BUDGET airline easyJet is to begin flights from Manchester as part of a massive expansion of its services in the north west.
Planes carrying the airline's famous orange and white logo are set to lift off for foreign destinations from the airport for the first time late March.
Bosses at easyJet say the move, which is subject to approval by regulators, will make it the north west's biggest operator.
By 2010 it aims to be carrying nearly four million people a year from the region including about 1.4m from Manchester to about 40 destinations.
The move, predicted by M.E.N Business in October, follows easyJet's swoop for GB Airways, which operated a British Airways franchise from Manchester.
Coup
The announcement also marks a massive coup for Manchester Airport chiefs , who have been in talks with the low-cost carrier.
Rowena Burns, commercial director of the Manchester Airports Group, said: "We have been talking to easyJet for two years, and they have been keen to start services for a while.
"They offer a fantastic range of services for passengers and they have always been impressed by the quality of our operation.
"Manchester Airport is the jewel in the crown of the North West's economy and this announcement reinforces our position as the premier airport outside London."
Ms Burns, who announced last week she is moving to a senior role in the private sector after more than a decade at MAG, added that easyJet coming to Manchester was "very special" and "very dear" to her heart.
GB Airways operates six routes from Manchester including Tenerife, Cyprus, Malta and Crete. It employs 79 staff at the airport and carries 290,000 passengers a year.
Its two planes based at Manchester would be re-branded in easyJet colours and three more aircraft would be added by the low-cost carrier by 2010.
GB Airways will continue to operate all routes under the British Airways brand until 29 March.
Then, subject to regulatory approval, the GB flights will start to operate under the easyJet brand.
All customers who have booked to travel with GB Airways next summer will be given the choice of flying with easyJet at the same times or else receive a refund.
Passengers are expected to see the biggest benefit next winter when these five aircraft are expected to starting tapping into the wider easyJet network.
Integrated
GB Airways will be fully integrated into the easyJet business model by then, subject again to regulatory clearance.
Bosses at easyJet, founded by the entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, plan to carry up to 1.4m passengers a year from Manchester on about 15 routes by 2010.
They are also planning to increase the number of easyJet aircraft based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport from eight to ten over the next three years.
By then, easyJet will have 15 aircraft in total operating from Manchester and Liverpool, offering flights to the 8m people living within an hour's drive of the two airports. The airline hopes to provide a total of 4,000 jobs across the region following the expansion.
Mike Campbell, easyJet's people director, said the airline recognised the "strong demand" for low cost services from the North West.
He added: "The GB operation at Manchester provides us with a great base on which we can build to tap into a new market.
"easyJet remains committed to our base at Liverpool and, by launching additional operations from Manchester, we can make it even easier for everyone in the North West to access easyJet's services from their local airport, giving customers the opportunity to explore Europe for less."
Willie Walsh, BA's chief executive said in October that the company's franchise system had outlived its purpose and said the airline had turned down the chance to buy GB Airways.
BA will also end a similar arrangement with Loganair from next October and begin a codeshare agreement with the Scottish carrier.
Flybe acquired British Airways' regional airline business, BA Connect, in March this year.
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Message posted by floralie on 17 December 2007 at 1:41pm - IP Logged
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Think this is just a general comment that will affect people tavelling from Manchester to anywhere .... including Greece .... hence not in the Corfu forum but in the Travel To Greece Forum
Message posted by Carolena on 17 December 2007 at 5:27pm - IP Logged
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Very useful info, nice of you to keep us informed.
Message posted by Guest on 17 December 2007 at 6:58pm - IP Logged
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Guest
Maybe ,One day Mr cookson perhaps youlle read between the lines .... and imagine what could happen ..remember when virgin atlantic had the BA problem and everyone said Sir Richard would never beat them well he did.
from friends within easyjet we may all be very surprised where they are contemplating going . (ask the 2 members of ctg ) who work for easyjet I was shocked when they told me.. someplaces ide never even heard of ...
hope you read my comments on the "new airport"
Message posted by lorraine10ten on 17 December 2007 at 7:04pm - IP Logged
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There always seems to be one negative person? obviously one cannot please everyone..but cant one not just be glad that something good is happening in a particular area in the UK?
Mr cookson may just like to complain on various threads or maybe the fact he owns spearstravel and the news might just have an affect on his business? makes him complain?
Who said anything about it being related to Corfu?
Kerry and Dave
Message posted by jedi (Avatar Admin) on 17 December 2007 at 9:08pm - IP Logged
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jedi
Quote: Originally posted by SpearTravels on 17 December 2007
What's this got to do with Corfu?
Peter Cookson
For once we all agree with you Mr Cookson, very observant, you've obviously read the post. It has absolutely nothing to do with Corfu, you're 100% correct...
I hope however, you read your client's booking arrangements/requirements more closely than you did the heading of this particular thread.
It is a general comment made by Kerry & Dave regarding easy-jet operations from Manchester which falls very nicely into the Travel To Greece Forum as it involves amongst other destinations Crete - which I believe is still in Greece.
Well done... or was this just another of your sarcastic comments???
Jedi...
Message posted by Thunderbird One on 18 December 2007 at 12:54pm - IP Logged
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There is always the hope that one of these airlines may add Corfu to their programme. GB/BA who will trade as easyjet in the summer from Manchester DID FLY TO HERAKLION IN THE SUMMER 2007 (from Manchester) just as Corfu was part of their summer programme from Gatwick. So why shouldn't another Greek route be on the menu if they're expanding?
Message posted by Kath Brian on 18 December 2007 at 1:07pm - IP Logged
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Thanks Kerry and Dave for the helpful information.
Having flown Easyjet 3 times from Newcastle to Prague, Faro and Palma (all flights were on time and no problems whatsoever) I for one would be delighted if they added Corfu to their Newcastle itinerary at some point in the future. Although the service is basic (what you see is what you get - I wouldnt have a problem certainly not with a short hop to Corfu).
Regards, Kath
Message posted by Thunderbird One on 18 December 2007 at 1:10pm - IP Logged
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I flew easyjet to Athens in November and the flight was excellent. They were just as good as any other carrier if not better. The only thing that let easyjet down was the boarding arrangement. They don't allocate seats and it's just a free for all when you get on. This can be quite stressful. Just wish they'd sort this out.
Message posted by floralie on 18 December 2007 at 1:23pm - IP Logged
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I also had a great flight with Easyjet, I couldn't fault them.It was a far better experience than the one I had with First Choice last September.
On North West TV news this morning it was announced that Ryanair will also be starting services from Manchester airport. I agree that when these carriers come in the possibility of more flights to Corfu could become a reality. Manchester is the largest airport in the North with a huge catchment area so why shouldn't we have the choice of flights to Corfu that Gatwick has.
Message posted by Kath Brian on 18 December 2007 at 2:06pm - IP Logged
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I must confess that my husband and I find the 'free for all' when people try to get on the plane first for their seats quite amusing - we just stand back and have a giggle as they all jostle and push for position. If you are only on a 2/3 hour flight we are not bothered if we end up sitting across the aisle from one another or even in front/behind each other - just as long as we reach our destination! The only people I think should have preference are those with children.
I cannot understand why they dont just allocate seats - it must be much easier and I dont see how there could be a cost implication as they still print off a boarding card.
Regards, Kath.
Message posted by Trace (Profile Location Assistant) on 18 December 2007 at 2:11pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by Kath Brian on 18 December 2007
I cannot understand why they dont just allocate seats - it must be much easier and I dont see how there could be a cost implication as they still print off a boarding card.
Last time we flew with them from Glasgow, we didn't get a boarding card as such....just a laminated piece of card with a number on it (no wonder my Dad has ended up on the wrong plane before lol)......
Message posted by Kath Brian on 18 December 2007 at 2:20pm - IP Logged
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At Newcastle you get a boarding card with a letter on (A, B, C or D) and the letter denotes the order in which you arrive at airport ('A' for the first people checking in and descending as and when people arrive down to 'D'. Then, at the gate those with 'A' get called first and so on - but even funnier was when they went through the hoo haa of calling 'A' to board now and 'B' and so on for us all to end up on the bus to be ferried out to the plane and then everyone piled off and fought their way on to the plane meaning some people with 'D' cards got on before those with 'A' - again leading to lots of laughing by my husband and myself as we went to the back steps and got a seat no problem.
