FLIGHTS TO AND FROM SCOTLAND AT CHRISTMAS

[Avvie]

Does anyone know which airlines operate over the festive period? None seem to have flights for December listed yet. Globespan got back to me with info that their flights stop in November.

[geordie]

how close are you to newcastle, only Easy Jet have starting flights 3 times a week to Faro

[Guest]

Thanks Geordie, but we're quite a distance from Newcastle and don't have a car over there.

[deblin]

Hi Avvie,

I think you have a few choices closer than Newcastle, hope they help

Aberdeen
British Airways - www.ba.com
Monarch Airlines – www.flymonarch.com
Edinburgh
FlyGlobespan – www.flyglobespan.com
Glasgow
FlyGlobespan – www.flyglobespan.com

[patricia]

Don't think you are going to get anywhere unless you Easyjet to South England and then Easyjet agai. Wed have spent the past two years trying to work out alternatives for parents - but there aren't any. It's Newcastle or hop.

Patricia

http://www.ferragudo.co.uk

[cb]

Hi Avvie
Unfortunately no airline usually flys from Scotland to Faro after end of October(although Globespan recently announced they will continue with once a week flight until end November and hopefully they might decide to extend this in the future).
Anytime we have done it we have travelled to Luton or Stansted with easyjet from Glasgow and either got easyjet flight to Faro or Monarch flight to Faro depending on who is cheapest. BA are also an option .Having to go via London does increase your journey time but as we have also driven to Manchester and East Midlands to get flight we found that it is actually the easier option especially if the weather is bad and driving conditions poor in the winter months. Options are limited and also expensive for us Scots who want some winter sun I'm afraid.

[Avvie]

Thanks all. Good one from d - BA doing flight everyone 23rd and GB Airways 7 days later for return - havent heard of them before.

[nightrider]

Last month I flew with BA from Gatwick to Faro and sat alongside an extremely nice Scottish couple who advised had an apartment out here.

They had flown to Gatwick from Scotland and then transfered to the BA flight to Faro and which as I understood it was their normal route throughout the year.

BA we are all aware can be expensive (i.e. my visit to England was unxepected), but at least it is a "back up" when other flights cannot be gained from Scotland to Faro.

[maddi]

I don't tend to find BA expensive at all, particularly in school holidays, it was cheaper to drive to Heathrow (shelling out for petrol, parking and an overnight hotel) than to fly with either Easyjet from Bristol or FlyBE from Exeter - admittedly bcaue there was five of us but much much cheaper all the same.

Has anyone checked out flighs to Lisbon from Scotland year round - haven't done myself but that may be an option if they exist.

Maddi

[nightrider]

Maddi,

I think there may have been some confusion in that in general travelling from say Heathrow to Lisboa is much cheaper than from Faro to Gatwick by BA. BA of course do not fly to Faro via Heathrow nor I believe Bristol?

I am not sure if when you come to Portugal you stay near Lisboa, but of course if in the Algarve than at least another two and a half hours has to be added onto the travelling time?

By way of BA's prices Sept 2005 I paid over 300 Euros for a return flight via BA - Faro - Gatwick (for 7days). Easyjet and Monarch were cheaper, but were fully booked. (Inclusive of where applicable Gatwick Luton & Stanstead.) A forth coming pre Christmas shopping visit on Easyjet return for 7 days Faro - Luton is £50 inc of taxes. I.e. It is always more expensive for those of us who reside in the Algarve to fly to the UK from Faro via BA and in particular during the tourist season and schools hols).

Examples Christmas 23 Dec 2005 Ediburgh - Lisbon 1 Adult £267.30 inc of Taxes (Return 7 days).

Hope this information is of help.

[maddi]

Hi Nightrider

Thanks for the information which I am sure people will find useful. I stay in Carvoeiro when I come to Portugal and fly into Faro when I can where obviously the journey to CVO is under an hour - however in recent times (I always need to travel in school holidays unfortunately - damn kids and their education!!!) it has been much much cheaper to fly to Lisbon from Heathrow and drive down which takes us 2 hours.

As we have been coming to CVO since the days when the journey from Faro to CVO took 2 hours - how we hated that road! - making the trip from Lisbon doesn't feel out of the way.

Maddi

Example from last year: An extreme example but 100% true - to fly at Whitsun - Easyjet wanted £229 return each from all their airports. FlyBE wanted £329 return from Exeter. BA £70 return from Heathrow to Lisbon - probably worth it if there is only one of you - definetely worth it when there was five!!!

[nightrider]

Thanks Maddi for reply. nightrider.

[Guest]

If you fly to Lisbon instead of Faro you also avoid having to put up with a plane full of yobs from Wolverhampton and get more leg room than on a dreadful charter flight.

[maddi]

Just for those who can fly from Heathrow (or London area!):-

Flying out to Lisbon on 23 December and returning on 29 December is £118 with BA ( today's price)

Compare with Luton to Faro with Easyjet £176 or Gatwick to Faro £216 - seems like a deal to me especially for a family of four where an extra hour each way travelling in Portugal and a bit of fuel has got to be better than paying an extra £400 (that's one hell of a lot of drinking money!)

Maddi

p.s. easiest route for me - Exeter/Faro is £189 return Bristol/Faro is £201 return - but is it worth it?

[Guest]

Get used to higher prices. Govt. member this morning was saying that they charge high tax on petrol because they're a caring environmentally friendly Govt And they will soon be doing the same with airfares.
No doubt Dictator Blair and Cruella will be exempt when they clock up their airmiles