The first flight I ever took between the UK and USA was when I was eighteen years old – a decade ago. It was part of an around the world flight ticket in which I took ten flights for a very reasonable cost, starting in London, traversing North America, the Pacific Isles, Oceania, and Asia, before returning back to the UK. By contrast, a simple return flight between the UK and the US has rarely presented such value, and it is this lack of affordability that often prevents people from crossing the ocean.
As I have spent much time heading east to Asia and Oceania, as well as exploring Europe through the means of hitchhiking and other (more unorthadox) low-cost forms of transport, the cost of trans-Atlantic flights was not of great concern to me – until I met a lovely young lady from Detroit, USA, three and a half years ago. I have jetted to and from the USA twice in the past year and a half, and presume these journeys will be continuing in the future, meaning more time (and money).
Fortunately for me (and many others) it seems the cost of these flights is (finally) falling. XL Airways are one of the airlines leading the way, now offering super affordable flights between the USA and Europe. Return flights between Paris and New York start from €393. Return flights on their new route between Los Angeles and Paris start from €553. That’s a flight that takes more than ten hours, and being decent people, you get given a meal and are allowed to bring a bag on the aeroplane, which I always like, as having clothes is useful.
I don’t like to complain, but recent experiences with certain airlines have left me a little concerned about who it is that I fly with and what service I receive. On a 7h50m flight between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne, we flew without so much as a glass of water. I can deal with that, but when I’m paying a shed load of money and my stomach is bloating from the change in pressure, a glass of water would be really nice. Around the same time, I had a flight booked to Indonesia which was cancelled due to a volcano. I was offered a voucher, not a refund (against my will), meaning I was obliged to fly with a certain unpleasant company yet again. And on my recent flight back to the UK from USA, I picked up some very reasonably priced flights, only to find out that I was to be charged €70 for my bag. I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed flying from Detroit to Boston a few days earlier and having to pay $100 for my bag on a flight that takes less than 1.5 hours.
Despite my slightly unfortunate flight experiences over recent months, there are airlines out there with morals – they let you bring clothes and drink water without charging you – and what they do charge is an affordable airfare. I don’t want to pay nothing (well maybe I would), but I do want good value for my flights. Just read about the deal you’re getting before you book your flights and enjoy these awesomely new affordable airfares between North America and Europe. In the meantime, I will be cowering in my seat every time the plane takes off, lands, or when I experience turbulence. They are some of the many joys of being an uncomfortable flier. At least it’s quicker than a boat and less work than swimming.
Post sponsored by XL Airways.
Leave A Comment