So I dont know why they cannot put a seat/row no on instead of just A, B, C or D - it cannot cost any more.
Regards, Kath
Message posted by Dave and Kerry on 18 December 2007 at 3:40pm - IP Logged
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The only people I think should have preference are those with children.
Kath Brian i understand your sentiments here but what about people who are Blind? or those who are Deaf and need to sit with a traveling partner because they cannot hear any of the announcements made? for everyone else yes i agree with you about sitting across the isle or behind.
Next year when the New regulations come into force carriers have to allocate seat numbers to individuals because this information is required by the uk government as part of the 56 or was it 57 point information they require before you are allowed to travel.
The info re Ryanair is on another thread.
Dave
Message posted by Thunderbird One on 18 December 2007 at 4:24pm - IP Logged
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It will also give us the option of flying to Thessaloniki and then on to Corfu in the winter months, rather than via Athens. They are starting the flights from Gatwick to Thessaloniki in January. You can then get a cheap Aegean flight online direct from there to Corfu.
It will also be much cheaper to fly Easyjet from Manchester to Gatwick than travelling by train!
What has it got to do with Corfu? It will give everyone more options, including the people who live in Corfu all the year round, who return back to the Uk in the winter months.
Message posted by floralie on 18 December 2007 at 6:54pm - IP Logged
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I returned to Liverpool on a flight from Faro this afternoon and the cabin crew announced that Easy Jet will be flying to Corfu next summer, but didn't state which airports from. So as far as I am concerned at least it is a start.
The flight I returned on contained only 56 people and I paid £34.85 including credit card charges for a 5 night return trip, so if prices like that were available I wouldn't mind one bit if I was not allocated a seat, as long as I got one!!
Message posted by SLOBADOB on 20 December 2007 at 3:51am - IP Logged
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Sorry if everyone thinks I come across as negative and sarcastic but I live in the real, commercial world and most of you don't when it comes to Corfu flights!! You want them for nothing and all year round and that won't happen!
easyJet ARE NOT (as yet) flying to Corfu next year. The deal with GB Airways has STILL not been finalised and the GB AIrways flights are still available on the system via BA, not that we are selling any of them just in case it does eventually get sorted.
Everyone has assumed that easyJet will do Corfu as one of their routes because they have put in an offer for GB Airways who fly there now, but this is not necessarily the case.
In fact, BA have now signed up on most of the routes that GB Airways operated under their franchise system, so I have no idea what is happening there.
We sell a lot of no-frills flights to our clients so if easyJet do fly there it will just be another one available to offer them. But as to whether I think it will be good for Corfu, I remain negative I am afraid as I haven't seen any evidence of anything positive for the actual destinations that easyJet currently fly to. The average spend per pax in Corfu is dropping like a stone and this would only continue if easyJet operated there.
Whilst low prices are good for clients they are lousy for the locals as they do not have any money to re-invest so the quality of the properties drop, the average spend goes down even more and we will end up with tourists form the bottom end of the EC market, which is not good for Corfu or anyone.
Peter Cookson
Message posted by belfastbabe on 20 December 2007 at 4:48pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by SpearTravels on 20 December 2007
Sorry if everyone thinks I come across as negative and sarcastic but I live in the real, commercial world and most of you don't when it comes to Corfu flights!! You want them for nothing and all year round and that won't happen!
easyJet ARE NOT (as yet) flying to Corfu next year. The deal with GB Airways has STILL not been finalised and the GB AIrways flights are still available on the system via BA, not that we are selling any of them just in case it does eventually get sorted.
Everyone has assumed that easyJet will do Corfu as one of their routes because they have put in an offer for GB Airways who fly there now, but this is not necessarily the case.
In fact, BA have now signed up on most of the routes that GB Airways operated under their franchise system, so I have no idea what is happening there.
We sell a lot of no-frills flights to our clients so if easyJet do fly there it will just be another one available to offer them. But as to whether I think it will be good for Corfu, I remain negative I am afraid as I haven't seen any evidence of anything positive for the actual destinations that easyJet currently fly to. The average spend per pax in Corfu is dropping like a stone and this would only continue if easyJet operated there.
Whilst low prices are good for clients they are lousy for the locals as they do not have any money to re-invest so the quality of the properties drop, the average spend goes down even more and we will end up with tourists form the bottom end of the EC market, which is not good for Corfu or anyone.
Peter Cookson
I have no commercial experience but I find the last paragraph confusing. You state that low cost flights would bring in" bottom class tourists from the EC market. Do you mean tourists with less money to spend? This maybe, but isn't some money better than none. Surely you don't want Corfu to become an exclusive island for the wealthy!
I think it would be good for the Independant Hoteliers. More people willing to book direct and avoid paying the middleman.
Message posted by Jaybird on 20 December 2007 at 4:52pm - IP Logged
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Well that killed that topic dead ..... I dare anyone to post anything different. How on earth could we think of you as negative Mr Cookson?
As for living in the real world ... a lot of people who have posted on here DO live in the real world ... some of the people who have posted actually work for the airlines, travel agents etc., etc. but maybe you haven't had the time to find out who the individuals on this site are and what they do. Others on here post from a position of living out here, working on the ground with the Corfiots who see things first hand.
Who knows who is going to be right and who is going to be wrong at this stage? And if our hopes don't come off I am sure we will not be jumping off cliffs like lemmings ........ so what is the harm?
Now I have got that off my chest I do hope I dont get barred from this site but sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
Message posted by SLOBADOB on 20 December 2007 at 5:18pm - IP Logged
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Why do you think that lo cost airlines will bring in bottom class tourist???? Please justify......
Like Jaybird says in an earlier post, a lot of the empty apartments would benefit as people would start to book them if they were paying reasonable fares for the flights.
I'm sure it would attract the independant traveller.
Please could you tell me what type of people fly on lo cost airlines Mr Cookson?
Message posted by Jaybird on 20 December 2007 at 5:31pm - IP Logged
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How could cheap flights to Corfu could possibly be bad for the locals? I do live in the real world by the way.
I travelled to Spain in March on a cheap flight. Because the flight was cheap, I was able to afford to also take my daughter, 2 of her friends and 1 of mine. We had much more money to spend locally because the flights were so cheap. We stayed bed and breakfast in a nice hotel and spent money in local restaurants and bars. Previously, I have flown with ryanair to Rome and Easyjet to Venice. Each time, we spent a considerable amount of money in Italy on our way to Corfu. Money which may well have been spent in Greece if more cheap flights to Greece had been available.
If cheap flights do materialise, I will have more money to put into the economy of Corfu instead of TUI or whoever.
Message posted by Carolena on 20 December 2007 at 5:53pm - IP Logged
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Another thought, surely cheap packages are much worse for the locals than cheap flights. With a cheap package, the accomodation owner often gets next to nothing and often at least some meals are included which means less is going into the locals' pockets and more into those of the tour operators. Packages (cheap or otherwise) are right for some people, but not for everyone. The more choice we have the better, and if you don't like that Peter, then that's too bad because a lot of us do.
Message posted by Bronwen Brian on 20 December 2007 at 5:58pm - IP Logged
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Bronwen Brian
hi all,
we 've used low cost airlines many times, I'm a District nursing sister and my partner is a golf course manager, we both consider ourselves professional people. I think comments about bottom class tourists is a bit patronising Mr Cookson, many people including ourselves would rather spend less on a flight and more on the actual holiday. By saving on the flight people have more cash to spend which benefits the local economy.
sorry everyone if i've gone too far with this comment
Love bronwen x x
Message posted by Allen M on 20 December 2007 at 6:38pm - IP Logged
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I have flights booked with GB Airways in early May and received an email from them a couple of days ago which contained the following statement:-
"Once the sale completes, your flight will be operated by easyJet and will be subject to easyJet's terms and conditions. The price of your ticket, departure and arrival airports, dates and times will remain unchanged from your original booking. easyJet will offer one free hold bag* per passenger, while food and refreshments will be available to buy on board."
That seems clear enough. I will wait and see what happens once the sale to easyJet completes.
Gareth
Message posted by Terry and Julia on 20 December 2007 at 7:54pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by Jaybird on 20 December 2007
Now I have got that off my chest I do hope I dont get barred from this site but sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
Don't worry, Jess, as far as I can see you have said nothing wrong at all.
I can only apologize that so many of you feel upset and insulted by a certain member's posts.
