Which is the best option

[Flyer70]

I am about to booked a flight from Newcastle to Budapest in July, for my wife and I. Which of the following would you recommend.
Newcastle-Heathrow-Budapest and return with BA or
Newcastle- Dusseldorf- Budapest with LH, and returning Budapest-Frankfurt-Brussels with LH then Brussels-Newcastle with BMI. Timings and fares are similar

[Betty girl]

The first option sounds better to me but I work for BA so I might be biased but the second option's return route sounds like a lot of transits and rather messy. I would recommend that the least transits, the better, when it comes to air travel because less chance for delays etc..

[Joao da Silva]

I agree with Betty Girl and I don't work for BA.

Frankfurt can be a very big airport to find your way around, if you are not used to it.

Heathrow isn't great, but T5 is the best terminal there, assuming that you will be using only that one.

[Betty girl]

BA's Newcastle and Budapest both operate in and out of T5 and it is a really nice terminal to transit through.

[fruitbat]

I agree, transits are easy at T5.

Would recommend BA

[wowzz]

The return trip sounds like a nightmare - BA for me as well!

[ConstantFlyer]

Of the three major alliances, you've covered OneWorld with BA, and Star Alliance with LH/SN. There's also Skyteam with KL or AF from Newcastle via AMS or CDG, though sometimes they can be a bit pricey.

Loco options include Wizzair, which goes to Budapest thrice daily, but from Luton; and easyJet from Luton or Gatwick. Obviously, flybe can take you from NCL to LGW, but Luton is a bit of a hike.

Don't forget that Jet2.com also flies to Budapest from Edinburgh and Manchester. Quite good fares still for July, too.

[hellsbrink]

Don't forget that Jet2.com also flies to Budapest from Edinburgh and Manchester. Quite good fares still for July, too.

But they are the least punctual airline, 2 years in a row. Could have a bearing on getting transport links to/from Newcastle because if you are on one of the 15% of flights delayed for more than an hour, or even on their average of 35 mins late, you're going to get a bit annoyed.

[Impress to inflate]

Avoid Frankfurt at all costs. I fly from Brisbane to Norway once a year via Frankfurt. I fly from Frank to Stavanger with LH. The terminal is a mess, they have hundreds of people walking around with "Can I Help You", I ask were is the Norway check in, no ever knows, HATE THE PLACE !!!! It's dirty, full of security checks and rude staff.

Just my thoughts

ITI

[k3lvc]

Depending on the days/times there are a few Brussels Airlines options with just one stop ex NCL

[Espada III]

Not an ideal trip home, but I fly via Frankfurt several times a year and its fine. It's not swish and the security staff are a little over zealous but its not 'that' bad. Just follow the signs and you will get there.

[ConstantFlyer]

Just thought of another option. I note what hellsbrink says about Jet2.com's punctuality, so that needs to be considered when making a choice. But they also fly Newcastle-Prague three times a week, I think; you could stop there or change en route to and from Budapest. There are around five flights a day between PRG and BUD, mainly on Czech Airlines ATR-42s or -72s, and Malev Dash 8 Q400s.

[Betty girl]

I think it is important to remind people that booking a ticket as one journey is important when transiting somewhere. If you buy the tickets separately and your first flight is delayed, you do not receive help re-booking or if you need a hotel etc. So if I were travelling from Newcastle to Budapest and there was no low cost direct flight, if cost is what is important to you, I would not use any airlines that do not allow you to purchase your tickets as one journey.

Looking at the original question, I think ease of travel was what this passenger was after and as already stated I think the BA option would be the easier and more enjoyable routing.

[tonker]

I fly for Jet2 out of Newcastle, and can't remember the last delay. Statistics:rolleyes:

[Flyer70]

Thank you for all your replies I have decided to go with BA

[jubilee]

Train to Manchester Airport, then Jet2 direct.
Jubilee