Flights advice needed

I need to get to Malta for a long weekend (fri-mon) at the back end of November to visit a relative. I am struggling as i'm on a budget and Air Malta/BA no longer fly directly from Birmingham.

I have a top budget of about £200. I am open to any ideas where I could get tickets from..... I'm sure there will be people on here with better experience of trying to arrange journeys like this.

Try www.kayak.com

Easyjet and Air Malta both fly to Valletta from Gatwick, return trip with either of them for the last weekend in November is around £150 at the moment (via expedia, but worth checking direct with each airline)

Try www.kayak.com

Thankyou. Looks like going indirect via Zurich costs about £160. The stop over time of 'only' 1hr 10minutes is making me a little nervous though.

Also if I go a day before and fly back a day earlier then intended I can go on Ryanair for £89.... but of course that excludes all of the extras they throw in. (Luggage check in charge, breathing tax etc...)

See above... direct for less than £150

check out skyscanner.

See above... direct for less than £150

I appreciate the heads up mate, but the logistics of getting down to London would make it less preferable, even though the actual cost is lower then going indirectly. I am certainly grateful for the option though.

I appreciate the heads up mate, but the logistics of getting down to London would make it less preferable, even though the actual cost is lower then going indirectly. I am certainly grateful for the option though.

you tried flying from east midlands?

you tried flying from east midlands?

No, I am stuck on the idea of Birmingham as I live either a 10 minute lift from my housemate away from it or a 5 min taxi ride to the station and then 10 minute train ride. The convenience of living on it's doorstep is blinkering my view a bit. Although if I can get to any other airport for about a fiver I would consider it.

Thankyou. Looks like going indirect via Zurich costs about £160. The stop over time of 'only' 1hr 10minutes is making me a little nervous though.

 

Also if I go a day before and fly back a day earlier then intended I can go on Ryanair for £89.... but of course that excludes all of the extras they throw in. (Luggage check in charge, breathing tax etc...)

An hour is very tight UNLESS it is the same airline. They will have the min connection time on their web site. I fly a lot and get twitchy bum at 90 minutes Zurich is an odd layout and you may have to wait for the train then go through security depending on the gate allocations which can make it very tight.

Check how many flights a day they have though as being autumn you don't want to get fog delayed out of Brum and spend a day in Zurich - that'll cost you the savings just for a cup of coffee

An hour is very tight UNLESS it is the same airline. They will have the min connection time on their web site. I fly a lot and get twitchy bum at 90 minutes Zurich is an odd layout and you may have to wait for the train then go through security depending on the gate allocations which can make it very tight.

 

Check how many flights a day they have though as being autumn you don't want to get fog delayed out of Brum and spend a day in Zurich - that'll cost you the savings just for a cup of coffee

There is another option of flying via Munich for about the same money and a connection time of 2 hr 20 mins both ways. Seems far more relaxed to me. Also I am familiar with Munich Airport, the worst case scenario involves legging it across that courtyard if Air Malta doesn't fly from the main Lufthansa/Star Alliance hub terminal.

Oh, and yes, they would fly from the other terminal!!! Air Malta are not a member of Star alliance, yet.

Ok, Ryanair. How bad have people found them to be in the past?

Right, many thanks for the replies above. I have now confirmed my flights via the Kayak.com link Joensuu posted above. I will be flying from Birmingham to Malta with a 2 hour 20 min stop-off in Munich each way. (It may take a little longer, but I am ensured the chance for a nice pint on the way there and back!) The cost I will pay for the flights is £160.

Cheers again guys.

Thankyou. Looks like going indirect via Zurich costs about £160. The stop over time of 'only' 1hr 10minutes is making me a little nervous though.

 

Also if I go a day before and fly back a day earlier then intended I can go on Ryanair for £89.... but of course that excludes all of the extras they throw in. (Luggage check in charge, breathing tax etc...)

If you do decide to go this route ensure you only take hand luggage as there is a high chance that your luggage may not arrive the same time as you same applies to the Munich route.

If you do decide to go this route ensure you only take hand luggage as there is a high chance that your luggage may not arrive the same time as you same applies to the Munich route.

Really? Even with that wait and different airlines between the stop off point? (Lufthansa between Brum and Munich and Air Malta between Munich and Malta.)

Always use Skyscanner and/or Kayak to find cheap flights, easiest way by far

Ok, Ryanair. How bad have people found them to be in the past?

They employ people who wish they had been important in life and let you know it

They appear to magically have scales at the airport that turn your weighed on 5 machines exactly 6kg hand luggage into something weighing 8.2kg

They have no sympathy ever

They have made Stansted Airport marginally worse to visit than nottarf Krap home end wearing a Saints shirt

They refuse the universally accepted standard "Quart Sized" back for your liquids and insist on charging you 2 QUID for a back that will not even accept an approved single 100ML Deo Spray

Mind you when you fly from Europe HOME with them they are absolutely fine

They get you where you want to go and if you plan carry on only you can often BUY gear when you land cheaper than to check in a suitcase. It works I just love to hate them

You need your head testing if you're even contemplating indirect options for the sake of 50 quid, especially on a short haul flight.

If you think you can get a flight to Valetta then good luck to you. I'd imagine you'd be hard pressed to land a Radio Controlled helicopter anywhere near the city. The airport is several miles away,towards the south east of the island. Buses are plentiful and cheap; cars are available to hire but there are no road signs in Malta and nowhere, and I mean nowhere, to park. Ever.

Ref Ryanair have a read of this :-

http://www.pprune.org/passengers-slf-self-loading-freight/429434-ryanair-questions-comments-bouquets-brickbats-merged-ii.html

That is only a small part, there was lots more