If anyone is offended by the contents of posts, please either let one of the Admin Team know via pm preferably with a link to the post; or use the report post button.
We will look into it, I assure you.
Julia
Message posted by floralie on 20 December 2007 at 8:22pm - IP Logged
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Mr Cookson, I wholeheartedly agree with Bronwen and Brian.
I have always used small specialist tour operators when going to Paxos because they know the island better than the bigger operators and have better contacts with the local people (very useful when bad weather affects the sea crossing) Often the small operators are part owned by Paxiots themselves which aids local revenue.
I travel to Paxos with a very small travel company whose charter flies from Gatwick.When they tried to arrange a flight from Manchester for me, Thomas Cook quoted them a far higher price than that quoted on their web site. My travel company advised me to book it myself, which I did. Thomas Cook obviously don't want competition from other travel companies. Last September a First Choice representative at Manchester Airport told me not to travel with a small company because in her experience they could easily go out of business.It seems that First Choice had seats booked for our party but did not have our names against them on their passenger list - very odd. Her comment was unprofessional,and in the light of very poor service from First Choice,laughable.
The danger of lack of competiton could enable the big operators to force smaller operators out of business and control pricing. So I say ' welcome to Manchester Easyjet and Ryanair'
I have always used the small specialist travel operators when going to Paxos because they mostly are owned or part owned by Paxiots themselves and therefore this tiny island gains more revenue from tourism.
Message posted by floralie on 20 December 2007 at 8:49pm - IP Logged
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I have been watching this thread with interest , and because I do not live near one of the large airports ,am unlikely to be affected by so called cheap flights. While I may not agree with some posts , I respect everyones right to state the opinion they have about any given subject. This should be accepted by all reading these posts and not develop into some sort of witch hunt.It seems to me that unless you agree with all and sundry,you are turned into some kind of anti corfu demon. Please respect each others views and accept each and every opinion posted.It would be a much poorer site if everyone agreed with each others opinions . I hate to see the site used for some peoples personal crusades , and yes I am sorry but that is how it appears to us neutral members.
GRAMPA
Message posted by Jaybird on 20 December 2007 at 9:55pm - IP Logged
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Hi Grampa. I agree whole heartedly with you about us all being entitled to our opinions and that is what we are all slightly agitated about. With one person implying that everyone but them is an idiot and we are living in a dream world we just feel that it is us not being allowed our opinions. You say you will make use of the low cost airlines if given the chance ... do you consider that you are the less desireable end of the EEC traveller?
We are on the same side here ... not on a witch hunt ... just putting our opinions.
Message posted by Agni on 20 December 2007 at 9:55pm - IP Logged
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General comment, not related to the current thread topic, but the above post:
Grampa, you are correct. All members on the site are encouraged to express themselves - as long as they do not cause a legal problem. Not all members agree with everyone else, but they should be careful express their views in a non-aggressive and be sympathetic to others.
Thanks
Agni
Message posted by Terry and Julia on 20 December 2007 at 10:47pm - IP Logged
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We are all adults and sensible enough to book our travel with whoever serves our needs the best. If anybody is offended by anybody/company we have the oppurtunity to boycott them and spend our hard earned money with somebody else!!!! Yammas B & S
Message posted by seaangler (Chat Room Administrator) on 21 December 2007 at 12:09am - IP Logged
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seaangler
....I have watch the easy jet program Meany time's on T.V and i am sure the travel with easy jet far succeeds the Meany criticisms that some passengers come up with easy jet(And to other cheap airlines)....I my self have flown with easy jet some six times only and have never one single compliant with them...Rome Barcelona Athens Praha Ect...After all they are a no frills airline and i have always had a good deal by booking very Early with them....Do not celebrity's book easy jet when they have the money to fly first glass....So what is the difference..After all its the people choice to fly with them....So come on lets look on the bright side we are going to gain another two inches of leg room soon according to Parliament obviously this will put the price up as for fewer seats on aircraft and with the tax for global warming coming into force in the next few years....The earth is already damage beyond repair and we have jest a short time on it..If it gives us the chance to fly to Corfu more offten i am all for it....So lets make the most of it be for its to late to do so....This my own opinion only...Chris
Message posted by Dave and Kerry on 21 December 2007 at 12:43am - IP Logged
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I am sure that if those who are in support of Easyjet and Ryanair and the possibility of flights to Corfu with either or both of the carriers, will in the event of being wrong hold up their hands and say so! and i hope that Peter you will do the same ?
Dave.
Message posted by maggy on 21 December 2007 at 11:33am - IP Logged
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Mr Cookson is of course speaking as a very experienced TA, and some of his points are spot on, he just comes across as a bit, maybe unwittlingly, condescending. He is also, quite obviously, not the only person ín the travel business that uses this site, however, I do suspect he refers to the lower end of the EC market ,meaning some people from Eastern Europe who are undoubtedly on a lower budget than a lot of Brits and that is definitely not good for Corfu, and I'm speaking as a Corfu based member, (over 20 years) and watched the ups and downs of Corfiot tourism first hand.
On the other hand it also would be bad for Corfu if it became solely a place for the wealthy....ok they spend tons on a fancy villa but what about the bars and restaurants, in my experience a great majority of the 'money'people prefer to entertain in their villas, they hire cooks and even bands and hold parties by the swimming pool. Generally, they also use just one or two bars where they meet up, they don't go to all of them. So, for the éveryday'holidaymakers amongst us that spend lots of money in ALL of the bars, restaurants and shops, cheap flights here would be great but people want to stay in good quality accommodation these days, once upon a time most were happy to stay anywhere as long as it was hot. Times have changed and most people, in my view, want home from home....the smaller independent TAs are offering this, not just in the UK but a few clever TAs here too. But, as Peter pointed out, how can the accommodation improve if the local owners have no dosh to keep them up to standard. Cheap flights would enable the tourist to have more spending money to bring to Corfu and help all the owners and independant agents here. Vicious circle really..i think we might all agree that's it's certainly not any easy industry to be in........
Message posted by Jaybird on 21 December 2007 at 1:15pm - IP Logged
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By my post I was not doubting Mr Cookson's standing as a Travel Agent .... just maybe his customer care skills on here - after all he advertises his firm in his screen name and on here has nearly 17,000 prospective customers. But maybe as he sees a lot of us as not 'in the real world' and (as low cost airline users) 'the bottom end of the EC market' - he wouldn't want our custom
I know hotel owners out here that hope to go independant - something they could do if the low cost airlines came into Corfu. They have hotels and apartments of high standards and know they could do better if they were able to be independent. If this happens I think it will encourage the smaller hotels and apartments, that have been dropped by the TA's, to compete .... something they can't do at the moment. But this is only my view from what I have seen here on the island.
Message posted by acharavi.com on 21 December 2007 at 1:37pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
The situation where Corfu will be flooded with less well off visitors arriving on Easyjet flights would presumably only arise if Easyjet were the sole operator.
There are and continue to be a mix of operators bringing a mixture of different people to the island.
As another posting pointed out the more well off like to save cash on flights too as he witnessed Lewis Hamilton on an Easyjet flight, but once off that flight I am sure that Mr Hamilton's budget was probably a little more unrestricted and I would guess that he would not be adverse to leaving a little tip or two at places that he eat & drank in during his stay.
Corfu has had an influx of less well off Eastern European's before and survived, a few years ago when Golden Sun ceased trading many of their apartments in the area I am familiar with were taken on by an Eastern European Tour operator. For a season or two they brought over people from Eastern Europe, but the one's that I sat drinking with were by no means broke, and the bar owner concerned was very pleased to meet them.
Ultimately, for whatever reason, the Eastern European TO's don't seem to have that accommodation any more, maybe they simply couldn't fill them.
Just because people come from a less well off country doesn't mean that they themselves are less well off, by the same token not everybody who travels with a budget airline is broke, they simply would prefer to spend their money more wisely.
I myself am "guilty" of flying to or from Corfu for £30 or £40 on the rare occasions that I find an ultra cheap end of season deal. That doesn't mean that I can't afford to pay the normal fare it means that I would prefer not too, that's a huge difference.
If I had decided to instead to ignore the low cost deals I had found and pay £300 each way for a ticket it would have made no difference to the local economy, because I could still afford to eat & drink out every night as I always do.
