Avoiding staying over Saturday night
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Avoiding staying over Saturday night
Fellow PPRuNers,
Next summer, I have to visit Israel for my brother's wedding. The wedding is on a Thursday.
Staying in a hot country in the middle of summer really isn't my idea of fun, nor my girlfriend's - not to mention the fact that I can't afford to take any more time off work than absolutely necessary - so we would like to fly out to Israel on the Wednesday, and fly back again on Friday (although not too early).
Problem is, British Airways stick a huge premium on fares to Tel Aviv when you are not staying over a Saturday night, and El Al (the only other airline to fly direct, I think?) are far more expensive, so we are trying to find cheap alternatives. I don't mind connecting somewhere so long as the total journey time isn't ridiculously long.
But I'm not having too much luck so far. The best I can find is to fly Malev, and come back on the Saturday - one day later than I wanted. The journey back, connecting in Budapest, is 8 hours, which isn't too bad, and the price is reasonable - but I'm not sure about the 17 hour journey to Tel Aviv on the Wednesday!
If anyone has any ideas for other airlines who might be able to get me where I need to be, when I need to be, and charge me a sensible price, I'd love to hear from you!
FFF
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Next summer, I have to visit Israel for my brother's wedding. The wedding is on a Thursday.
Staying in a hot country in the middle of summer really isn't my idea of fun, nor my girlfriend's - not to mention the fact that I can't afford to take any more time off work than absolutely necessary - so we would like to fly out to Israel on the Wednesday, and fly back again on Friday (although not too early).
Problem is, British Airways stick a huge premium on fares to Tel Aviv when you are not staying over a Saturday night, and El Al (the only other airline to fly direct, I think?) are far more expensive, so we are trying to find cheap alternatives. I don't mind connecting somewhere so long as the total journey time isn't ridiculously long.
But I'm not having too much luck so far. The best I can find is to fly Malev, and come back on the Saturday - one day later than I wanted. The journey back, connecting in Budapest, is 8 hours, which isn't too bad, and the price is reasonable - but I'm not sure about the 17 hour journey to Tel Aviv on the Wednesday!
If anyone has any ideas for other airlines who might be able to get me where I need to be, when I need to be, and charge me a sensible price, I'd love to hear from you!
FFF
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Join Date: Mar 2002
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BA insists on charging you full whack as you are classified as a business-type passenger when not staying a sat night.
I get around this by buying a return ticket from London and a return ticket starting at my destination and using the tickets as follows:
LHR-TLV-LHR - ticket 1 (usual cheap ticket with Sat stay)
TLV-LHR-TLV - ticket 2 (usual cheap ticket with sat stay)
Go out LHR-TLV on ticket 1 (e.g Thursday)
Return 1-2 days later on TLV-LHR on ticket 2 (Friday)
Back to TLV on ticket 2 on next trip and then
TLV-LHR on ticket 1.
Not illegal.
I save £££'s ... does mean you have to go back to TLV again though.
I get around this by buying a return ticket from London and a return ticket starting at my destination and using the tickets as follows:
LHR-TLV-LHR - ticket 1 (usual cheap ticket with Sat stay)
TLV-LHR-TLV - ticket 2 (usual cheap ticket with sat stay)
Go out LHR-TLV on ticket 1 (e.g Thursday)
Return 1-2 days later on TLV-LHR on ticket 2 (Friday)
Back to TLV on ticket 2 on next trip and then
TLV-LHR on ticket 1.
Not illegal.
I save £££'s ... does mean you have to go back to TLV again though.
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Try pricing a circle trip LHR-(XXX)-TLV-XXX-LHR.
The XXX would be the carrier's 'hub' (Rome, Paris, Frankfurt etc.) and although you would have to stay over Saturday to get a good fare, it wouldn't have to be in Israel.
The XXX would be the carrier's 'hub' (Rome, Paris, Frankfurt etc.) and although you would have to stay over Saturday to get a good fare, it wouldn't have to be in Israel.
If they caught on they can stop you doing this...
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Can't find the prohibition in BA's CofC. This is as close as they get
Seems like a loophole if you use two separate tickets.
You are correct that other airlines are much more definite about it. Northwest for example say
(Sorry about the caps - blame NWA.)
c. Using flight coupons in the right sequence and changes in itinerary
1. Your ticket is valid only for the transportation shown on it from the place of departure through any agreed stopping places to the final place of destination. The fare you have paid is based on our tariff for the transportation shown on your ticket. We will not honour your ticket and it will no longer be valid if you do not use all the coupons in the sequence provided in the ticket.
