BALKAN ARE AT IT AGAIN...

Apparently due to lack of bookings.

Just had a call from my travel agent who advises me that Balkan have cancelled our original flight from Gatport Airwick on Wed 2/6/10 to Varna. We now fly out on Monday 31st May at 0915am....returning on Monday 14th June flying out of Varna at about 0630am....yawn.

At least with this schedule on the outbound flight we get an evening meal to look forward to nowwhen we get there...but have to endure a very early start at the end of our holiday.

I am told the hotel we booked (Nympha in GS) and board basis (A/I) remains the same and it's just a change in date of departure and flight time...which luckily is acccepable from our point of view, just rather annoying..

Anyone else heard of changes to their hols...?

regards to all...Jim

WHOOPS....

Did not see your post Tony...yep that change is a direct hit on our holiday.....see my post above.

If some clever techy type person wants to 'add' my post above to Tony's thread on here that is ok by me.

regards...Jim

Topics merged.

luci

H Jim,

BALKAN ARE AT IT AGAIN...

As per Tonyt's post; it appears to be not so much a Balkan Holidays issue but a combination of Bulgaria Air & BH rationalising their services - my scheduled flight with Bulgaria Air (as opposed to a BH Air charter/BH package booking), which was booked last October, has been similarly affected by Bulgaria Air's rescheduling.

British Airways has also rescheduled and reduced its flights to Varna this summer, from a quick look at their website - having already totally dropped their usual direct flights to Varna over the winter period.

Airlines aren't going to fly to any destination half-full, especially in the current financial climate, or they would soon be out of business.

Baldur

Totally understood Baldur.....I guessed as much about half-full being uneconomical for the Airlines. Still makes forward planning your hols a nightmare which could mean travellers might just decide to stay at home. Then everyone loses out. I am assured that our choice of hotel etcetc remains the same which is good news cos if that had changed there would be a serious case of 'Balkan Hoildays Bashing' breaking out.

Ho hum, roll on 31st May.

regards...Jim

Jim, for the past three years I have never got my Hotel in Albena, I have access to a site which gives opening and closing dates for Hotels in Albena (not updated yet) I cannot find a site for same info for Golden Sands, perhaps my friends, Baldur or Peter can help on this one. May see you down there I fly 28th, my 24th time to Albena (why I ask). Cheers Tonyt.

Hi Tony,

Tonyt wrote:

I have access to a site which gives opening and closing dates for Hotels in Albena (not updated yet) I cannot find a site for same info for Golden Sands, perhaps my friends, Baldur or Peter can help on this one.

Browsing a tourist trade report of last October indicated that, at that time, 716 Bulgarian hotels in 40 tourist areas (mainly located in the Black Sea resorts) were for sale, including 80 hotels in the Varna Oblast (region), which would incorporate Golden Sands & other resorts, were up for sale. Another 30 in the Dobrich Oblast, which would include Albena, Balchik & Kavarna, were also for sale.

Most of those for sale were described as not being in the 'first or second line', i.e. not immediately next to the beach, so were unable to attract tourists - poor management and increasing debts were also cited as reasons for selling.

In these circumstances, decisions regarding hotel opening periods/staffing, etc., look quite likely to be heavily dependant upon advance booking levels.

The change/lack of flights is a real pain. My sister has to go with BA as she needs assistance (disabled) unless any of you know if the other airlines offer the same service as BA, could not find any info on Wizz, Balkan and needs a direct flight to Varna, she just about managed last year with my friend meeting her at Varna and me handing her over at Gatwick and have to say the help she got from BA staff was superb, they even let her sit in the pilots seat at Varna (she has a learning disability also), was hoping to let her go in June but may have to get hubby to take a day off work so she can fly on a week day with BA (its a real pain not being able to take time off term time). Are Balkan flying direct to Varna or to Bourgas and then busing people us to Varna, if direct may be worth booking a cheap hotel package rather than a flight for her, but then again how would Balkan cope with a disabled person? anybodys experiences would be gratefully received. Not sure what I will be doing this year, real shame as flights are quite pricey (yes I know not too bad if I could any other time than school holidays).

sorry to moan.

