking fee, you can save that amount and book directly with the airline - that's where I found the best prices. Good luck!

Thanks Alyse, having a direct flight would be nice, I was looking at online flights and some have like a 5 hr layover in Newark! I'll check into the Charlotte to Gatwick!