Whilst some of the consolidators such as Expedia can offer what seem to be very good prices, do check with the actual airlines themselves; sometimes there's a pleasant surprise in store!

Be a bit careful when you book to make sure that your 'class' of ticket booking allows a certain degree of flexibility. Of course if something goes wrong en route, the airline should sort it out ... excepting volcanic ash!! - but sometimes if YOU then want to change your ticket before flying, you will find that the cheapest tickets are non-refundable or non-amendable, in which case, goodbye cash.

Sometimes just paying a bit more to get into the next 'bracket' of class will allow amendments for a fee ... the amount depending on the airline.

Whatever you do, please forgive me if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, make sure that you:-

1) Check your dates .. flying home you'll be flying overnight so make sure that you realize the day you book to leave Chicago is different from the day you actually land in the UK.

2) Get your ESTA forms sorted out before you travel. You don't have to specify exact dates of travel and they are valid for 2 years. You now have to pay for them .... sorry! Make sure that all members of your party have the ESTA forms completed and accepted by the US Govt (very quick and on line, takes only about 30 secs) because you may not be able to book flights without the ESTA numbers (depending on the airline (scheduled)).

3) Make sure you have adequate insurance - medical fees are HORRENDOUS in the US, so make sure you have 'enough' and take out insurance as regards cancellation and change of travel arrangements at the same time.

4) Make sure your flight company is ATOL and IATA registered. (Perhaps 'Trailfinders' might be a good starting point for a reliable company)

5) Allow suitable times for arrival procedures. Depending on when your flight comes in, and if you have booked a direct flight from the UK, you may find yourself with at least an hour's wait to complete immigration formalities, even with your ESTA form! (You will still have to fill in landing and customs forms on the plane so make sure that EVERY MEMBER of your group brings their own BLACK pen!!!) And then make sure you know how you are going to get to your downtown destination. You'll be very tired after the flight, even if adrenaline keeps you going to a certain extent, you are at greater risk from rogue taxi drivers - prices not on the meter or paying extra for the number of bags in the boot of the car!! See if the airport has a specified shuttle system or has certain taxi firms linked to it rather than taking independent operators.

Also allow enough time for departure formalities on your return.

Finally, don't forget that even if you are only away for 3 days, you may have jetlag on your return. The flight west is usually ok but if the music festival involves late nights, you might find you're sleeping through the best gigs even if the decibels are high.

Have you thought about getting a ticket for a bit longer to allow for one day's down time before and another after the festival? It might add a great deal of pleasure, without a great deal of extra cost (especially as regards the air ticket).

Getting a bit tech here ... you do realise that Chicago has two airports. Midway and O'Hare. It might be cheaper to get a flight to another US entry hub and then flight to one of these as a domestic sector. Your luggage should go straight through if you interline with the same carrier or group of carriers.

In the past there were cheaper fares called Fifth Freedom and Sixth Freedom depending on whether you went through other countries en route eg London-Amsterdam-New York.

There were also cheaper fares called VisitUSA fares and IT fares which were linked to flight/hotel packages. You would have to go and ask a friendly travel agent if these still exist and if they are good value .... and if you can book them yourself directly on the net.

Hope I haven't confused you more than helped. Sounds a great trip!

Thank you so much for your comprehensive post! You're certainly not teaching me to 'suck eggs', I'm a complete n00b under these circumstances! If I do manage to find flights I can afford your advice will prove invaluable!

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I priced my dates with the websites of three airlines and all are quoting around the £650 mark, including one with a stopover in Amsterdam.

My children are both grown-up now but it's just occurred to me that my dates coincide with the first week of the school summer holidays. Maybe I'm not going to find a bargain in that case.

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