In fact if Easyjet do start to offer Corfu at a knock down price ( which is debateable ) and I benefit by getting a cheap ticket Corfu will benefit because I will stay for longer and spend more whilst I am there.
If Easyjet were to totally dominate the market and squeeze out all other flight companies, or if ALL other companies tried to lower their prices to ultra cheap levels it might be a problem.
As it stands the fact that one potential operator may offer lower prices is not going to destroy the economy of Corfu and might help in some small way.
Ultimately, we have to look at the evidence of other European destinations were Easyjet fly to, has Easyjet levered out all of the other flight companies in these destinations? Has Easyjet totally dominated the flight schedules to the exclusion of all others? Have the locations concerned suffered or benefited by Easyjet adding them to their destination list?
In closing may I wish all members a Happy & peaceful Christmas and may the lively & interesting debates continue into 2008 and far beyond.
Message posted by Thunderbird One on 21 December 2007 at 2:17pm - IP Logged
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Couldn't agree with Jaybird more. It will fill a gap in the market and potentially bring Corfu back on it's feet particularly in non peak times.
Just look at some of the Airport that the Locost airlines fly to Malaga, Faro, Nice, Venice etc. A lot of these routes are saturated now and they need to look at new business.
As for low class passengers I've never heard such rubbish. I should know as I take them to these places EVERY DAY!!! apart from my days off.
It might be a threat to Travel Agents and tour operators though and I can imagine they won't be to positive about it.
Message posted by Jaybird on 21 December 2007 at 2:26pm - IP Logged
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Gosh Thunderbird One I hadn't thought of that .... of course most people book these low cost flights online and if the hotels are online as well it does cut out the middleman a bit
Message posted by Greece girlie on 21 December 2007 at 3:37pm - IP Logged
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Greece girlie
Hi All
I thought i would put my two peneth in seens as i am also a travel agent
I am a manager for an independant travel agent and can see the argument from both sides, but the main thing is that we need to get more visitors to Corfu and into all our favouritee resorts in the north and the south in order to really help the locals and thier business's
The low cost airline industry has had an affect on travel however i think as an agent it needs to be embraced and we as company are working on a website that packages together holidays using charter AND low cost airlines with a number of hotel only suppliers so the customer can pick the best option for them. Yes we earn no commssion on low cost flights and most agents include a mark up of some sort however it can be as little as 10% which on a £100 flight is only a tenner however we also encourage customers to just book the hotel and explain the pitfalls of not being bonded but in the end ots up to them and we would rather have some commission earnt on the hotel than nothing at all
Its all down to choice and as a strong campaigner for corfu and the south in particular i beleive any increase of competition in flights will only be good for the fans of corfu as the prices should fall and like most people have said the price of the flight wouldn't really dictate the amount you spend in resort so i really have to disagree with peter on that. Yes we all want the flights cheap but i think we do live in the real world but i still try every year to get a decent flight time for £150 from Manchester in June however after many weeks searching i end up booking one for £200 and i am a travel agent so its not fair to say noone on here lives in the "real world" as it doesn't do any harm to try
On the matter of the comment about attracting people who are at the lower end of the wealth bracket i think this is what makes Corfu so special as its the welcome the people give ANYONE is amazing no matter where you are from, how much money you have, what you look like etc etc as they just enjoy meeting people from differeent backgrounds as i know in messonghi w have people who stay there who are top surgeons, city high flyers and a few celebrities and then there are many normal working class families and couples(like me) who enjoy thier stay just as much!
I work hard trying to switch sell to corfu and i got married there in June and i am pleased to say that everyone of my wedding party has re booked for 2008 we all need to make sure we get as many people to go as possible to try it and i am hoping that easyjet and ryanair will go a couple of times a week as this will encurage short breaks to the island!
Finally i just want to say this site is brilliant as its gives us all a voice but the main thing we all have in common is WE LOVE CORFU so i think everyone should try and channel thier energies into making sure it survives but retains in wonderful charm and beauty
ÊáëÜ ×ñéóôïıãåííá!
Tina
Message posted by Bill on 21 December 2007 at 3:52pm - IP Logged
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Thanks Tina for putting my mind at rest, Us being O.A.P's and having to shrimp and scrape every penny to get to Corfu every year I was beginning to think maybe we were two of those "tourists from the bottom end of the EC market" but after reading your post I can see we are not....maybe there won't be any 1p flights to Corfu but we can always dream can't we, until there is I'll always look for the cheapest seats on any aircraft that's going to Corfu..
Thanks again
Bruce.
PS..Love your avatar..pity about that bloody pigeon..
Message posted by seaangler (Chat Room Administrator) on 21 December 2007 at 5:53pm - IP Logged
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seaangler
...Well said Tina could not have put it better my self....(Pity about that bloody Pigeon Theo)Thrust Bruce to notice that lol....Poor hard done by O.A.P that he is.lol...
But at the end of the day....I can not see prices falling they are having to go up to cope with the global warming affects and so forth some one is going to have to pay for it and its going to be us i am afraid to say and the buget airlines are going to have to put up the cost to cope....But if we all start to go it alone and pay direct and cut out the middle man to bring the price of our holidays abroad i am all for it....As far as i am concerned the middle man will have to be just a bit more competitive with there priceing.....We all have to make a living i know but not at great expence to others....And for others that are on tighter bugets to rely on a cheaper airlines to get to there beloved Corfu...Chris
Message posted by acharavi.com on 21 December 2007 at 11:16pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
As far as I am concerned the "middle man" (i.e.: tour operator) has largely abandoned private accommodation owners all over Greece.
They can hardly complain if cheaper flights allow the private accommodation owners to compete on a more equal basis.
Nobody chased the tour operators away, they made their choice in the first place.
In sidelining the private accommodation owners they also reduced the available holiday options for travel agents to sell, in particular independents.
Message posted by Dave and Kerry on 22 December 2007 at 9:12am - IP Logged
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Well said Tina you make some very clear and precise points, it helps having the positive advice from somone with the experience of a travel agency.
We understand that small travel agencies could lose out on commision with people using low budget airlines, but unfortunatly that is life, one cannot force people to pay more if they are after a cheap flight, I suppose one would try and sell them something a little more expensive?, but if the customer refuses, they then take their money else where therefore the agencies lose out again?
This is probably why some book independently via the internet. In my opinion its a catch 22 situation.
Kerry
Message posted by floralie on 22 December 2007 at 12:33pm - IP Logged
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I definitely think cheap flights will bring wealth to the local people in Corfu. I am a fortunate co-owner of a village house on the island and we use the house, in turn, all summer and also lend the house to friends and colleagues in between (who love it!). Many people are bored of charter holidays and large hotel complexes and long for a different choice of holiday.
We, and our friends and colleagues, spend a fortune on food & vine (fantastic choice of local produce), car and scooter hire, bus fares, taxi, coffee and ice creams, lunch at the beach, dinner in the local taverna or in Corfu town... the list is long. We would be able to spend even more if if was possible to get over to Corfu any time during the year for a cheap price, which would benefit the locals.
As Corfu is scattered with small hotels, houses for hire and apartments it's the perfect place to list as a destination for Ryan Air, Sterling and Easy Jet! And it' so near with only a few hours on the plane.
Message posted by lymmbo on 24 December 2007 at 1:39am - IP Logged
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I have read intensly about all the fors and against regarding cheap flights and although it will aid us brits to get to Corfu easily and more importantly cheaply, I do know of people in Benitses who have invested heavily in apartments in the hope that people will be able to visit during the winter season in order to enjoy short breaks to the island, so lets just hope that there becomes cheap flights in order that we can all enjoy seeing Corfu out of season as well as during the peak holiday time
Message posted by Dave and Kerry on 24 December 2007 at 12:12pm - IP Logged
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lymmbo....funny you should mention Winter! recently i spoke to a friend who has a holiday business which although she runs from the uk is based entirely on Corfu. I asked her what she thought of the suggestion of Winter breaks to be based mainly around Corfu Town? after a few weeks she rang me to say that despite there only being for now 3 hotels in the town that are totaly heated, she believed if the likes of Ryanair and Easyjet flew to Corfu during the Winter she would be prepared to look seriously at doing it and other Hotels would be likely to follow.
She told me that more places had remained open in Town this Winter and there are other places on the Island that have also upgraded their apartments to include heating.
Dave.
