Flights And Hotels Soar In London Before The Queen’s Funeral

Airlines and hotels have been accused of profiting from the Queen’s funeral by increasing prices and room rates up to sixfold this weekend.

According to the Mail, the cheapest Edinburgh to Heathrow flight with British Airways on Sunday, the day before the funeral, cost £422 (A$718).

However, the price was reduced to £99 (A$169) a day later for a flight arriving after the programme had begun.

British Airways was also demanding £404 (A$688) for a flight from Newcastle to Heathrow that had previously cost £99 (A$169).

Ryanair offered tickets from Dublin to Gatwick for £85 ($145) on Sunday, then dropped to £13 (A$13) the following Sunday, a savings of more than six times. The research also discovered that hotel costs on Sunday night were much higher than on the same day a week later.

People seeking to stay the night before the historic event will have to pay up to £1,500 (A$2553) for a double hotel at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, which is six times the price of the same accommodation the following Sunday.

On the eve of her funeral, a double room at the Strand Palace in Covent Garden costs £800 (A$1363), compared to £232 (A$395) a week later.

On Sunday, a double room at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London costs £1,500 (a$2555), but just £250 (a$425) a week later.

Norfolk resident Mark Godfrey slammed the exorbitant pricing. His boyfriend, Neil Marcham, had been a member of the Royal household for 20 years and was eager to attend.

‘I wanted to go to London on Sunday and pay my respects to the Queen lying-in-state before lining the streets on Monday,’ he explained. Hotel charges skyrocketed as soon as the burial date was announced.’

The Park Plaza company and The Strand Palace refused to comment on the reported price increases. This weekend, British Airways and EasyJet denied ‘artificially’ increasing their fares.

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