There is rumour / speculation of a possible take over bid for Jet2 but at present and as far as I know, it is just that - rumour and speculation. I'd be interested to know if Nivsy has anything further to add? At this stage tisonlymoi, I wouldn't worry about anything and look forward to your jollies. In my experience with Jet2, they look after you if things go wrong. I was rather impressed with them. A few routes have been added / removed based on low load factors but that's normal practice. No point running at a loss. The more popular routes are fine.

Darren

Any take over bid - which as Darren says - is only speculation does not mean there is problems with Jet 2. indeed it could in theory mean the total opposite.

A lot of rumour is going around the bizarres - and its early days to identify if there is any ground in such speculation. That said, it is becoming apparant that during 2008 a good bit of consolidation - mergers and changes in Business Plans by many operators is not only possible - but likely to happen. This is not solely at UK operators but throughjout the European Community where slots at premium airports is just as important as the airlines that operate them.

I had no intention in worrying prosepective pax on this carrier or for that matter any other operator - but with the handling of GB Airways/easy Jet takeover and the grief it caused perhaps it is (or maynot!) appropriate to inform HT readers of what is being circulated around the industry.

Any concrete information is, if you check HT pages - quite often released in these forums up to 24 hour before official release, but is often based upon initial information provided many weeks before.

Nivsy

Hi everyone
Hope you can help

We are flying to Pisa from Newcastle in May and need to book a parking space at the terminal in Newcastle for the week - there seems to be loads of companies who you can book with but where exactly are the car parks and how do we know where to park once we have booked. How does the system work?

Sorry if this is a stupid question but I've not had to do this before - BTW prices are coming up at £39.95 for 8 days - does this seem reasonable?

Thanks
x x x x

The price looks ok to me, who are you booking through???

Robby

Well, I've left it a couple of months but I thought I'd report in on my recent experiences with Newcastle Hicksville International Airport (now with Tie Rack! )

Flew to Barcelona with EasyJet...again, not the fault of the airport but only 3 check in desks open for the 2 flights at the time, Bristol and Barcelona, which seemed to be both at capacity

Didn't wait too long as I'd arrived early-ish and got through soon enough (though later calls would suggest that not all passengers got through as quickly)

Waited 25 minutes at security as I was searched as if I had a tshirt emblazoned with 'I Have A Bomb' on it

Flight went on time though due to some problem with the planned gate we were bussed to an off terminal location (which with 13 gates...and only an Emirates and BA plane on stand...was peculiar)

On return, a half empty plane into Newcastle....landed and waited an age for luggage. No activity on the belt at all until magically another aircraft arrived, Eastern Airways which got the same carousel number as us.

So, obviously consolidating by waiting the 30 minutes for the Eastern Airways plane...still no sign of my luggage, Easterns seem to come up first, probably because there was less of it. I actually went and sat down and had a good whine at the Aviance assistant.

Thus the Easyjet plane from Bristol lands....my old friend! Looking rather busy our luggage pours out the same time as them....1 hour after we landed! My case was first of....little consolation I'm afraid!

I understand being short staffed and consolidating activities during low season but it takes the biscuit lately with Hicksville

(I would note again, I flew out to Dubai again with Emirates and had no such problems....perhaps I should fly with the airline the airport is trying to impress every time)

Hi Robby, I have looked at Holiday Extras, BCP, Simply Parking and a few others all coming up at £39.95 - the most expensive was Purple Parking so have ruled them out.

Shall I just book with one of the above ?

Cheers x x

I normally book with Purple Parking, but even with a discount code it seems a little dearer than your quote.
Seems a fair price to me for 8 days, I would imagine cheaper than booking taxi's.

As regards the airport itself, I have had no problems at all of late with the baggage delays normally reported.
Done 4 return flights within 2 months and ALL baggage reclaim went smoothly, which was a little surprising!!!
Agree with lack of staff on EasyJets check-in, but I normally turn up late/ish and had no real problems.
Also agree with the security check-in, seems very strict at the moment.
But, with less than a half-hour delay over 4 return flights, I'm pretty happy.

