Cheap ways to get to Shetland? (from London)

[sim667]

Does anyone know the cheapest way to get from London to Shetland and back?

Currently I'm looking at the Caledonian Sleep, which is £50 up Aberdeen and then I can do the ferry, my only problem is coming back I need to get back on a Saturday, and the Caledonian Sleeper doesn't run on saturdays and the cheapest train ticket I think is £178.

 

[quimcunx]

Maybe best to talk to national rail by phone. My guess is you could book a return to wherever you get the ferry from then reserve a seat on the sleeper using that ticket, but that would depend on there being a seat available. The sleeper doesn't run Saturday night/sunday morning. It does run Friday night/Saturday morning.

 

[teuchter]

If you buy an anytime, off peak or super off peak return from London to Aberdeen, then it is valid on the sleeper seats in either or both directions. You need to contact Caledonian Sleeper to make the seat reservation (which is free).

Seats | Caledonian Sleeper

A super off peak return from London to Aberdeen is £174.50.

You might however find it's cheaper to buy two advance singles. As you've already found out, you can get an advance single for the sleeper seats for £50. You'd have to look what the best advance singles were for your return journey.

Look on the LNER website and you might find it will offer you a single for £87.25. There are some tricks related to this which I don't want to expand on too much here but say if you want more info.

You can also travel via Wick and Orkney - not sure how that works out cost wise.

Someone may be along to say it's cheaper just to fly ... maybe it is.

 

[sim667]

The main problem I'm having a lot at the moment is that not a lot of places are letting me book for july 2020 yet, so I can't really determine the prices, Its a bit annoying.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

How long do you want to spend travelling? 2 hours 40 flying with 90 mins on the ground, current fares start at £152 + tax (£73.08) return to Lerwick.

 

[sim667]

How long do you want to spend travelling? 2 hours 40 flying with 90 mins on the ground, current fares start at £152 + tax (£73.08) return to Lerwick.

Where did you find that price?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Where did you find that price?

From here (20th July 2020)

 

[sim667]

From here (20th July 2020)
View attachment 179887

Is this some secret software or something?

 

[belboid]

It just cost us £300 each to fly (from Manchester, via Inverness & Kirkwall), but we didn't book very early so £225 sounds very reasonable. you'll come into Sumburgh though, not Lerwick. Top place. Although a guy we met on the last day said he has never known weather like it, and it'll never be like it again!

 

[Fez909]

Is this some secret software or something?

He's in the travel agent's version of the Masons, so he won't be able to confirm...but I can.

Yes, it's super secret.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Is this some secret software or something?

It's one of the most powerful computer systems in the world: Sabre (computer system) - Wikipedia

 

[sim667]

It just cost us £300 each to fly (from Manchester, via Inverness & Kirkwall), but we didn't book very early so £225 sounds very reasonable. you'll come into Sumburgh though, not Lerwick. Top place. Although a guy we met on the last day said he has never known weather like it, and it'll never be like it again!

Cabs are pretty easy round the island, though, right?

 

[belboid]

Cabs are pretty easy round the island, though, right?

From Sumburgh yes, and probably from Lerwick. Looking a bit dodgier anywhere else though

 

[sim667]

It's one of the most powerful computer systems in the world: Sabre (computer system) - Wikipedia

Can anyone access and use this, or do you have to be accredited?

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Can anyone access and use this, or do you have to be accredited?

You need an IATA licence as you can issue limitless numbers of tickets on it, so effectively have unlimited credit with airlines. It lists every single IATA airline flight for the next 11 months, every single seat in real time and every single fare (for example Virgin has 166 different fares just London to LA just for regular tickets, never mind child, youth, military, marine/seafarer etc.). Plus seat maps/booking, meals, excess baggage, wheelchair booking, unaccompanied minors, plus most hotels' availability in real time, Eurostar and some other trains and ferries. It's a hell of a thing. I've been using it for over 25 years now and have hardly scratched the surface of what it can do.

 

[sim667]

You need an IATA licence as you can issue limitless numbers of tickets on it, so effectively have unlimited credit with airlines. It lists every single IATA airline flight for the next 11 months, every single seat in real time and every single fare (for example Virgin has 166 different fares just London to LA just for regular tickets, never mind child, youth, military, marine/seafarer etc.). Plus seat maps/booking, meals, excess baggage, wheelchair booking, unaccompanied minors, plus most hotels' availability in real time, Eurostar and some other trains and ferries. It's a hell of a thing. I've been using it for over 25 years now and have hardly scratched the surface of what it can do.

So I'd need to find someone who can book the tickets for me, and pay them?

I don't suppose you can see if there's flights on the 11th July and back on the 18th could you? From a London airport........ that would be super super useful. Gonna need hold luggage too as I need to take scuba gear (not sure if that makes a difference).

 

[belboid]

You'll be going Logan Air from the mainland - luggage details are on Baggage Information | Luggage, Instruments, Sports | Loganair

 

[teuchter]

So I'd need to find someone who can book the tickets for me, and pay them?

Why not just wait until a bit closer to the time and buy tickets in the normal way?

 

[sim667]

Why not just wait until a bit closer to the time and buy tickets in the normal way?

I could that, but I suspect they will cost more.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

So I'd need to find someone who can book the tickets for me, and pay them?

I don't suppose you can see if there's flights on the 11th July and back on the 18th could you? From a London airport........ that would be super super useful. Gonna need hold luggage too as I need to take scuba gear (not sure if that makes a difference).

ba.com

They haven't loaded their schedules past the end of the winter timetable yet.

 

[belboid]

I'd ring Logan Air, if I were you. They wont have their official timetable out yet (and it will change if booked now anyway), but they should be able to tell you almost everything you need to know. Also useful to know you can deffo make a connecting flight in under 20 mins if you're going via Inverness or Aberdeen (Glasgow/Edinburgh may take longer)

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

You'll be going Logan Air from the mainland - luggage details are on Baggage Information | Luggage, Instruments, Sports | Loganair

It would be a BA ticket all the way and the Logan Air legs will have a BA codeshare, so get a BA fare with baggage and that will cover it. It is Logan Air that hasn’t yet published a schedule past the end of March, so can’t book it yet, worth checking back every few weeks tho.