Nels, I have been using Bulgarian Air from Gatwick for the past four years and they cater for the disabled as well as anybody else, they have the proper vehicles at Varna. The above airline is direct fron Gatwick to Varna, about thirty% of seats are reserved for people using Balkan Hols, the remainder are for for flight only. Hope this helps, some flights from other airports are going to Burgas and bussed north. Cheers. Tonyt

Thanks Tonyt, tried to look for info on the BG site about disabled assistance but could not find it, no surprise as things have been manic here over the last few months (mum and mum in law) will investigate.

Hi Nels,

Nels wrote:

tried to look for info on the BG site about disabled assistance but could not find it.....

See Bulgaria Air's website "Special assistance passengers", Wizz Air "10. CARRIAGE OF SPECIFIC CATEGORIES OF PASSENGERS" and BH Airlines "7. PASSENGERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS".

Baldur

Thanks Baldur. I had fun and games last year with BA ended up phoning them to sort out everything but it worked well in the end, the flight times and days this year mean I will have to get hubby to take sister to the airport (she travels outside of the school hols) as I can't get time off during term time. I assume Wizz should assist disabled passengers again will have to find out, when I looked at prices for Wizz they worked out more expensive than BA for me during the school hols.

Nels wrote:

....when I looked at prices for Wizz they worked out more expensive than BA for me during the school hols.

Whenever I've looked at booking Wizz Air for flights to Varna, they've worked out as expensive as or, often, much more expensive than both of the 'flag carrier' airlines (BA or Bulgaria Air from LGW to VAR) - and I fly outside school holiday periods.

For information,

My Bulgaria Air flight LGW-VAR has been rescheduled for a second time. It now leaves Gatwick at 23:59, arriving at Varna at 05:10, with the return leaving Varna at 21:25, arriving at Gatwick at 23:10.

Baldur

What a pain Baldur, are they trying to cut costs and going for the cheaper slots? Lets hope you do not have anymore changes. Am preparing for the onslaught - 2 year old twin niece and nephew are on their way here, am looking after them overnight as mum and dad off to a concert, needless to say hubby has already left for West Ham, oh joy

Hi Nels,

Nels wrote:

..are they trying to cut costs and going for the cheaper slots?

Who knows? Unfortunately, there's plenty of time for more changes between now and June....

I haven't checked dates other than my own, but the rescheduling may well affect Balkan Holidays' clients who are flying from Gatwick, if it applies right through the season.

Hope you have a good night with the twins - without too much exposure to the 'terrible twos' syndrome!

Baldur

Hi Baldur, yes I am using Balkan Holidays and it affects my flights as per Air.bg, but nothing from Balkan yet, (e-mail sent). my concern now is it will be changed again, no way can I see a turnaround of 49 mins. Cheers Tonyt

Hi Tony,

...I am using Balkan Holidays and it affects my flights as per Air.bg, but nothing from Balkan yet, (e-mail sent). my concern now is it will be changed again, no way can I see a turnaround of 49 mins.

I agree that the turnaround time is very tight, it has traditionally been scheduled to be just over an hour, from memory.

From a quick browse of the timetables on the Bulgaria Air website, it appears that the Monday flights are, at the moment anyway, still scheduled as per your original post and it's only the Friday flights that have been rescheduled as per my post.

Baldur

Hope you hear soon Tonyt, although if you do it may only mean yet another change.

Still have not booked anything yet, so much to sort out here but am hopeful that I will manage 10 days or so if not longer. Although heaven knows what the prices will be by the time I can book.

Baldur, twins went to sleep at 8.45pm, after some grizzling and crying but not too much, hubby very proud of himself as he got them off to sleep (and so he should after being at football and not getting in until 7pm) and he is also a very happy bunny as West Ham won 3-0. They are quite good, not too many tantrums as mum is german and dad english they are assimilating both languages so sometimes it is just frustration at not being able to make themselves understood. Lets hope they do not wake too many times in the night as they are in a strange place.