Why is it so hard to book flights?

[Tom_C76]

I don't fly as a rule, but have to get to Aberdeen for a funeral so thought flying was the most practical option from Cambridgeshire. Had to do the same thing 7 years ago and flew Easyjet from Luton so got there and back in a day.

Easyjet only fly the morning route on a Saturday now, so that's out. Nothing from Stansted to ABZ at all, and Norwich would be nearly £400 a ticket.

Skyscanner seemed the next best option, found flights from East Mids, so not ideal but affordable and outbound at a reasonable time. Via Belfast so 5 hours. Flight back at a sensible time is to Heathrow, then 12 hour transit to Gatwick, before flying back to Glasgow International then back down to East Mids. Total 19 hours.

Why is it beyond the wit of man to come up with a flight booking website that covers all the available routes/carriers and doesn't find such idiotic ideas? I'm sure somewhere in the Skyscanner listings there are flights that would work, but at this point I'm looking for a B&B south of Edinburgh and a couple of tanks of diesel.

[Ali2202]

It seems to me that your problem is that the Airlines are not operating the routes/times you want rather than an error with the online booking sites.

Are you looking to go at the weekend which traditionally has far fewer flights?

[Ali2202]

London City?

[pherlopolus]

you could try Luton to inverness? they only do 1 flight a day so you would need at least 1 overnight also (and the car)

10 hours drive each way would be a little tiring I guess...

[c7xlg]

move to surrey and have you choice of flights from LGW or LHR??

I think your problem is one of supply and demand. Very little demand for flights from Cambridgeshire to Aberdeen so no flights from close by airports.

Have you looked at options via Schipol, Stavanger or Copenhagen? Somewhere with oil and gas connections will have greater probability of flights.

Or the train...

[IanMorewood]

Start from the other end;
http://www.aberdeenairport.com/flight-information/...
Find what flys in from where and you are sorted KLM for example may be a reasonable option via Amsterdam (fly first from Stanstead) or you could drive to Birmingham.

[Paul.B]

And it will be foggy on the day you want to fly!!!!!

I had a meeting in Aberdeen a few weeks ago and there are flights very local to me from Southampton. I still decided to drive as I just don't trust public transport. As I pull out of the B&B on the morning of my meeting to here on the radio that ABZ is fog bound.

And I took in a good blat down the Old Military Road on the way home as my meeting was finished by 10:30

[Tom_C76]

It's not just the lack of availability of flights on my chosen route, but the sheer hassle of trying to find a route at all. Skyscanner should be the answer, but any system that offers up a 19 hour route to fly from ABZ to East Mids is clearly flawed, when I can drive it in far less.

Did eventually find the London City route, that looks possible but still pricy compared to driving.

[Shay HTFC]

Bit of a mission, but overnight sleeper coach from London? Pretty cheap...

http://www.megabusgold.com/

[truck71]

Always use Opodo for this sort of thing, hasn't failed yet...

[Tango13]

IanMorewood said:

Start from the other end;
http://www.aberdeenairport.com/flight-information/...
Find what flys in from where and you are sorted KLM for example may be a reasonable option via Amsterdam (fly first from Stanstead) or you could drive to Birmingham.

/\ This is the correct answer.

I was having all sorts of nightmares trying to book a flight from Las Vegas to Tucson when a mate suggested doing this, saved me an absolute fortune and several hours of journey time.

[gwm]

There's options on the left to get rid of silly results. (Though there will be people taking those deals to save a few quid)

Fly to Edinburgh or Glasgow and hire a car? Not that long a drive

[New POD]

http://flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/

http://flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/search....

Tomorrow I can get to Scotland for 61 quid. And back on Thursday for 80 quid

[JWH]

If you're considering East Mids then Birmingham is also in range, Flybe BHX - ABZ three times daily.

Depart BHX 0650, arrive ABZ 0825.

Couple of options for the return leaving at 1700 or 2050.

[rs1952]

IanMorewood said:

Start from the other end;
http://www.aberdeenairport.com/flight-information/...
Find what flys in from where and you are sorted KLM for example may be a reasonable option via Amsterdam (fly first from Stanstead) or you could drive to Birmingham.

This.

But there is approximately a two-hourly service from Heathrow, so rather than fart about going via Schipol or wherever, it would probably be faster to drive to LHR and fly from there.

[Chrisgr31]

The OP does have a point, finding possible routes and pricesnis a nightmare, and its made worse because as you search the computers realise you are searching, so believe there is more demand and put the prices up!

[Magog]

I can see your point, it's not straightforward.

In your situation I'd say the best bet might be the sleeper train from Euston.

http://www.scotrail.co.uk/caledoniansleeper/index....

[Chucklehead]

The common denominator here is aberdeen. It's a f**king expensive place to fly to.

The most full price fares out of any UK airport was something an employee there once told me

[Chucklehead]

To add: fly to Glasgow and hire a car/get the train from Queen St. You can get ~£20 each way if you book far enough in advance

[Tasmindevil]

Yep flying to anywhere other than LHR from ABZ is a rip off, it can be cheaper flying LHR to some far flung place, major routes such as Norwich to ABZ charge a premium, I have found it easier to fly my mother from Norwich to Edinburgh and pop down to collect her, it’s a couple of hours drive each way, there is also the KLM flight Norwich to Amsterdam and up to ABZ.
The joke is you can pay a premium to arrive at Aberdeen ‘Oil Capital International Airport’ which is another rip off, it has no adequate transport links and don’t land and try and commute anywhere during rush hour, the road system is a mess.
Although I love living here the story (True or not) of the BA pilot landing at ABZ and announcing “welcome to Aberdeen please set your watches back 30 years” sums it up.