Robby

i would like to know how they can charge crazy prices ..over £2000 for flights to egypt......£1990 for flights to rhodes... we don`t drive so we have to go from newcastle.!!!! they are charging stupid prices for flights which means we may not get to go on our jollies this year..

sharon

over £2000 for flights to egypt

£1990 for flights to rhodes

How many for???
What month???

I'm assuming you're talking about XL???

I agree you do pay a premium in general when flying from NCL and the choice is limited!!!!

Robby

its for 4 of us in August. eldest son has exams coming up so cannot take him out of school!!! why should the choice be limited, when they can fly out to Dubia everyday!!! these prices are with thomsonfly, i`ve tried xl but it doesn`t do them..

If anyone is looking for parking at Newcastle airport there was an offer in the local paper last night.
On site parking 1 week for £29.00 2 weeks for £44.00. We booked for 1 week in June for £29.00 plus I think it was £1.00 CC charge.
They said it was a special offer for bookings over the easter weekend and for readers of the Sunderland Echo, so if they ask where you saw it advertised quote the Sunderland Echo. The number is 0191 214 4341.

Thanks for info on advert for parking Laudan, just booked a week. Saved £10 will buy us a few drinks when we get there tomorrow.

Thanks for info on hotels decided not to stay in one as we needed to be in airport for 3am and wouldn`t sleep anyway.

Cheers Christine

Thanks a lot for this I have just been on to newcastle airport and got our two weeks for 44 pound.

laudan wrote:

If anyone is looking for parking at Newcastle airport there was an offer in the local paper last night.
On site parking 1 week for £29.00 2 weeks for £44.00. We booked for 1 week in June for £29.00 plus I think it was £1.00 CC charge.
They said it was a special offer for bookings over the easter weekend and for readers of the Sunderland Echo, so if they ask where you saw it advertised quote the Sunderland Echo. The number is 0191 214 4341.

Offer has been advertised again as a spring deal if anyone is still looking for parking at Newcastle aiport.

I have just been back on the phone to them and booked for our october holiday aswell so good saving this year.

Newcastle gains budget flights to Greece

Corfu and Rhodes are to be served with low fare flights from Newcastle this summer.

Jet2.com is to fly to the two Greek destinations from June with fares starting at £69.99 one-way inclusive of taxes.

Flights to Rhodes start on June 4 and to Corfu on June 30. Package holiday prices start at £296 for seven days with Jet2holidays.com.

The airline's chief executive Philip Meeson said: "Both destinations have lacked direct, scheduled and, importantly, low cost services from Newcastle and we're delighted to be launching them today."

With permission from Travelmole

What in God's name have they done to Newcastle Airport?

It's had yet MORE changes and so far as I can see, none are for the better!

The cafe that appeared to have been added to the back of the airport at ground level as some sort of afterthought (Oh heck we forgot to put a cafe in - where can we shove it) did at least have a window (albeit thru' a walkway) to the runway so you could see flights taking off and landing - now it's a hideous orange boarding and the whole place is BLEAK BLEAK BLEAK!

There are small cafe areas in the main concourse area (arrivals) but Greggs appeared to have closed it's doors in it's usual spot (dunno if they've just moved it or it's closed but it was ALWAYS busy). WH Smith's is still there as well as Travelex (current euro rate is €1.15 to £1)

Upstairs they've moved Departures AGAIN - you used to be able to walk along and go to the loo or the pub but now you've got a choice of Departures or Departures when you go up the stairs/escalators and judging by the desk outside there are a load of peeps who STILL haven't heard that you can't take drinks etc airside - it was full of bottles!

From how it used to be I think it's gone right down the pan!

From those changes you describe tisonlymoi it seems to have been like that for ages

Upstairs...which used to have a bustling cafe, nice little pub and a Costa has been encapsulated into the new Newcastle airport....

Its getting to big too quickly IMO, they are struggling to cope with current passenger levels but on the flipside its a much needed modernisation.

As for the bottles, there's bits on the local news all the time and the airport website...they are still confiscating a goldmine in plastic bottle drinks!

Last week I asked the woman on the counter where all the confiscated bottles are,what happened to them and she told me they were being sent to a womens refuge in Newcastle.