Flying to ORD from LHR
Oct 3, 2018, 2:55 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Sixt Gold
Posts: 418
Flying to ORD from LHR
Why are flights to ORD so crazy expensive with BA or AA compared to UA?
I know UA has a big hub in ORD and I usually find J fares around 2.5-2.7k if booked a couple of weeks in advance, while OW is constantly over 4k with BA sometimes over 5k!
I also tried to estimate fares via CDG hoping an ex-EU would get me a better price, but no luck.
Any idea on the why? Also, suggestions on how to get to ORD on a OW carrier would be greatly appreciated for obvious avios/TP reasons
I know UA has a big hub in ORD and I usually find J fares around 2.5-2.7k if booked a couple of weeks in advance, while OW is constantly over 4k with BA sometimes over 5k!
I also tried to estimate fares via CDG hoping an ex-EU would get me a better price, but no luck.
Any idea on the why? Also, suggestions on how to get to ORD on a OW carrier would be greatly appreciated for obvious avios/TP reasons
Oct 3, 2018, 4:21 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
Posts: 14,194
It helps if you give an indication of travel dates if you want advice on getting cheaper fares.
As for ex-EU you need to look at more than CDG but also AMS,OSL,CPH,DUB, INV ....
As for ex-EU you need to look at more than CDG but also AMS,OSL,CPH,DUB, INV ....
Last edited by UKtravelbear; Oct 3, 2018 at 4:39 am
Oct 3, 2018, 5:10 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
AA fly direct from DUB - and you clear immigration in DUB - looks like a little over £2k later this month
https://goo.gl/flights/sBJwH
https://goo.gl/flights/sBJwH
Oct 3, 2018, 5:44 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,255
When are you going OP ?
You'll get £1400 exINV in a few months, and £1200 into next summer
https://www.google.com/flights#flt=I...79*.GBP.127079
You'll get £1400 exINV in a few months, and £1200 into next summer
https://www.google.com/flights#flt=I...79*.GBP.127079
Oct 3, 2018, 6:14 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Sixt Gold
Posts: 418
Apologies, forgot to mention specific travel dates: I am looking to travel 21 or 22 Oct to ORD and back to LHR on 25 or 26 Oct.
No matter what combination I try, OW is always more expensive than SA. I'll try again with the above suggestions thanks!!!
No matter what combination I try, OW is always more expensive than SA. I'll try again with the above suggestions thanks!!!
Oct 3, 2018, 6:56 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: LHR
Programs: BAEC Gold, SkyTeam Elite Plus, Sixt Gold
Posts: 418
That's clear, I was just wondering how OW can fill in all those expensive seats when UA constantly beats them on price. I was thinking that probably it has to do with ex-EU premium flights they sell at lower prices, as from LHR I have a hard time explaining it.
Oct 3, 2018, 7:25 am
#10
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,110
AA has an industry-envied set of long-term high value corporate contracts, and BA is no slouch in this area either. They fill a lot of those seats without needing to have you book on the open market.
Oct 3, 2018, 7:53 am
#11
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: PVD, BOS
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,664
FWIW, UA is selling LHR-ORD for nearly $7k on your dates so I'm not really sure what you mean by UA constantly beating them on price. Checking other random dates, AA/BA/UA all have pretty similar prices for their LHR-ORD non-stops.
Oct 3, 2018, 11:48 am
#12
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Oct 3, 2018, 12:13 pm
#13
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 124
You're on a busy flight and supply is low?
For what it's worth I got very cheap ORD flights for over NYE in First. I checked the flights out of curiosity yesterday and theythey now many, many, many thousands more than when I booked a few weeks ago
What happens for the few does not happen for the many.
BA is not out to get you.
For what it's worth I got very cheap ORD flights for over NYE in First. I checked the flights out of curiosity yesterday and theythey now many, many, many thousands more than when I booked a few weeks ago
What happens for the few does not happen for the many.
BA is not out to get you.
Oct 4, 2018, 2:57 am
#14
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 56
About 3 weeks ago I found a special fare on Expedia LHR-ORD in F (inc a Sat night) on AA metal for next April but I didn't check earlier dates. It was massively more expensive on both AA and BA. It was just over 1800GBP so maybe worth checking expedia too which I'd never considered before stumbling on that price.