Why is so expensive for a person in Britain to come to the United States?

Question

I want to meet someone from Bristol, but it is so expensive for him to come to the United States.

Answer 1

It's not, really.  A 'short' trip, say from NYC to London, isn't much farther than a trip from NYC to San Francisco.  And the fares are about the same...  

We travel to England once a year to visit relatives.  If you shop well and travel at the right times, air fares can be pretty cheap.  You just have to look around!

Answer 2

We dont need a visa to travel to the US, it is relatively cheap to travel to the US, are you sure this person is not just making an excuse?

Answer 3

Are you kidding it's cheap as chips to go to the states, return tickets are £300-£350 which is about 1/4 of a the average monthly salary in Bristol (£25k per year) and also the doller is so weak against the pound, the hotels there are much cheaper than here.  You know the Bellagio in Las Vegas is about £75 per night, cheaper than most hotels here.  It is not expensive to go the states, maybe he is dragging it out for 2 reasons, 1) if he has a criminal record he has to apply for a visa which takes 2-3 months or 2) he can't be bothered.

Answer 4

First off it's not its really cheap regarding the pound to dollar ratio however when it comes to him buying a ticket on his own pound it's going to be expensive this time of year. I had this problem when I used to travel back and forth with my exbf who was English and him coming here as well. If you live anywhere other than a big main city (Chicago, Boston, NYC) it's going to be even more expensive for him because he'll have to take another plane to get to the next city from the main city he flys into. However, British Airways and AA often have weekend or week fares quite a lot for major cities like those above because they fly in and out of them so much and have so many flights to choose from (times). I live in St Louis so it was more expensive just because of the smaller inner flight (Chicago to StL) or else the London to Chicago would have been easier to find a cheaper fare. Fares will go up outrageous (up to $1000) in summer time even if you buy ahead of time. Thats why it's cheaper to meet during early spring or late fall when there aren't as many travelers. Try priceline.com (as long as he doesn't mind what time he leaves on a given day or returns, you get to pick the dates tho just not the times). Remember tho with priceline that if you miss your plane there are no refunds or exchanges so best be there when the plane takes off. Travelocity helps too but still expensive. Best of luck! xxxx

P.S. you don't need a visa to vacation in US if you are British, just a passport. go to http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/visitin... my ex was a British citizen and never needed a visa to come over to vacation.

Answer 5

SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE NEW LONG-HAUL TAXES THAT ARE IMPOSED ON UK FLIERS.

Answer 6

I dont see why, It way more expensive to travel from the USA to UK. Its over $2 to a pound now, it will never be this cheap again!

Answer 7

it's cheap to fly to the states.He can find a cheap fare if he shops around.He doesn't need a visa so it seems like he's making excuses not to come.

Answer 8

It depends on the time of year that you fly from the UK to the USA.  In season, is more expensive by far than out of season.

You haven't said where you live in the USA. Some places are far more expensive to get to than others. The East Coast of the USA is less expensive, especially the popular places like Florida. That is very cheap to go to. Other places in the States can be quite expensive, since there is less demand for flights to them, and because it takes longer to get there and uses up more fuel, and may even require a stop to refuel, or change planes.

If they are coming from somewhere in the UK, that is not near a main airport, or in other words is outside of the London area, it will be more expensive. There are other airports, but most flights to the USA go from Heathrow or Gatwick both in the London area. Your friend will have to pay to get to the airport as well.

Plus all the main International airlines work from out of those two airports. These bigger airlines can do things like special deals easier.

Actually, I have found it is cheaper to buy tickets for flights in the States. So if you bought the tickets, you would probably pay less than your friend would in the UK. I've tried to find out why this is the case, but haven't found a good answer. I think they may charge more tax here, or there is less demand here, and so the price is higher.

There are a lot of hidden costs in travelling , like the getting a passport, travelling to and from the airport, parking, and so on. Gas (or petrol) is far more expensive here than in the States, and that factors in when we calculate our traveling costs here in the UK. As would taking a coach, or bus, taxi, to the airport.

I have even found that if you live outside Florida, it is cheaper to get a flight to there, especially to Orlando, than anywhere else in the USA. Then you can pick your friend up there even if it's quite a long trip to Orlando, even in a different State. Orlando is such a popular destination from the UK, that the flights are way cheaper, and special deals are common.

UK people don't need a Visa to the USA if they are visiting for 90 days or less and have a valid UK passport, and return flight tickets. Otherwise they do need a Visa.

Answer 9

Sorry to tell you, but it's CHEAP for him to come see YOU in the U.S. The British pound is SKY high compared the weak dollar in the U.S. What this means is let's say something costs $100. to you in the U.S........that same item would cost you at least $200 in Great Britain. Maybe he just doesn't have the money to travel to vist you, but it's not SO expensive for him. Brits can travel to most of the world for a bargain. So, your guy either just doesn't have the money to travel or he doesn't want to spend it to come visit. :( Sorry!

Answer 10

Cause we need a visa to get there I am afriad, an that is putting me off.

Well it's true you need a visa an that sets you back about 100.  Good enough reason for me, plus americas pants anyway.

Answer 11

Hi

If he's telling you he can't afford to fly to the US then maybe you need to ask some questions...

Seriously though - the big put-off is how abysmally we are treated by your "homeland security" people - there seems to be a gleeful delight in making people miss their connections and just showing how very important they are.  I understand that the US tourism industry is actively lobbying for a more sensible approach to searching and security at your ports.  The crazy thing is that the approach seems designed to put off legitimate visitors while people of ill intent will not be deterred by a little bit of white-glove searching...

RANT OVER - good luck with your friend!

Answer 12

Also has to do with the season someone travels in,I went to ireland and it was 400 dollars round trip of course it snowed a bit.

Not bad from Los Angeles thou.