FARO AIRPORT - GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:11 pm

Sad to say, that even if it were ALL private advertisers, it would still be a tiny fraction of the visitors pouring thru Faro as I imagine that the vast majority are on package holidays with the big tour operators.

However, if we all boldly advertised a non-Thursday changeover as a benefit of booking privately so that you "avoid the crush at Faro" this may have some small impact on the powers that be, and certainly will help the independent travellers get the better deal by booking privately.

I think I like this idea

Perhaps there may even be a blue star (or some such symbol) on such properties in the Rental section on this very website

Mike,Chislehurst · Post by **Mike,Chislehurst** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:13 pm

Nice idea Maddi, I think with four airlines flying at least once a day (forgot TAP on last post) the transition will start slowly and then gather a bit of pace 2005/6. I hope so anyway.

kteee · Post by **kteee** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 1:19 pm

This year we have allowed changeovers to be flexible, except in high season, and I still find that the majority of enquiries are for Saturday changeover - people do not seem to want to take the extra day off. If enough people want a changeover on Tuesday, Wednesday or any other day I'm sure owners will respond, but that is not my experience. By the way, Wednesday is the normal changeover for German tourists so that might be just as bad.

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 2:29 pm

Impossible to do - I know - but it would be good private owners could get together and find out which day provides the cheapest flight deals out of the uk (non charter) and make that their changeover day.

Spin offs being spreading the burden at Faro, cheaper holidays, more interest, increased bookings, happier owners, happier clients, happier airport management, happier easyjet et al.

kteee · Post by **kteee** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 2:37 pm

I have clients from Scotland and Ireland, and those flying out of Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds etc to consider - I think it would be difficult to find one day when flights are cheaper from all of these airports, and as I said earlier, most people ask for a Saturday changeover.

This year our peak season changeover day is Thursday, but next year I'm making it Saturday as that seems to be more popular and fits in better with half term and easter holidays.

Len · Post by **Len** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 4:33 pm

I have been reading this topic with interest, having just been through an exercise to book a private villa.

I have managed to arrange a change over day of Tuesday in September which is the cheapest day for flights with Easyjet from Bristol.

Len

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 4:41 pm

How much longer are there going to be cheaper flights according to todays press in UK?? re. airlines now having to pay compensation to passengers for overbooked seats etc. - yet another EU directive

It will be interesting to see how soon the cheaper airlines raise their prices just to take advantage of this new ruling????? and how will that impact on apt. and villa owners in the future???

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 5:01 pm

All the airlines have to do is not overbook the seats - simple!!

They will raise their prices not to pay the compensation but to cover the cost of not selling each seat twice to make it pay!! In fact it may still pay them to double book

.

Maddi

Mike,Chislehurst · Post by **Mike,Chislehurst** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 7:45 pm

Kteee has a good point but I think with respect to Kteee that the majority of people travelling Thursdays come the airports surrounding London, the South East, West, East, and North of London. The destinations on the airport web site I think will confirm this. However, the object of the excercise is not to pick "one" day but to spread it around and the likes of Kteee would not be affected. If it works then her clients should benefit because of cheaper fares and more to the point, less hassle at the airport.
Good subject this.

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 7:54 pm

There is an environmental spin off as well, sparked by your last post Mike, I want to go to Portugal on the cheapest possible flight forgthe changeover day, right now it means flying charter from Gatwick, but if there were a wide range of changeover days, I could fly scheduled from Bristol, half the distance, half the fuel, half the pollution.

Also less chance of an accident and all the associated costs to society.

I am starting to think we have something here.

p.s. Ideally I would fly from Exeter, but they only fly on a saturdayan not in the summer, a charter flight that costs more than a package but you can't have everything and Bristol is not the end of the world .

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 7:57 pm

. . . and I keep saying there are a lot worse airports than Faro, and remember Faro pre 1989

mads

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 8:33 pm

Here's an interesting snippet to include in this thread:

Taking a random week, commencing Sunday Aug 31, the flight costs from either Gatwick or Stanstead (using Opodo and Easyjet respectively - only £3-4 difference in cheapest options !)

Round trip for 1 person:

Sun £195
Mon £143
Tue £131
Wed £131
Thu £175
Fri £170
Sat £210

Let the numbers speak for themselves...

cowboy · Post by **cowboy** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 10:11 pm

there is a story on the airport in the current Algarve Resident.