Hi Jan

Thassos doesn't have an airport so you'll probably fly in to Kavala or Thessaloniki so you won't get to see how beautiful Thassos is - sorry!

It's usually Thessaloniki (Salonika) esepcially on the return leg as they can't take off with a full fuel load (extremely short runway at Skiathos!) & often need to refuel there!

Have you been warned about the short runway and the landing at Skiathos ?

HI Greeklass, yes we know all about the short runway and the screeching to a halt landing at Skiathos! We have been for the last 2 years and last years landing was sooooooo close to the edge!! Still hasn't put us off thougth - absolutely love it!! cheers jan

I had a letter 3 weeks ago from Eclipse / First choice who have told us that they now have to stop at Thessalonika on way home. I booked this holiday last August. The way it was worded it sounded like this has just happened!

By the sounds of the above comments, this isn't a new thing that has just come about but the norm.

Fairly disgusting we were not told this when we booked! I may of thought twice about booking as I am a nervous flyer at the best of times! We should of been made aware when booking! In fact, I know it would of put me off enough to not book there and go elsewhere.

We were given the choice to change or a refund, but as we are going in August the prices are sky high - when we booked the fuel supplements were a lot less, free kids places and early booking discounts! I have priced our holiday up again at todays prices and it would cost us £1000 more for the same holiday! Suffice to say they would not let us book our alternative choice at Aug 05 prices so we decided that we really couldn't afford to change.

I would be interested to know if First Chioce/Eclipse did this stop last year too, it would prove they have not been honest with me. If it is a new thing then so be it, its the fact that they have not been straight when we booked that would really hack me off!

Hi

I don't have a brochure with me currently but I am pretty good at checking the small print normally and I know there was nothing see to say about a stop on the way home, in fact the letter was worded that it was a recent development i.e in the few weeks preceeding me getting their letter!

Once I find the brochure I will check but I will be very cross if it is the norm and yet they are trying to make out it isn't. It is possible, I suppose that this maybe the first year they are using their own planes for the flights as opposed to another operator, even so, they should of known.

All flights to Skiathos refuel on the return leg at Thessalonika due to short runway at Skiathos as far as I am aware this has always been the case.

Flight can't take off with a full tank of fuel due to the runway being short so has to stop to re fuel.

All peak season flights to Skiathos will refuel on the return trip.

First choice stop at Thessalonika, Excel at Volos, and sometimes Lemnos. Later in the season some of the flights go home via Corfu. Refuelling takes just 40 minutes or so.

Currently flights are returning direct due to the low load numbers and are topping the tanks up at Skiathos. Later flights in the season do return non stop.

If the plane is full you will stop on the return trip unless you are on a 757 (Excel - Manchester) which has the range and engine power to take off from the runway at Skiathos fully loaded.

Some Flights from Lesbos and also From Zakynthos also make refuelling stops on the return leg....usually in France somewhere. I've been on several of these flights now where they have to land to take on board more fuel.....but the strange thing is no sooner has the aircraft taken off from the refuelling stop in France, when it starts to make its decent into Gatwick.....so I cannot really understand the need to refuel for such a short flight

But then I'm not a Pilot

Great post on this subject on the Skiathos Bulletin board pages See http://1.myfreebulletinboard.com/viewtopic.php?t=302&mforum=skiathos

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i went to Skiathos wen i was younger about 15 years ago and we always refuelled on way home so it just not started all airlines hav been doin it for pasted 20 years!!