UK flights online information and reservation services
The best, cheapest and quickest way to book a flight (and accommodation if you wish) is to book directly on the Internet.
The Web has enormously simplified the process of comparing fares and prices of different operators, which previously required dozens of phone calls. Not only that: by cutting out the middlemen, one can save money for not having to pay the travel agency's share. The same information once provided by travel agents is now freely available over the Internet. Not surprisingly, travel is predicted as the greatest category of online sales of next century. An ever-increasing number of travels and holidays is booked on the Internet. It's calculated that within 5 years, 45 % of the UK population will book all holidays through the Net.
Where to start, then? There are two possibilities: either go to the airlines' websites or visit the so-called aggregators, which provide information on a vast array of companies and operators. Here we have selected two travel sites which offer comprehensive information and booking facilities for flights from and to the UK: Opodo and Expedia.
Opodo is an online travel service owned by 9 of the world’s leading airlines: Aer Lingus, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa.
This doesn't prevent it from performing a search to find the cheapest, most convenient flight among its enormous database of over 400 airlines of every part of the world.
In addition to charter and scheduled flights, you can from its website book car hire, hotels among over 30,000 hotels worldwide and holiday packages, or buy travel insurance.
Opodo site is easy to use, and gives you the traveller the tools, resources and information you need to plan your trip, holiday or hotel stay, if your time is limited or you're looking for ideas and inspirations.
Here's the link:
Another leading travel specialist is Expedia.co.uk is a comprehensive travel site for all sorts of needs, from flights to hotels, from car rentals to holiday packages, from holiday deals to guides and insurance.
Here's the Expedia search box to find flights, cars and hotels according to your preferences:
Europcar is one of the leading car hire companies in the world, hiring more than 220,000 vehicles.
Europcar has a wide range of vehicles available for hire in over 118 countries around the world, including the UK and the USA, offering highly competitive prices on car & van rentals to both business and leisure travelers.
You can choose your country of residence from the 118 on the scroll list, for both pick-up and return of the car wherever you like.
Europcar has an efficient online reservations service, and excellent rates on a superb choice of vehicles from a rental station close to you. It also has special offers and discounts, constantly updated to ensure that it offers the most competitive rates at all times, including some great deals on longer term hire cars as an alternative option to leasing.
Here's the link:
Avis is the second largest car hire company in the world, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services at more than 5,000 locations around the globe.
It is the industry leader in applying new technologies.
On UK Avis website you can get a quote and book online in under 90 seconds in only 4 easy steps. Its effectiveness has been recognised by leading consumer and new media publications, and readers of the Daily Telegraph voted Avis as the "Best Car Hire Company 2003".
Its UK site gives a wide choice of new cars and very convenient online prices.
If you are travelling abroad, if you reserve and pay now you'll save money.
Heathrow Express train service creates a world class rail link from downtown London to Heathrow Airport in just 15 minutes to Terminal 1,2 and 3 and in a further 5 minutes for Terminal 4.
Heathrow Airport is London's largest international airport and one of the busiest in the world.
The Heathrow Express service operates every 15 minutes from 5.10 am to 11.40 pm daily.
Heathrow Express arrives at London's Paddington Station, one of London's main railway stations, located in central London, next door to Hyde Park, Notting Hill, and Portobello Road.
Gatwick Express train service connects central London to Gatwick Airport, the second of London international airports for traffic and importance, in just 30 minutes.
Gatwick Express trains arrive at and depart from London's Victoria Station, a major London station in the heart of the city, from which all main attractions are within walking distance: Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, the royal parks, the Thames, the National Gallery, and so on.
Gatwick Express trains run every 15 minutes.
Stansted Express is a nonstop rail service between Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street Station, taking you to the heart of London in under 45 minutes.
Stansted is London's third international airport, near the M11 motorway that connects England's capital to Cambridge.
Stansted Express trains arrive at and depart from Liverpool Street railway station, a central London station located between the City and the West End.
Stansted Express trains run every 15 minutes between 8am and 5pm monday to friday, and 8am to 4pm at weekends. At all other times the service is every 30 minutes. Departures are on the hour and half hour both ways.
Journey time is under 45 minutes.
Two adults traveling together can get two first class round trip tickets for the price of one: this offer is valid from April 1st, 2001 through December 31st, 2001.
To know more or to purchase your rail tickets, follow this link to Rail Europe:
Airlines with scheduled and charter flights to and from the UK
Britain's major airlines are Business Air, British Airways, British Midland, KLM UK and Virgin Atlantic.
British Airways is the largest British airline.
British Midland is the UK's second largest scheduled airline and the second largest operator at Heathrow airport. It offers The Discover Europe Airpass, which can be used for scheduled flights in Britain and the rest of Europe. It can be bought from travel agents all over the world, but not in Europe.
KLM UK offers Visit Europe and Visit UK. British Airways has UK Airpass.
Charter flights' prices vary according to the season and the company. Sometimes it's possible to get reduced fares on certain flights and services, or for groups and students. Ask the airlines offices or your travel agent.
A company offering low air fares (but usually limited to a certain number of seats or to some flights) is the Irish Ryanair. Do not expect a great amount of space on the airplane, though, and they don't serve in-flight meals.
The best, cheapest and quickest way to book a flight (and accommodation if you wish) is to book directly on the Internet.
Opodo is an online travel service owned by 9 of the world’s leading airlines: Aer Lingus, Air France, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa.
Europcar is one of the leading car hire companies in the world, hiring more than 220,000 vehicles.
Avis is the second largest car hire company in the world, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services at more than 5,000 locations around the globe.