1. Your ticket is valid only for the transportation shown on it from the place of departure through any agreed stopping places to the final place of destination. The fare you have paid is based on our tariff for the transportation shown on your ticket. We will not honour your ticket and it will no longer be valid if you do not use all the coupons in the sequence provided in the ticket.
You are correct that other airlines are much more definite about it. Northwest for example say
C) USE OF COUPONS FROM TWO OR MORE TICKETS ISSUED AT ROUND TRIP FARES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CIRCUMVENTING APPLICABLE TARIFF RULES (SUCH AS ADVANCE PURCHASE/MINIMUM STAY REQUIREMENT) IS NOT PERMITTED. NW AGENTS AND AUTHORIZED TRAVEL AGENTS ARE PROHIBITED FROM ISSUING TICKETS, COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS "BACK TO BACK TICKETING", WITH THE INTENT TO ABUSE AND/OR MISUSE RESTRICTED ROUND TRIP FARES. AGENTS FOUND ISSUING SUCH TICKETS MAY BE LIABLE FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FARE PAID AND THE FARE FOR TRANSPORTATION USED. IN ADDITION, IN EXERCISE OF ITS REASONABLE DISCRETION, NW MAY, TAKE SUCH ACTION IN RELATION TO AN OFFENDING PASSENGER’S WORLDPERKS ACCOUNT, INCLUDING TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP AND FORFEITURE OF ACCRUED MILES.
NW HAS THE RIGHT TO DENY TRANSPORTATION TO PASSENGERS FOUND UTILIZING TICKETS IN THIS MANNER UNLESS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FARE PAID AND THE FARE FOR TRANSPORTATION USED IS COLLECTED.
NW HAS THE RIGHT TO DENY TRANSPORTATION TO PASSENGERS FOUND UTILIZING TICKETS IN THIS MANNER UNLESS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FARE PAID AND THE FARE FOR TRANSPORTATION USED IS COLLECTED.
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Unless the fare rule says you can't use two tickets (like the NW eg above) then the airline cannot do anything about it.
Many a shrewd business people have been using this to get around paying high fares - when you own your own small biz every penny counts.
What is illegal is buying a cheapo FRA-LHR-TLV flight, ripping out the FRA-LHR sector and only travelling LHR-TLV.
I have seen a guy from BA pull up a First Class Gold card holder at LHR, who was travelling on a BRU-LHR-JFK ticket, ask for his credit card and charge the correct LHR-JFK amount - ouch !
Many a shrewd business people have been using this to get around paying high fares - when you own your own small biz every penny counts.
What is illegal is buying a cheapo FRA-LHR-TLV flight, ripping out the FRA-LHR sector and only travelling LHR-TLV.
I have seen a guy from BA pull up a First Class Gold card holder at LHR, who was travelling on a BRU-LHR-JFK ticket, ask for his credit card and charge the correct LHR-JFK amount - ouch !
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BEWARE, if you throw away the first coupon of a ticket and attempt to start with the second, BA will know and cancel your entire ticket.
This has caught a number of people booking premium cabins out of LIS and attempting to checkin at LHR without flying the LIS-LHR leg.
As a poster said on another forum, with BABS you could get away with it, but Amadeus (the new BA booking system) is much, much cleverer.
This has caught a number of people booking premium cabins out of LIS and attempting to checkin at LHR without flying the LIS-LHR leg.
As a poster said on another forum, with BABS you could get away with it, but Amadeus (the new BA booking system) is much, much cleverer.
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Thanks for all the input, everyone - very helpful! 
I have now managed to track down the website for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. (For some reason, Google doesn't seem to be able to find it, but if anyone's interested it's here .) Excellent website, which includes a list of all scheduled flights. That's exactly what I needed, because I can now go through all of the schedules flights and try to find one which meets my requirements.
PaperTiger - I will probably go with your suggestion of flying via a carrier's hub. Some of the smaller airlines don't even charge extra for not staying on Saturday!
FFF
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I have now managed to track down the website for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. (For some reason, Google doesn't seem to be able to find it, but if anyone's interested it's here .) Excellent website, which includes a list of all scheduled flights. That's exactly what I needed, because I can now go through all of the schedules flights and try to find one which meets my requirements.
PaperTiger - I will probably go with your suggestion of flying via a carrier's hub. Some of the smaller airlines don't even charge extra for not staying on Saturday!
FFF
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