Message posted by Greece girlie on 24 December 2007 at 2:17pm - IP Logged
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Greece girlie
Thanks for all your feedback i don't normally get so involved but its nice to be able to offer advice and sound like i know what i am talking about for once (lol)
i would love to visit corfu in winter as i often go on citybreaks all over and the weather is sometimes great sometimes rubbish but i think corfu has a lot to offer as much as prague, riga or valencia
Everyone keep your figures crossed as this would be great for corfu to beable to extend the season as its could be easilybe a twin centre a few days in rome and a few days in corfu would be brilliant or athens and corfu - hhhmmm i am going to speak to my boss!!!!
Also my squggle at the bottom of my original post was supposedd to say Happy Christmas in Greek oh well serves me right for trying to cheat and copy and paste it!
Happy Christmas everyone!
Tina
Message posted by Carolena on 31 December 2007 at 9:52pm - IP Logged
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Easyjet now lists Corfu as a new route from 29th March (but I think it will be later, as 29th March is shown as the launch date for other destinations which start later). Flights to Corfu are not listed for sale yet but Crete, Rhodes and Mykonos are. Corfu can no longer be booked on GB web site so I would expect the transfer to easyjet within days if not hours. The route shown on new route list is LGW to Corfu, as expected.
Message posted by Terry and Julia on 31 December 2007 at 9:54pm - IP Logged
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Sounds good to me . I have been seaching for Flight Only,and the prices can be scarey.Got one return for June £65.
I just hope easy Jet eventually remember the North of England.
My only concern,given the volume of passengers the service will appeal to.Where on earth will we all queue ( cant spell that,or can I),at Corfu Airport,we allready stretch twice round the block.
TOP CHEF woodie
Message posted by TOP CHEF on 31 December 2007 at 10:13pm - IP Logged
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These won't actually be extra flights to Corfu as they are the replacement for the GB flights. I think part of the problem with the airport is the way the tour operators dump a lot of passengers at once at a time that is convenient to them. I flew back to UK last August on GB and found the check in remarkably easy compared to the package operators.
I think it does look promising for the north in the future as easyjet will be flying to Crete from Manchester.
Message posted by Jaybird on 01 January 2008 at 4:42am - IP Logged
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Received an email tonight from Easyjet ... the first page reads ...
Easy Jet are now pleased to announce even more new routes for your summer holiday. From 1 January 2008 flights are on sale to the following new destinations from London Gatwick and Manchester:Fly from London Gatwick to:
Nantes from £23.99 Malta from £27.99 Madeira from £31.99 Crete (Heraklion) from £37.99 Lanzarote (Arrecife) from £44.99 Mykonos from £44.99 Cyprus (Paphos) from £49.99 Gran Canaria (Las Palmas) from £49.99 Sharm el Sheikh from £69.99
Montpellier from £25.99 Gibraltar from £29.99 Rhodes from £37.99 Ajaccio (Corsica) from £39.99 Dalaman (Turkey) from £44.99 Corfu from £44.99 Tenerife from £49.99 Bastia (Corsica) from £49.99
Message posted by jetstream7 on 01 January 2008 at 6:43pm - IP Logged
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Although easyJet refer to Corfu in their advertising emails and on their website, you cannot book any flights to Corfu.... nor is any timetable detail available on the website
Either yet to be added, or just not happening...
Guess it's a case of watch this space ?
Message posted by daftbird on 01 January 2008 at 8:07pm - IP Logged
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daftbird
Hi,
Got a text from Corfu telling me about the Easyjet flights and just spent a very frustrating half hour desperatley trying to book, you do not know how peed I am, then again....
I have asked Easyjet the question and hope to get an answer tomorrow, will keep you posted.
Angela
Message posted by acharavi.com on 01 January 2008 at 9:34pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
According to the other thread on this subject, Easyjet are awaiting permission from Corfu airport to land / operate from there.
Message posted by daftbird on 01 January 2008 at 11:37pm - IP Logged
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daftbird
Just found that the sale does not complete till the end of this month, we have be a little more patient.
Message posted by Carolena on 02 January 2008 at 12:12am - IP Logged
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It really doesn't make sense because you can book to most of the other destinations, like Rhodes, Crete and Mykonos. Corfu is on their list of destinations that are meant to be bookable from 1/1/08. I suppose we'll just have to be patient.
Message posted by Susanna on 02 January 2008 at 1:02am - IP Logged
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Just checked the Easyjet site for the cost of a flight to Crete in April (advertised as from 37 pounds) and it comes up at around 250 pounds return!
Susanna
Message posted by acharavi.com on 02 January 2008 at 1:10am - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Quote: Originally posted by Susanna on 02 January 2008
Just checked the Easyjet site for the cost of a flight to Crete in April (advertised as from 37 pounds) and it comes up at around 250 pounds return!
Susanna
That means that those flights are fairly full, therefore no need to discount.
There are flights at other times of the year at lower prices, I've just seen one at £27.99, but that was September
Message posted by Susanna on 02 January 2008 at 10:20am - IP Logged
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But if Crete is one of the new destinations, does that mean that enough people have booked in the first day of availability to push the price up so much? Just a thought, because if Corfu ever does make it onto the destination list that means that only the first few to book will get a bargain.
Message posted by Jaybird on 02 January 2008 at 11:49am - IP Logged
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I would hazard a guess that in April there wouldnt be many flights on .... so maybe that is why they are not discounted as not many to fill. It take it Crete runs same 6 month season as us.
Message posted by acharavi.com on 02 January 2008 at 12:03pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Quote: Originally posted by Susanna on 02 January 2008
But if Crete is one of the new destinations, does that mean that enough people have booked in the first day of availability to push the price up so much? Just a thought, because if Corfu ever does make it onto the destination list that means that only the first few to book will get a bargain.
Easyjet have taken over the business and bookings of another company, I expect that quite a few flights will be near fully booked as BA were still selling seats for them up until a few days ago.
Easyjet may also keep the prices higher initially as BA were selling them at a higher price, bear in mind that those who booked with BA are not getting a discount for transferring to Easyjet, if the price dropped too low at this stage the passengers already booked with BA could simply cancel & rebook at considerably lower prices.
Also in the specific case of Crete I couldn't see that many seats being sold by others for less than Easyjet were offering them, most of the ones that were being longer stays of between 40 & 60 days.
Quote: only the first few to book will get a bargain.
Yes that's how the business model of the low cost flight operators works.
If all the other operators charge an average of £200+ per seat there is no way that a low cost operator can fill a plane with passengers all paying £44.99 and make a profit. The basic costs of running an airline (aircraft, staff, fuel, landing fees etc) are much the same regardless of operator.
Easyjet sell the earliest seats at the cheapest price and then the price climbs as the plane fills up. So if you want the cheapest price you have to book early, that has always been the case, and this is how Easyjet / Ryanair etc ensure that their flights are on average 70% full or better.
Yes they do make economies to try and get the seat price down, but many of the other operators have copied their low cost model and made similar economies by charging extra for meals & luggage for example.
Quote: if Corfu ever does make it onto the destination list
As has been stated elsewhere the delay in making Corfu flights available would appear to be because they are awaiting for the authorities at the Corfu end to approve Easyjet to land & operate from Corfu airport.
If this is the case it would certainly explain why they are accepting bookings for other "new" destinations, including some other Greek ones.
If they had no intention of operating the Corfu route there would be no point publishing a price on their website or emailing & telling customers about it as this would do nothing for customer loyalty.
However, if the Greek authorities were to decide against it, then Easyjet would not able to use Corfu airport and would have to abandon this destination.
Message posted by SpearTravels on 02 January 2008 at 12:47pm - IP Logged
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one reason some of the flights like Crete may well be getting booked up is because GB were taking those bookings before passing them on to Easyjet, so there would be little reason for Easyjet to offer low prices on that particular aircraft!
As for Corfu as i have said previously there were stories last year in the Greek press and elsewhere that the Greek airports were to be privitised this year? maybe that is a factor holding back any agreement with Corfu airport for Easyjet.
Message posted by acharavi.com on 02 January 2008 at 2:11pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Quote: Originally posted by Dave and Kerry on 02 January 2008
As for Corfu as i have said previously there were stories last year in the Greek press and elsewhere that the Greek airports were to be privitised this year? maybe that is a factor holding back any agreement with Corfu airport for Easyjet.
