Winter flights

[Smiddy]

I believe there is a market for Winter, but people won't come because they seem to think everythings closed, if we don't tell them otherwise then they won't consider coming! If they do come then they will come back (especialy retired people who are a huge swathe of our population). Everthing you'd want is still there in Winter, someones just turned the heating down

 

[med777]

Surely this is all about consumer demand?

If people do not use a service then they lose it? Airlines are no different to anyone else. Common sense would tell anyone that a 'plane with a handful of passengers will not make the airline any money?

A bus service can maybe survive with less passengers because their overheads are significantly less.

Or am I missing something here ??

What ur saying is absolutely right ... in theory.
But in practice and in Scotland, it is a bit different. We really do not have a CHOICE, here. The facts speak for themselves - no Scottish flights to Mallorca during winter months.
The airlines consolidate the flights from Englandshire and as previously said, every Scot traveling south is filling flights from England and doing nothing to address the problem in Scotland.

It is not a use it or lose it situation in Scotland ( more like a more profitable situation of having to take 2 flights to get to Mallorca ! )

Miriam

 

[gers1873]

we have not flown from scotland for maybe 10 years or more, refused to pay the high flight supplements in the days of package deals, very often £70 ea during school holidays and with 4 of us just too expensive, often went to blackpool and stayed a night before going onto manchester the next day, free holiday before the holiday so to speak and kids loved it when they were young

even when easyjet began flying to mallorca and when globespan started up there flights were always a good 20-30% higher than flights from northwest england, again with 4 of us better value as it only costs a tank of fuel to travel down and back

its the old story of supply and demand i suppose, higher population in england, collegues of mine in wales often have the same problem with flights having to travel to bristol or birmingham for better flight times, prices and availibilty

it would be nice to see some sort of winter service to mallorca from scotland but to tempt me it would have to offer good value before i personally would use such a service

 

[CathB]

We use Bristol (about 2 hours drive away) all year as easyjet are cheaper and offer better flight times but there is nothing at all in the winter months from Cardiff

 

[Sparky]

It is the same for the people in Devon and Cornwall, ok they have Flybe from Exeter in the summer but have to travel to Bristol out of season.

 

[Mark]

It does look a bit grim for flights this winter, just looked to find somewhere for a week in early November and not easy to find a flight on a Saturday.

Weekday flights are easy to find from Manchester or Liverpool but rental properties are usually Saturday changeover...

some rental websites say the season has already finished for 2011 and its only 23rd October... (screen grab below)

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[gers1873]

mark, i assure you pp is very much open for business during winter months

plenty still open to eat out somewhere differant every night

also many private owners are willing to deviate from sat-sat during these difficult times

re hotels are any open in pollensa town over winter? and did the daina not used to stay open in wnter? seem to remember being out one feb and having a drink on the terrace, i may be wrong though

 

[ragdollabbi]

we have not flown from scotland for maybe 10 years or more, refused to pay the high flight supplements in the days of package deals, very often £70 ea during school holidays and with 4 of us just too expensive, often went to blackpool and stayed a night before going onto manchester the next day, free holiday before the holiday so to speak and kids loved it when they were young

even when easyjet began flying to mallorca and when globespan started up there flights were always a good 20-30% higher than flights from northwest england, again with 4 of us better value as it only costs a tank of fuel to travel down and back

its the old story of supply and demand i suppose, higher population in england, collegues of mine in wales often have the same problem with flights having to travel to bristol or birmingham for better flight times, prices and availibilty

it would be nice to see some sort of winter service to mallorca from scotland but to tempt me it would have to offer good value before i personally would use such a service

I have to agree there about supplements from Scotland especially where families are concerned. It is much cheaper to travel to Newcastle/Liverpool/Manchester than pay the supplements from Glasgow/Edinburgh. We have never flown from Scotland for many years either and it's only two of us travelling now. Two and a half hours to Newcastle, an overnight in Premier Inn for £29 and travel next day....an extra day's holiday....who's going to turn that down!!! I remember one year when our son was still going on holiday with us that it worked out cheaper to fly Edinburgh to Birmingham and travel from there on a package deal. gers, I think that's why we're known as the 'canny Scots'

 

[sws97sdg]

Just booked up flights for January from Gatwick, I also checked flights form Scotland to Gatwick, £23, which I though wasn't bad, it costs us more than that on the train to Gatwick. I think it is important to keep positive, if we want people to go to PP in the winter we need to encourage them to go, that way the hotel may choose to stay open, and the airlines to put on more flights. So anyway, there are weekly flights through the winter to Palma from various airports in the UK, unfortunately not Scotland at the moment.

