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Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Canary Islands and back for the price of a coffee
In an article from Bernardo Sagastume in ABC, he explains that just a few coins can now buy a ticket from the Canary Islands to the British Isles.
For the price of a coffee in a bar, low-cost airlines are set to change the type of tourist who arrives in the islands, at the same time opening up possibilities for residents to visit many points of Europe that, until recently, were unimaginable.
This is all down to the business model of the low-cost airlines who sell direct to the passenger. Sales are not made in the traditional travel agent, but via the internet. Customers pay with credit cards and, without even having to leave the house.
Ryanair is the name we've heard most in the last few weeks, having confirmed that they will operate from Tenerife and Fuerteventura, but they're not the only company who offer international flights for less than what it costs to travel between islands.
Making a simple search at the time he wrote the article, Bernardo found a fare with British airline, Monarch, between Tenerife and London for 49 euros.
Scottish airline, Globespan, flies between the Canary Islands and various points in the United Kingdom, such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool and London. At their website, he found that there were flights from Fuerteventura to Glasgow for November 7th, for 72 euros. From Tenerife, the price dropped to 60 euros.
English company, Jet2.com operates in Lanzarote and Tenerife, uniting those islands with Leeds, Manchester, Blackpool and Newcastle, as well as the capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast, always with direct flights. A ticket from Lanzarote to Leeds at the beginning of November was selling for 59 euros and, between Tenerife and Belfast, in the middle of November, 89 euros.
From Gerona to the rest of Europe
Irish airline, Ryanair, the leader in low-cost airlines, announced last week that they would fly from the Canary Islands to Ireland for just 2.99 euros.
Sagastume says that this is possible, however, to get that tariff, it is necessary to book at least five months in advance.
Without having to wait that long and only spending a few more coins, it is possible to obtain a ticket between Tenerife and Dublin for December 13th, for 14.99 euros. Around the same date, you can obtain the same price from Fuerteventura to the capital of the Irish Republic on a flight that takes a little over four hours.
Where Ryanair promises to revolutionize the market even more, is in domestic flights. From March, they will unite the Canary Islands with Cataluña for a price similar to that of a small coffee and a roll. On March 14, for example, there is a flight between Tenerife and Gerona for 2.99 euros. Once in the catalán airport, one can catch a plane for 3.99 euros and in two hours, land at Rome, or for 2.99 that bound for Charleroi, in Belgium, close to Brussels.
From Fuerteventura, the offer is similar, with flights to Gerona for 2.99 euros on March 20th. From there, you can take advantage of a ticket to Marrakesh, for the same price, and, two hours later, be shopping in the souks.
Ida y vuelta de Canarias a Europa, por lo que cuesta un café
