FT01

Hi,

Joined so I could search the forums for an answer to this, but was unsuccessful. So, apologies if this has already been discussed.

I have been using Inverness for cheap CW flights to Chicago (ORD) via LHR for a few months now, flying every 5 weeks.
The price stayed completely stagnant for a long time, so I (naively) assumed that would continue.
Now, for the same journey, the price has increased from £1300 to around £2500 (for a Nov 15 departure, returning Dec 01). It also stays up there for the next trip I was planning, and the next, and so on.....

Can anyone suggest, do you think this is a temporary hike? Or has the demand increased due to people learning of this low price, and the new higher price is likely to be permanent? I've searched well into next year to check for a drop, but cannot see this.
I always depart on a Thursday and return on a Saturday night, 16 days later (rotational shift position in the UK).

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

And yes, I should've added a 2 day car hire and paid a load of deposits while I had the chance. Lesson learned.

mikeyfly

Hi and welcome to FT FT01

You've not missed the boat in general, there are still plenty of £1300ish fares into December and way beyond. I imagine if you have to fly on exact dates then you might need to look at other options that INV. Still can be booked a few days after you want :

https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=...19*.GBP.143719

FT01

Thanks for the response.

Yeah, i need to depart on a Thursday and return on a Saturday, always 16 days later.

I actually live closer to EDI and GLA, but INV was always significantly cheaper, so I was flying from there.

Thanks for the research though.

Misco60

Perhaps you're simply falling foul of the fare rules:

OUTBOUND -
PERMITTED MON/TUE/WED ON EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
INBOUND -
PERMITTED TUE/WED/THU/FRI ON EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.

PERMITTED 30MAR THROUGH 15APR OR 01JUL THROUGH 31AUG OR
21NOV THROUGH 28NOV OR 18DEC THROUGH 02JAN FOR EACH
TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.

lost_in_translation

Hopefully it will come back but no guarantee, believe the fare has expired and wasn't reloaded this time whereas it has been when it expired previously for most of this year. Same for the cheap F flights from INV which were kicking around.

I doubt BA has suddenly decided the route can sustain twice the fare so I have a feeling it will resurface (or something similar will) in a little while.

FT01

I'm not familiar with the ins and outs as far as being loaded, to be honest.
I guess they set the dates for x amount of time, then adjust if demand is too high?

As you say, I know there's no guarantees of anything, but would you expect the fare price to change again before mid October? I.E. a 'reload' to occur between now and then.
It's Oct 15th I'm looking to depart, returning Nov 1st.

Aer Lingus fly from EDI on the same dates for circa £1750, so that's my fallback. But obviously that's a big hike, especially using avios to knock £150 off the £1300 fare from INV....

Thanks again

ajeleonard

Strange logic, BA does not need Inverness originating passengers to fill its Chicago flights

Calum

But it does need passengers to fill it's inverness flight/s.

lost_in_translation

The fare was widely available for most US East Coast cities, as Calum points out it was presumably being offered previously to try to fill up the INV flights rather than being anything to do with ORD in particular.

SoggyDollar

ORD-LHR is a huge cash cow. AA have stated they are looking to upgauge their 4 rotations to 789s which would add 280 seats. Maybe BA will use a different route to fill the INV flights

NWIFlyer

I think Chicago is probably a very lucrative route for all airlines. I was looking at a SK Premium Y fare to renew my Star Gold and adding a stopover there, en-route to San Francisco bumped the price massively - and direct flights were eye-watering as well. I didn't even dare contemplate Business, which nearly trebled the price.

Hotel prices were probably double the amount from when I last visited 5 or so years ago, and that was on marathon weekend as well. It's clearly a booming city right now.

tomparskate

Really good fare to ORD there,

If I was to push my luck...Has anyone managed a stopover in the US before going onto ORD.

Maybe INV-LHR-JFK-ORD?

Thanks

anniegray

Flying next week from INV. Got the flights for £1100 each, bargain, via LHR

mikeyfly

How interesting - from this thread it seems people who live in Scotland are actually using the exINV

Calum

If you need to go to JFK, you can just book INV-LHR-JFK rtn for the same price-ish. If you needed to get to both JFK and ORD, your best bet would be to book INV-LHR-JFK onbound, ORD-LHR-INV inbound and pick up the cheapest ticket you can find for JFK-ORD.

Also note if you live in EDI or GLA, you can usually end the booking at GLA or EDI for the same price, you just gotta start the trip at INV.