Thats terrible Digby, I think the prices we pay to fly from Scotland are too high anyway We usualy drive down to Newcastle as the prices are lower and you get more choice.

What a shock for you,I cant believe they can justify such a hike.
Here is the link for anyone wishing to read the story.

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/09/13/exclusive-families-face-1300-rip-off-to-fly-from-scots-airports-78057-21669802/

Angie.

I note that is does not make any mention of "airport charges" - whilst I accept that these extra supplements are high I would like to see more information other than charges shown in a brochure. Like others I get the brochures and trawl through them for ideas, but then go onto the internet to find the holiday. There is always a big difference I have found between the price in the brochure and the TOs online prices.

fwh

Can anyone advise if I'm misreading this?

"We found the worst offender is Thomas Cook-owned Sunset who add £319 per person to fly from Glasgow to Cancun, Mexico during next year's school holidays in June, July and October."

I can't see in the article any comparison with prices from English Airports at the same peak times, only saying that it's more expensive during school holidays? But we knew that already right? And it's the same from English Airports right? Am I missing the bit that actually compares the increase with English airports at the same time? That's what I want to read?

Well this is quite shocking and unnecessary.

Travelling Sam the peak times thing is rubbish. The travel agents all say that peak (ie school holiday) prices are dictated by the resorts. That's true as you can see if you book a hotel direct you will pay more in July and August.

Fact is though, that scottish people have to pay more in June too as that is their school holidays. Now that is just blatant greed on behalf of the tour operators as it isn't peak season anywhere in June. But because the demand in Scotland is higher then they will push the prices up.

I am not even from Scotland but I think it's outrageous.

SandC, I think your confusing me with someone who is standing against the points being made. Please don't make me a pariah, i'm just trying to understand what the story is!

What I read wasa newspaper creating shock and awe headlines out of something that is not new. To me the headline is coming across as 'we're getting ripped off as we live in Scotland', but the facts they are using is that prices are simply higher during school holidays, which is when we all pay higher prices irrespective of where we live in GB. I don't see a comparison with other departure points. It's not saying you pay £350 more per person to fly from Edinburgh than you would from Luton for the same dates.

Is the point is it trying to make that prices are higher in June because Scottish holidays start earlier than they would be from England where they don't?

Not knowing the prices paid in France and Germany etc for holidays I can only make an educated guess, but we in the UK will not be alone in paying higher prices during annual holidays. It is the way in which businesses operate and the holiday industry is not unique in this. Supply and demand is what it is about. At busy times you are able to charge more. A local pub offers two meals (main and desert) for £8.00 before 5.00pm. We go about once a month because it is a bargain. They still have to pay staff so the offer at least brings in some money, and we get a cheap meal. With the TOs and the destinations they know that at certain times of the year they will struggle to get customers so the price drops. When it gets busy the price goes up.

I said earlier that there was no explanation and others have made the same point. I suspect it is a non story but it sounds good and sells papers. Remember the media never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

fw

Remember the media never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

or circulation

wiz

I got the impression from the article that these extra charges were simply for flying from Scotland as opposed to flying from England. As we have to fly from the islands to a mainland airport before we start our holiday,and sometimes have to have an overnight stay at the start and finish of our hols. at great expense, we would have to think again about holidays if this was true.

I think what is getting up peoples noses, is, if you compare a holiday in a brochure and compare the price for flying from Scotland on a specific date with say Gatwick, the ammount of flight suppliment is far in excess of any additional fuel costs. I never understand this, as the hotel room is the same, the only difference is the departure point, but if the previous posters who have a connectgion with the travel business asure us it's not naked profiteering, we'll have to believe them, but I dont think I'm the only one in Scotland not wholly convinced. Alan

We have only flown on package holidays direct from Aberdeen a couple of times despite it only being 35 miles from us. One year, for Trades Fortnight when the trades businesses close down, the supplement from Aberdeen was £250 per person.

We normally drive 190 miles to Glasgow which is much cheaper for us even with their high supplements.

luci

I suppose they also forgot to mention the greed of the Government who are increasing the cost of APD from November. That's a charge everyone in the UK will get to pay!

Mexico - Band C (4001-6000 miles)

Economy/current tax: £40 Economy, from November 09 increasing to £50
Economy/from November 2010 up to £75

Premium/current tax: £80 Premium/November 09 increasing to £100
Premium/November 2010 up to £150

i've got a comparison of scottish/english price differences seen as the newspaper didn't give any!