 

[gers1873]

abbi, i am not just a "canny" scot i am positively mean when it comes to parting with hard earned cash

i remember 4 or 5 years ago driving to coventry airport in the dead of night to catch from memory a thomsons flight i think it was that was free both ways, only baggage to pay for

luk efter yer pennies an yer pouns luk efter themsels son my old gran used to say

 

[Lorenzo]

PP hotel open in winter

I believe that the Hostal Bellavista will be open during this winter (as it did last year).
Another reasonable winter accommodation option is the Marina Apartments, above the Marina cafe on the sea front.

Both are very good!

 

[ragdollabbi]

abbi, i am not just a "canny" scot i am positively mean when it comes to parting with hard earned cash

i remember 4 or 5 years ago driving to coventry airport in the dead of night to catch from memory a thomsons flight i think it was that was free both ways, only baggage to pay for

luk efter yer pennies an yer pouns luk efter themsels son my old gran used to say

gers,the old folks always spoke the truth didn't they Any money saved at this end is a bonus to spend in PP

 

[anne10aber]

My best bargain was when Jet2 first started and we had 17 days in Puerto Pollensa. We flew from Leeds. A bit of a drive but 5 flights were £232 for us all return! Have never been able to match that and it was July as well. Agree with English airports checked a price and from Glasgow it was £2076 and same holiday from Manchester was £1387! Well worth a drive.

 

[gers1873]

anne, yes that was a cracking deal

 

[Smiddy]

Winter Flights

I'll take you back to Miriams post, every departure from a English airport is a nail in the coffin for any hope of direct flights from Scotland. Bit like Tesco opening one of their big stores and the small guy eventually goes out of business. With Glasgow flights i can leave my front door and be on the beach in 6 hours, same coming back, leave the apartment and be in my bed in 6 hours. Each to their own, but mid-Winter drives to Manchester/ Liverpool don't interest me, more so on the return journey when you never know how the weather will turn.

You can fly to the Canaries/ Malaga/ Alicante all for less than £100 return in Winter from Glasgow, people will just eventually take that option, Majorca's loss! Why should the paying customer have to make all the sacrifices.

 

[anne10aber]

Smiddy totally agree. We have our summer return booked from Palma. £100 for 2 it is Friday 13th though! Watching for our outbound one now...can go EDI. GLA and PIK

 

[fil6699]

I have looked into this and you can actualy get some great deals flying through Barcelona. I know its a pain but to give you an example I looked at Leeds to Bacelona then Palma and return out on 23rd Nov back on 28th Nov using Ryan air for both legs but booked separately.and the total cost was only £40 return including taxes. Crazy price. A number or Airlines fly to Barcelona from the North of England so its worth a look.
Flights from Barcelona are almost hourly and the flight takes less than 1 hour to Palma and several airlines to choose from so you can still get your PP fix all through the winter without paying silly prices and FYI the shopping in Barcelona Airport is very good

 

[PP76]

I agree Smiddy, we live 10 minutes from Prestwick and 45 minutes from Glasgow airport and would not drive 3-4 hours to another airport, we are on the last Ryanair flight back on Saturday night and unfortunatlely will not be back in PP until the flights restart at the beginning of April. Going to Tenerife in January with direct flights from Glasgow.

PP76

 

[joey36]

Be careful booking Ryanair flights to Barcelona.They normally use Girona and Reus airports and call them Barcelona.

 

[fil6699]

Be careful booking Ryanair flights to Barcelona.They normally use Girona and Reus airports and call them Barcelona.

They fly to all 3