I Should Know This, But . . .
 

I haven't been to London for seven years, and I am aware of the rise in airfare, but I've got sticker shock today. I live in Louisville, KY, and want to go to London on June 24 (or that week) for five nights, travel by train to York for one night, go on by train to Edinburgh for seven nights, and return to Louisville from Edinburgh on July 8 (or whatever).

From Louisville, the fares are beginning around $1,450 pp. I checked other airports thinking we could depart from someplace on the East Coast since it was my intention to use my Capital One miles (121,500 right now), which requires 100 times the ticket amount, and just buy a ticket to the departing airport. However, from JFK on Travelocity the cheapest fare is $1,400. The cheapest I found was from Chicago at about $1,350.

I guess I'm just crying on your shoulders, but does anyone have any ideas?

Also, please refresh my memory of when I should buy train tickets. I feel like a newbie! At least we know how to look for hotels.

Train tickets can be purchased 3 months in advance at www.nationalrail.co.uk

I am just waiting to buy my tickets for the May long weekend!

Do you have to travel a certain airline? Do you have miles/status with any specific airline? Did you check Virgin Atlantic? The depart Chicago, Boston, NY, Washington.

Have a look at Aer Lingus from BOS/NYC to LON/EDI

Change planes in Dublin or Shannon but better prices

Taxes and fees out of London are ridiculous. Can you try another airport?

Also check IcelandAir. You can fly RT from JFK to London Heathrow for just under $1100 in June.

Carolyn, I'd keep looking. You can probably consider flying out of Louisville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Nashville. Even Chicago.

Good luck!

(Maybe consider a trip further afield that is easy to get to London. i.e. Paris, Amsterdam,Antwerp?)

Doesn't Delta still have a hub at Cincy? Would that work?

American and United have sizable hubs at O'Hare. American used to have direct Nashville-London flights.

Kybourbon: Cap One rewards are not airline-limited.

I usually save by flying out of Nashville (BNA), and it's 170 miles from you. But their Summer airfares are comparable with Louisville for June of this year.

When you want to in the high season, you've just often got to pay the price.

The option would be to move your trip into May. Maybe you can sign up at airfarewatch.com to be notified if there are any airfare changes. You could watch closely for some one day airfare sales. Who knows what the next 60 days will bring?

<i>(Maybe consider a trip further afield that is easy to get to London. i.e. Paris, Amsterdam,Antwerp?)</i>

Any potential cost savings will probably be eaten up by the cost of travel to London, not to speak of the time lost. The OP is clearly planning a UK trip, not a Continental one.

Our tickets to Paris this June/July are more than double what they were a few years ago (for pretty much the exact same flights on the same days of the week).

Not much help, I realize, but hopefully it offers some perspective and the knowledge that you are not alone...

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have tried the other airports except for Nashville and Boston.

Kybourbon, I just tried Virgin, and it's expensive, too. I'm not limited as to airlines, but I don't have enough miles for the entire trip and was hoping to find a less expensive fare from an East Coast departure city. I was amazed to find only ~$50 difference in leaving from Louisville or NYC, so I still wouldn't have enough miles even without connections--although I might have later on if I prepay the hotels!

Jamikins, thanks for the train info.

We did a similar trip but flew in and out of Dublin, spent two nights then flew to Edinburgh on aer lingus. Cheaper by a lot and my friend flew out of Louisville. It is going up and up. Aer fungus has some super cheap flights right now.

Sofarsogood, Aer Lingus got me from a Chicago departure and return to $1,231.03--the best so far--and I can usually get a cheap fare from Lou to Chi. Thanks! I'll keep checking.