We're going to the Costa Del Sol for 1 week, flying on 13th June 2010.

From Glasgow to Malaga, on 13/06/10, the price was £639 per person (for the whole holiday).

From Newcastle to Malaga, on 13/06/10, the price was £499 per person (again, for the whole holiday)

The SOLE difference in price was £140 per person in flight supplements

should've added, needless to say we're driving 169 miles to Newcastle and going from there, even with the fuel its cheaper than £280 extra for the privilege of flying from Scotland!

My point exactly, will some of the posters with a "travel" connection have a go at explaining this to me, as it looks nothing more than profiteering from the big companies to me. Alan

its always been that way though, this isn't just a recent thing! in 7 years I've flown from a Scottish airport (Glasgow) ONCE, and I live in Scotland! We priced exactly the same holiday through Thomas Cook and its £140 per person cheaper to go from Newcastle to exactly the same hotel on exactly the same date, thats purely flight supplements, and if you go onto Thomas Cook website and price holidays from newcastle/manchester and then the same holiday from glasgow/edinburgh you'll see the flight supplement difference, no doubt First Choice will be the same aswell! In fact sometimes Edinburgh is even more expensive to fly from than Glasgow, and thats with Glasgow being more expensive still than Newcastle/Manchester!

Its an absolute rip-off!

From thomascook.com as proof of the only difference in price being the flight supplement

Hotel Playabonita
Costa Del Sol, Benalmadena
Half Board, 7 nights

2 Adults £1,208.00
2 Transport Supplement £198.00
2 Atol Protection £2.00
Online Discount -£342.66

Total £1,065.34

Depart: Glasgow - on Sun 13 Jun 10 at 06:00
Arrive: Costa Del Sol - on Sun 13 Jun 10 at 10:10

Depart: Costa Del Sol - on Sun 20 Jun 10 at 10:55
Arrive: Glasgow - on Sun 20 Jun 10 at 13:10

Hotel Playabonita
Costa Del Sol, Benalmadena
Half Board, 7 nights

2 Adults £1,208.00
2 Transport Supplement £98.00
2 Atol Protection £2.00
Online Discount -£342.66

Total £965.34

Depart: Newcastle - on Sun 13 Jun 10 at 08:00
Arrive: Costa Del Sol - on Sun 13 Jun 10 at 12:15

Depart: Costa Del Sol - on Sun 20 Jun 10 at 12:50
Arrive: Newcastle - on Sun 20 Jun 10 at 15:05

Swings and roundabouts:-

May 30th 2010 - June 6th 2010

Glasgow - Reus - Glasgow

Sun, 30 May 10
Thomas Cook Airlines (TCX978K) 06:35 Depart Glasgow (GLA)
10:15 Arrive Reus (REU)

Sun, 06 Jun 10
Thomas Cook Airlines (TCX978L) 11:15 Depart Reus (REU)
13:00 Arrive Glasgow (GLA)

Adult £ 179.00 GBP
X 1 Adult £ 179.00 GBP

Airport Tax £ 11.00 GBP
X 1 Airport Tax £ 11.00 GBP

ATOL protection (APC) £ 1.00 GBP
X 1 ATOL protection (APC) £ 1.00 GBP

Web discount £ 0.00 GBP

Total cost £ 191.00 GBP

and the same day for Gatwick - Reus - Gatwick

Sun, 30 May 10
Thomas Cook Airlines (TCX457K) 05:50 Depart Gatwick (LGW)
09:00 Arrive Reus (REU)

Sun, 06 Jun 10
Thomas Cook Airlines (TCX457L) 10:00 Depart Reus (REU)
11:15 Arrive Gatwick (LGW)

Adult £ 209.00 GBP
X 1 Adult £ 209.00 GBP

Airport Tax £ 11.00 GBP
X 1 Airport Tax £ 11.00 GBP

ATOL protection (APC) £ 1.00 GBP
X 1 ATOL protection (APC) £ 1.00 GBP

Web discount £ 0.00 GBP

Total cost £ 221.00 GBP

So a journey of 450 miles less from Gatwick and £30 more for the privelege. This was the first example I tried as well, so I didn't have the try very hard to find an example where it worked the other way round.

Mark

I'd challange the recent poster to come up with anything like the £140 noted by an earlier poster If a difference of £30 was all we were talking about, there would be a lot of smiling people up north. The huge differences in prices noted, in no way reflects extra fuel used, its just gross profiteering Alan