Flights booked!

We've discussed it, we've shared it online, we've written about it in our blog here, but had we taken any real action to make this trip a reality?  Well, no we hadn’t, but as of last night that all changed!

We've been caught in a whirlwind of indecision, pondering endlessly over which date to embark on our great 3000-mile cycling adventure along the East Coast Greenway. The hows, the wheres, the whens have driven us to the brink of madness. It's what they call analysis paralysis, and we're both guilty as charged. But finally, last night, we summoned the courage, made a decision, and booked our flights to America!

Of course, finances are a significant factor for this journey, and we spent considerable time scouring various airlines and arrival airports, hoping to save a few pounds. Seeking advice from our Instagram followers, the consensus was clear: waiting for flight bargains is too risky these days, with prices soaring closer to the desired travel date, we needed to just get it booked.

David always uses www.matrix.itsasoftware.com, a platform for hunting down budget-friendly flights and so we headed in to see what we could find.  We settled on a flight with Iceland Air. Admittedly, not the first airline that springs to mind, but significantly cheaper than most. How do they manage to keep prices so low? Iceland Air operates a "hub and spoke" system, efficiently managing a small airline. Departing from various destinations ("spokes"), aircraft converge at the central "hub" before dispersing again to new destinations. Our journey will take us from Gatwick to Iceland (the hub), then onwards to Boston. It's a bit of a logistical shuffle, but the savings are substantial – about half the price of other carriers!

Furthermore, if you're flying transatlantic with Iceland Air, you have the option to add a stopover in Iceland at no extra cost. Whether for a day or a week, you can explore this truly remarkable destination without additional airfare. Although we've visited before and relished the experience, we won't be stopping over this time. Nonetheless, we highly recommend it if you've never been. For more information, check out www.icelandair.com.

Our one-way flights, including baggage and extra legroom seats for the longest leg of the journey, set us back approximately £1500 (for two people). This was roughly £1000 cheaper than most other airlines.  It really is worthwhile spending a little bit of time digging around for a bargain, especially these days.

So, with flights booked, plans solidified, our cycling adventure officially commences on 1st September 2024, and we couldn't be more excited!