It may be a reason, but strangely enough it hasn't affected any of the other new Greek destinations which are listed on Easyjet's website.
Message posted by PhilMenai on 02 January 2008 at 2:52pm - IP Logged
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PhilMenai
EasyJet is selling flights to Corfu.
This is following their purchase of GB Airways.
Corfu from Gatwick from £44.99. Between March 30 and September 30.
Strangely, when you try to book a flight, Corfu doesn't appear on the menu! So I can't give you a timetable yet.
Message posted by Dave and Kerry on 02 January 2008 at 2:57pm - IP Logged
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Acharavi...maybe it could have something to do with who the private owners are? i am just guessing of course here.
Dave.
Message posted by acharavi.com on 02 January 2008 at 3:06pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Well it could be due to any number of reasons that none of us are party to, although I am not sure that the identity of any private owners affects who gets permission to land.
In any case there has been no official announcement of Corfu's airport actually changing ownership as yet, just the frequent rumours that constantly abound regarding all things.
In fact privitisation of the airports, seems to have become a problematic issue:
Quote: Privatizations
In the previous two budgets, the revenue target of –1.6 billion from privatizations was attained with relative ease. But the sources of possible privatization revenue seem to be drying up and attaining the same target looks doubtful next year. The government has now opted for an alternative model of seeking strategic investors or allies in the still publicly run companies. The privatization plan for Athens International Airport has run into problems, after the concessionaire, Hochtief, demanded an extension to its contract. The placement of Postal Savings Bank has been postponed to 2009 to await for a better valuation. So it seems that the only large source of privatization revenue remains the placement of 5-10 percent of ATEbank, when market conditions allow it. WEB LINK
Ultimately, Easyjet obviously seem to view it as a formality as they have been able to publish a minimum price for the route, something they presumably wouldn't be able to do if they hadn't reached some level of agreement regarding the issue.
It is probably just the famous Greek obsession with bureaucracy, combined with Christmas holidays that is to blame.
Like many things, in time it will sort itself out.
Message posted by acharavi.com on 02 January 2008 at 3:10pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
This is already being discussed on 2 other threads - join us over there
Part of the purchase agreement is that Easy Jet will continue to operate GB Airways schedule for 2008. What happens next year will be interesting! Note, however, that GB Airways had no flights scheduled before the begining of May - I booked mine for the 3rd May some time ago - so I can't see Easyjet doing anything before that date as they won't have the slots at Gatwick
Martyn
Message posted by acharavi.com on 02 January 2008 at 3:29pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Yes, for those reasons I would be surprised if any Easyjet Corfu flights were to happen before May, I also think that seat prices will be initially kept at a higher level due to the fact that a significant number of those seats have been booked at BA prices.
In 2009 we can hopefully look forward to some flights earlier in the season and maybe a downward adjustment on flight prices, dependent on how well seat prices sell this year.
Message posted by MartynG on 02 January 2008 at 3:44pm - IP Logged
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Message posted by Gill B on 02 January 2008 at 6:34pm - IP Logged
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Gill B
Great for those who live near Gatwick. As we live up in the lakes I costed the flights for June which would be £149 for the 2 of us but then looked at the train fare to Gatwick and the cheapest would be £175!!! So it would work out around the same as an XL flight out of Manchester.
Message posted by BruceAndMaria (Born again CTG member) on 02 January 2008 at 7:59pm - IP Logged
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I find this all quite unbelievable. How are they doing this so cheaply. We have already booked for this summer and our flights for 4 us came to over £1000. But I have just checked the same time with Easyjet and for the Thursday instead of the Friday it would only cost £345. I am staggered. This is exciting. Will it stay like this?
Message posted by NIGEL on 02 January 2008 at 9:11pm - IP Logged
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This is wonderful exciting news especially for us accomodation owners here on the island who've been struggling for the last few years at the hands of the greedy tour operators, it will open out a whole new horizon and will allow all of you Corfu lovers to be able to visit more often and even in the wonderful spring and Easter time here which is not to be missed. Well done EASY JET!!
Regards
Karen
www.artemiscorfu.com
Message posted by Carolena on 02 January 2008 at 9:46pm - IP Logged
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The easyjet flights on a Tues, Thurs and Sun tend to be much cheaper than on other days as these are the floights that easyjet have added whereas the others are the ones they have taken over from GB. I had booked 23rd August back from Corfu with GB but will request a refund on that booking (as has been promised) and have just made several new bookings on easyjet.
1. LGW to CFU 17th June, return 24th August, Total = 191 pounds for 2 passengers.
2. LGW to CFU 28th April, return 12th May, Total = 81 pounds for 1 passenger
3. LGW to CFU 10th July, return 7th August' Total = 77 pounds for 1 passenger
4. LGW to CFU 29th June, one way, Total = 33 pounds
Now waiting to see if they add October flights! I've saved quite a lot already so I will be there longer and will spend the savings in Corfu!
Message posted by BruceAndMaria (Born again CTG member) on 02 January 2008 at 10:17pm - IP Logged
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I don't know if this is new or not but Easyjet also do accommodation in Corfu..they are advertising places in the north and south, also Kassiopi where I stay.
The page that comes up is for the 28 days I'm there...you'll need to price your own
This is great news for Corfu and us lot. At least some of the empty apartments will now have chance to get back on their feet again and the prices are great.
We should ALL bombard easyjet with e-mails requesting a winter flight to Corfu.
I beleive easy jet have flights on sale till end of Sept? if it's sucessful there's no reason why this shouldn't be extended.
Message posted by SpearTravels on 03 January 2008 at 5:08pm - IP Logged
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Whats this got to do with Corfu? Ha ha, i think i've just got the joke!! I have also noticed a certain member's posts are much shorter and not argumentative. Mentioning no names of course.....very funny.
Message posted by noonie on 03 January 2008 at 6:25pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by SpearTravels on 03 January 2008
Only 'til 28 September at present because they only work 9 months in advance. They will be flying well into October.
Peter Cookson
Do I detect a semblence of a "U" turn here Peter. Out of season flights will only happen when hell freezes over has been your mantra for some time and made with the credibility of someone who knows the business better than most.
This EasyJet move extends the season by 1 month at least, by flying throughout April. Who knows what could happen when their 9 month lead time includes November. If their loadings are good through the current period we may well see a limited service to Corfu during Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb. If not a dedicated flight, combine it with their Athens route twice a week and it may prove viable.
I'm not counting any chickens at this point but there may be good news around the corner.
Message posted by karentryfona on 03 January 2008 at 8:20pm - IP Logged
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Message posted by Greece girlie on 03 January 2008 at 8:20pm - IP Logged
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Greece girlie
This is great news i am just hoping they look at flights to corfu from manchester or liverpool either this summer or next summer! brilliant deals for everyone i am so pleased!
still laughing at joke hehehehe made my day!
Apparently when i logged in its only 172 until i go to corfu how exciting!
Happy new year everyone!
Message posted by acharavi.com on 03 January 2008 at 8:37pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Quote: Originally posted by noonie on 03 January 2008
great thread, just booked £65 return for april, just need to find accommodation somewhere in the north !!!
Contact me for a couple of suggestions
Message posted by London_Greek on 03 January 2008 at 9:27pm - IP Logged
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Absolutely fabulous for us that want to travel direct for the Easter period. Just booked my mother and father at such a good price. Hooray and Happy New year to you All!!!!!!!
Message posted by jbtapscott on 03 January 2008 at 9:38pm - IP Logged
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We booked 5 seats with GB Airways a month ago - 7 days from 3 May flying out from Gatwick. The EasyJet website is currently showing flight for the same day (1 hour earlier ??) for GBP10 more per person. It will be interesting to see what they have to say when the promised communication with the people who made GB Airways reservations is received.
Message posted by Susanna on 03 January 2008 at 10:24pm - IP Logged
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Having got over the initial excitement, perhaps we should spare a thought for those for whom these flights are NOT good news - small tour operators who have already pre-booked flights for the 2008 season at higher prices, local travel offices, and there must be more. The big operators will always make money, and Easyjet (not exactly small itself) will probably be putting a few people out of business.
Message posted by daftbird on 03 January 2008 at 10:33pm - IP Logged
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daftbird
Fantastic all this. I will still be using TO during the season but we have always been asked to come over for Easter and this year we CAN, booked 2 return flights with hold luggage for £131, can't wait .........
