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I am looking to go to the USA for a week or so in March and I have just noticed that flights from Dublin (that go via Heathrow) are half the price or less than the same flight directly from Heathrow.

Any idea why this is? I think I will catch a cheap flight to Dublin and add a couple of hours to the journey - I will save over £1000 for the 2 of us!!

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    Taxes, demand, non-stop flight premium, competition, amongst many other reasons!
    – Gagravarr
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 8:56
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    There's a name for this phenomenon (A>B>C flights sometimes being cheaper than B>C flights using the same seats on the same plane) and there was an earlier question about it with a very detailed answer from an industry insider... unfortunately I can't remember either :-/ can anyone else remember the question I'm thinking of?
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 11:02
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    The airline charges the maximum the market will tolerate, independent of the cost of running the service. Companies in London (on average) are willing to pay a lot more than companies in Dublin.
    – Calchas
    Commented Jan 14, 2016 at 14:13

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Airlines will charge what they think customers will pay, and that price fluctuates over time and for various commercial factors, including demand, cost of supply and other factors.

I often travel to the 3rd nearest airport (2 hours drive away) to save sometimes upwards of £1000 when taking the family on holiday.

Always looking at nearby airports - both for your start and destination.

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There are many reasons for this:

  1. Airport charges vary greatly between hub and satellite airports.
  2. Competition is often a driver of prices, especially at a core hub airport like Heathrow.
  3. Routes may be restricted - they are especially so at large airports.

If you are so lucky - you should always pick a satellite airport to start and end your journey. The cost will most likely always be in your favor.

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