Message posted by loggos les on 04 January 2008 at 12:15am - IP Logged
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just booked the first easy jet flight on the 31st of march hope they sell more tickets for that date to increase the chances of a winter service the price for 18 nights was £103 return i can now do some more work on my house before the season .
Message posted by acharavi.com on 04 January 2008 at 12:29am - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Quote: Originally posted by Susanna on 03 January 2008
Having got over the initial excitement, perhaps we should spare a thought for those for whom these flights are NOT good news - small tour operators who have already pre-booked flights for the 2008 season at higher prices, local travel offices, and there must be more. The big operators will always make money, and Easyjet (not exactly small itself) will probably be putting a few people out of business.
Unfortunately you can't keep all the people happy all of the time. The actions of many larger Tour Operators has put a number of Corfu based businesses to the wall in recent years.
Their virtual monopoly on flight prices made local accommodation owners offerings look expensive when compared to package holidays, due to the fact that a flight ticket and a self catering holiday were so similar in price.
All of this largely due to the low rates that large tour operators have traditionally paid to accommodation owners for the use of their properties.
Even though Easyjet are now making Corfu more accessible to the independent traveler it is no guarantee in itself that enough people are going to take the initiative to book independently.
Whilst this goes some small way to redressing the balance sadly it is already too late for the businesses that have failed in the past, and even some existing ones who will just not be able to wait long enough for visitor numbers to rise again.
However, just because Easyjet have opened for business on the Corfu route doesn't mean that they will attract all custom. When the prospect was originally suggested a number of people said that they would not travel Easyjet for a variety of reasons.
I myself have booked with them for the 1st time, but mainly because this year I am on a very tight budget being currently unemployed and living off my savings.
However, if I don't like the service provided I won't use them in future, the fact that a significant number of people were happy to pay a premium for the service that GB Airways previously provided on this route, shows that for some people cost is not the only issue.
Ultimately, it could all be rather short-lived if Easyjet don't fill enough seats this year and scale down the service in future.
But for this season at least this new development gives a glimmer of hope to many Cofru businesses who have been badly let down by tour operators in recent years.
Message posted by Carolena on 04 January 2008 at 2:32am - IP Logged
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Peter, I cert6ainly hope you are right about easyjet flying into October as I'm planning a trip for a wedding sometime then. If not, it will have to be a trip through Athens for me (not too bad when I think about it but not as cheap).
Message posted by Trace (Profile Location Assistant) on 04 January 2008 at 8:56am - IP Logged
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Yes, this is good.....but to to be honest, from a selfish point of view I'm more than a tad jealous......
Even with connecting flights from Glasgow this isn't really an option for us as it brings the price up to near normal direct prices but we can't afford for any leg of a journey to be delayed......been caught out with that on budget flights before
We have had good experiences with Easyjet in the past, but unless you can through book luggage and be covered in the event of a flight delay (as with non low cost scheduled airlines) then it's not always worth the savings......
Hopefully the Gatwick service will be well enough utilised to expand the service from other airports, but after the initial flurry of enthusiasm from many, I sadly have my doubts.
Daily flights.......I'd give it two seasons at most until the timetable is reduced........sincerely hope I'm wrong though!!
Message posted by MartynG on 04 January 2008 at 2:36pm - IP Logged
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Looks like we are on the same flight - 3rd May... Looking forward to my communication from Easyjet as I booked about 3 months ago.
Martyn
Message posted by acharavi.com on 04 January 2008 at 3:10pm - IP Logged
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acharavi.com
Quote: Originally posted by Trace on 04 January 2008
Hopefully the Gatwick service will be well enough utilised to expand the service from other airports, but after the initial flurry of enthusiasm from many, I sadly have my doubts.
Daily flights.......I'd give it two seasons at most until the timetable is reduced........sincerely hope I'm wrong though!!
My thoughts as well, daily flights from a single airport seems excessive, particularly considering the number of flights that GB Airways were running. I would be surprised if they can keep that up long term as I am unsure if the ongoing demand is going to be there.
Now if that total number of flights were distributed around the UK's airports, that would be a different thing. I know precious little about the airline business, so I don't know if it is possible, but if it was I think it would be the way to go.
Message posted by daftbird on 04 January 2008 at 3:54pm - IP Logged
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daftbird
Just looked at the flights I have booked, if I had booked them today they would cost me £696 rather than the £131 we actually paid, looking at other dates, they seem to have raised them considerabley.
Angela
Message posted by loggos les on 04 January 2008 at 4:06pm - IP Logged
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yes prices have trebled since i booked yesterday this is common with easy jet the more seats they sell the more the price goes up so book as soon as you see a good price .
Message posted by Agni on 04 January 2008 at 4:21pm - IP Logged
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Spot on Nathan - it's true the more you log onto the website to price check, the system becomes aware of the increased visits to the site and adjusts prices accordingly - in other words the more you look the higher the price!!!
Message posted by acharavi.com on 04 January 2008 at 4:33pm - IP Logged
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Well the "auto pricing" system is pricing them out of the market at the moment with most of their flights, prior to September at around £330 return, whilst equivalent flights are still available elsewhere at around £100 or so less.
This kind of automatic pricing system is used by many flight websites. I remember seeing a cheap flight on a site a couple of years ago and not booking it, then when I revisited the site a few hours later the same flight was £50 more.
In this case taking a gamble and waiting a few days saw the price return to it's previous level.
Message posted by loggos les on 04 January 2008 at 4:34pm - IP Logged
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Acharavi I did the same when booking my christmas holiday - I kept visiting the site on a daily basis (like every 1 lol) and the prices were just rising up and up. I decided to call it a day because the prices were out of my range.
However three weeks later decided to re-visit the same site (bored at work lol) and lo and behold the same holiday same flights, accom etc £700.00 drop!!!!! needless to say, booked it and had a great time
Message posted by J&L on 04 January 2008 at 4:49pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by acharavi.com on 04 January 2008
... daily flights from a single airport seems excessive, particularly considering the number of flights that GB Airways were running. I would be surprised if they can keep that up long term as I am unsure if the ongoing demand is going to be there......
The thing with services like EasyJet is that they create demand and markets.........for example they run daily, year round service from Bristol (hardly a large market compared to Gatwick) to Venice.
The problem will be if would be travellers cannot find easy access to accomodation on Corfu on the internet....
J&L
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Quote: Originally posted by J&L on 04 January 2008
The thing with services like EasyJet is that they create demand and markets.........for example they run daily, year round service from Bristol (hardly a large market compared to Gatwick) to Venice.
The problem will be if would be travellers cannot find easy access to accomodation on Corfu on the internet....
J&L
Interesting, Corfu certainly needs someone to try and invigorate the tourism market, the accommodation is largely out there, left behind by tour operators.
As for finding accommodation, sites like this do a fine job and I know various people do their best to promote their favourite resorts via one means or another.
I personally try to promote tourism generally in Corfu via a corfu search engine that I have run for a number of years.
It will be interesting to see if all of these small individual efforts amount to something really worth while.
Message posted by SpearTravels on 04 January 2008 at 6:44pm - IP Logged
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Day 3. And people are falling out of love with easyJet already!
I have loads of clients who wouldn't book with BA because of the times which aren't ideal to say the least and easyJet have taken those times over because the evening slots are cheaper.
acharavi.com I totally agree with your comments about it not being a guarantee that the service will continue.
With the best will in the world I cannot possibly see how they can justify a daily service from 1st June to 28th September (and onwards). Maybe they know something we don't!
One thing for sure, just like Ryanair, if they don't fill the planes to 75% capacity day in and day out, they will chop back those flights overnight.
Peter Cookson
Message posted by Thunderbird One on 04 January 2008 at 7:20pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by SpearTravels on 04 January 2008
One thing for sure, just like Ryanair, if they don't fill the planes to 75% capacity day in and day out, they will chop back those flights overnight.
That's not strictly true, it's not all about load factor. It's the average price of the flight they look at. After all, anyone can sell a pound for 50p !
Message posted by acharavi.com on 04 January 2008 at 7:39pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by SpearTravels on 04 January 2008
Day 3. And people are falling out of love with easyJet already!
Not actually sure I've seen that on this site, could you point out the specific posts?
Any new entry into the marketplace will cause a flurry of activity and this in turn will push up prices, basic supply & demand.
Now either all flights are virtually full (which I don't believe) or the sudden rush of people pricing flights has temporarily pushed up prices (far more likely).
Like any operator they need to run economically and if they start to make thumping losses over a prolonged period then of course they may decide to adjust their timetable accordingly, as others have done in the past.
On the other hand if the flights were to become highly successful there is nothing to say that the operator may not expand it's operation further by increasing the number of flights offered or by increasing the number of airports that offer that destination.
As for flight times, yes I agree that for me the times are not the ones I would normally chose, but many will live with them for the cost saving, particularly when most of the competition are running similar flights at similar times but at twice the price that many have paid in the last few days. Maybe some people were reluctant to book them with GB Airways, perhaps because they didn't want to pay GB Airways prices!
The beauty of the situation is that if people don't wish to use any given operator they can book with another, thank goodness for freedom of choice I say.
It it is not so long ago that some people were saying that there was absolutely no chance of any low cost operator taking on Corfu under any circumstances full stop. If anything this outcome serves to prove that there are absolutely no guarantees in these matters either good nor bad.
I see no evidence here of people complaining about what is on offer, and certainly only positive comments from those who have saved a few hundred pounds on this years flights.
Message posted by Carolena on 04 January 2008 at 8:24pm - IP Logged
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The flight times are certainly no worse than I've experienced with a variety of other operators. The outwart time is good for me as it gives me plenty of time to get to Gatwick if I am up north. The return is ok if I am flying back to the US as I need to stay near Gatwick anyway. If I am travelling to a different part of the country, then I will book the yotel or a cheap hotel for a few hours. It adds to the price but I have made fantastic savings this year which makes up for the extra expenses ten times over.
I am thrilled with the flexibility as well as the prices, even though Gatwick is nowhere near my first choice of airport.
Message posted by rosy on 04 January 2008 at 8:31pm - IP Logged
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Congratulations to everyone who found the bargains and booked on easy jet yesterday, I thought they were brilliant and texted the whole family to look but alas nobody looked and now they have doubled and trebled what a shame, still you can only try.
Rosy
Message posted by SpearTravels on 04 January 2008 at 8:50pm - IP Logged
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Part of the reason why the easyJet prices are higher on some dates are because this year all the people who had booked with BA/GB Airways have had seats pre-allocated to them with easyJet. As and when easyJet contact everyone to see if they still want their seats or a refund intsead, some prices may come down again, even in August. Out of interest the seats my sister-in-law booked with BA for 18 August for 2 weeks are still the same price as easyJet's are on the system now.
This means straight way that at peak periods (and July and August were already quite full) the first price that easyJet could offer now may already be quite high, which is why it has been mentioned above that they were coming out at £330.00 per person on some dates.
Re comments on accommodation 1). I hope it may persuade the odd hotel to stay open longer, or open earlier at least if they have central heating and a heated pool and 2). my worries are that it is nigh-on impossible to suddenly increase the numbers of beds in relation to the number of flights that will now operate. As has been said, many apartment blocks are empty, some for a few years after certain tour ops pulled out, and it may not be economical to open them up again.
But I agree that it is a positive step for Corfu.
Peter Cookson
Message posted by orchard on 04 January 2008 at 9:03pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by rosy on 04 January 2008
Congratulations to everyone who found the bargains and booked on easy jet yesterday, I thought they were brilliant and texted the whole family to look but alas nobody looked and now they have doubled and trebled what a shame, still you can only try.
Rosy
Snap......... and now they are not coming
Message posted by NIGEL on 04 January 2008 at 9:22pm - IP Logged
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Just noticed that most of the easyjet flights have gone up from about £37 now £147, anyone else noticed this?
Message posted by acharavi.com on 06 January 2008 at 9:26pm - IP Logged
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Most outgoing flights are nearer £174 pounds actually, incoming around £150.
There could be a number of reasons for this, the first being that the prices rise as tickets are sold and perhaps the flights are all near full and as such the prices will rise toward the maximum seat price for that route.
But all seats on all flights seem to have moved to the same price sat the same time, which suggests to me that perhaps the flights are not as full as we think.
Easyjet like other airlines uses an automated system on the website that increases seat prices in line with customer demand. So the flurry of activity caused when the Corfu flights became available has forced up most of the seat prices for Corfu, (there were some remaining cheaper seats for Sept when I last looked).
If this is the reason for the price increase we could see prices start to fall again as activity on the Easyjet website eases.
Message posted by becky on 06 January 2008 at 10:20pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by orchard on 04 January 2008
Quote: Originally posted by rosy on 04 January 2008
Congratulations to everyone who found the bargains and booked on easy jet yesterday, I thought they were brilliant and texted the whole family to look but alas nobody looked and now they have doubled and trebled what a shame, still you can only try.
Rosy
Snap......... and now they are not coming
Whaddya mean by that, Orchard - do you know something we don't?
Bx
Message posted by orchard on 06 January 2008 at 10:29pm - IP Logged
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easyjet say they are going to Corfu from 31st March on one website and from 29th March on another; however, we want to go around Feb 9th/11th for 10 days and am still trying to find out the best route to get there. Seems to me that either we go Olympic Airlines early in morning and spend all night in Athens airport, or we go later and then arrive later at night, which is what we don't really want to do as Estate Agent will not be open to collect our keys to our new property. Help!
Message posted by beth02 on 07 January 2008 at 2:13am - IP Logged
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still trying to get a flight out to Corfu on 10th/11th Feb this year. Any helpful suggestions would be very much appreciated (from London Gatwick or at worst, the awful Heathrow!)
Message posted by beth02 on 07 January 2008 at 2:18am - IP Logged
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why do all the cheaper airlines fly from the North of England and why not Gatwick - we always seem to have to pay more from this end of the country. A long way for us to go to Manchester etc. and then obviously we would pay more in petrol etc.
Message posted by Terry and Julia on 07 January 2008 at 8:35am - IP Logged
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A friend of mine has just booked with Ryanair, UK (one of the London airports) to Venice (I think, though possibly Ancona) for 1p each way in May. So even with the price of the ferry crossing it can be a very affordable way of travelling if you don't mind the additional time. Having said that, the view from the ferry leaving/entering Venice also makes the trip very worthwhile.
Just wanted to share ('cos I'm a happy bunny at the moment)... although the easyJet flights have gone up dramatically, in the last 1/2 an hour I've just booked 3 seats Corfu to Gatwick on 14th September, returning 2 weeks later, for a total cost of 258 euros (just over £190). We travelled over in June last year and it cost nearly that much per head - and the flight times weren't so good!
Message posted by Carolena on 07 January 2008 at 4:08pm - IP Logged
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The only way to get to Corfu early in the day, other than taking a night flight with Olympic and the early morning flight to Corfu, is to go the day before to Athens, spend the night there and take the Aegean flight the next morning to Corfu.
Depending on what time the estate agent is open to, you could alternatively fly with Easyjet at 6.40am from Gatwick, wait all afternoon at Athens and take the early evening Aegean flight to Corfu.
Message posted by loggos les on 07 January 2008 at 5:21pm - IP Logged
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My parents had wanted to come over for Easter, taking advantage of the cheap flights, but by the time my dad (who's well into his 70's bless him) had enquired about accommodation, double checked to make sure the prices were real and had a 24 hour consultation with my mum about the whole excursion the prices had gone up!!
It looked as though they wouldn't see their grandchildren until September.... but then I noticed your post this morning. Just booked 2 tickets for a tad over £100 each return! Not too bad for the Greek Easter break. A wonderful start to a Tuesday morning!
Thanks again. Bill
Message posted by orchard on 08 January 2008 at 2:27pm - IP Logged
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I'm soooo happy tooo, my daughter and my grandson and her fiance are coming to see us at last, easy jets flights settled down again and even then I couldn't get them organised but finally its booked and confirmed.
This will be the first meeting of hubby and fiance and little grandson, I am bursting with happiness and can't wait till April!!
Rosy
Message posted by kaz1962 on 10 January 2008 at 8:40pm - IP Logged
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Were are you going in Corfu in April? as we have booked to go out then to, i am flying from Gatwick at 17.20 on the 21st April and coming back on the 28th hopefully we might see each other.
Kaz x
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Topic:
but sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
I would like to say I agree with Carolena and we might also have the option of going to Corfu more often. 
"Whats this got to do with Corfu"
....LOL
