Hi Tony and all,
It's getting worse. I am now convinced the Bulgarian tourist industry is in free fall down the pan as far as the UK market is concerned.
As you have reported, the flights from Manchester to Varna & return for a holiday Monday 4-18/09/2006 have a delightful detour via Southampton. Allegedly only an hour longer, but pigs as well as Tupalovs will fly!
Alternatively, from Manchester to Varna Friday 1-15/09/2006, how about going via wonderful Newcastle both ways?
For a real added bonus you could always choose Leeds & Bradford to Varna Sunday 3-17/09/2006 via Belfast both ways.
I'm now wondering when Balkan will let us into the secret!
Not sure what to do now, had I known I wouldn't have booked. Had I wanted to be sat on an aircraft for over five hours I'd have chosen Turkey, Cyprus, or even Egypt.
Might well cut our losses and do just that.
Taking the car to France keeps getting better and less stressfull year on year.
Peter
Good evening Peter, Two weeks ago all the original flight times were showing on the Varna Site, it was only last evening when checking for my daughter that I could not find the flights, hence my check. Like you say when will Balkan announce these times, especially those relying on Public Transport to and from Airports. When you log on to their Flights only site they are still showing all the old times. Cheers Tonyt
I was due to fly from Blackpool on 26 May - which would have been ideal for as we can literally walk to the terminal building from home in 15 mins! Got a letter this week saying that the flight has been withdrawn due to poor support. I was offered a flight from Liverpool which would need to call in at Exeter on the way to Bulgaria, adding an hour to the journey time. Not ideal with a fidgety 9 year old in tow. Have persuaded BH to let us fly direct from Manchester instead. Not an ideal situation but at least we're still going!
If you try to 'book ' a flight it comes up with the changes. The timetable is still as we booked.
I would suggest that anyone who has booked either a package or flight only with Balkan would be well advised to check for changes, as Tony says if you rely on public transport you could be seriously inconvenienced.
Patka
Good Morning Patka. I am due to go on 2nd June and was due to arrive on the 2nd. now I do not arrive until the 3rd which is a different price bracket, when this is added together it gives the kids at orphanage a little more, so will be on Phone Monday for e refund for party. Will keep you informed, everybody else on these flights shoulkd be doing the same. Cheers Tony.
Good Morning. to keep you informed of the flight situation with regards to Balkan Holidays. I have just received e-mail from London stating, We have not been notified of any changes yet, we are still waiting for airline to confirm slots. Will keep you all updated. This is in reference to flights from Gatwick to Varna. Tonyt.
Hi I came home from work tonight with a letter from Balakan Holidays informing us that our flights have changed from flying on the 15th June 09.00 and flying back on the 29th June at 08.15 but these have changed leaving on Sunday 19th June at 19.00 arriving at 00.45 and flying back on the 2nd of July leaving at 16.15. This way we are losing a day of our holiday. Does anyone know of different flight times/operators I could look at who offer better times? Thanks Al
Hi, First Choice have a flight out of Glasgow on Mon 12th June. or if you change your resort to Golden Sands Balkan fly from Glasgow 16th June with 0855 outward arriving home 0755. Cheers Tonyt
Are you sure you have the dates right, the Sunday is the 18th June?
Have Balkan made a clerical error with the date, perhaps?
Peter
Evening Peter, are you using that diary of four years ago. Balkan should fly from Glasgow to Bourgas Suns Weds Thurs. Will look in our local shops for a new one. Cheers Tonyt.
I think Tony is missing the point. If the holiday is from Sunday 18th June to Sunday 2nd July, and according to the way in which these things are calculated throughout the package holiday industry, no day has been lost.
However if the date IS the 19th (which is a Monday) a day is indeed lost, but I doubt if this will be the case. Balkan do not do 13 night holidays.
My calendar is very handy and state of the art HERE
Best wishes,
Peter
Thanks for your help, yes put the wrong date its the Sunday the 18th we fly out getting in to Bulgaria at 00.45 on the 19th. It just seems we're losing a day, as when we booked this last year flying out on a Thursday morning we would got to Bulgaria for that afternoon and flying back we had the whole day on the Wednesday and we would have flown back Thursday 29th June at 06.15 morning. Now we are flying through the night on the Sunday getting there early hours Monday and flying back at 16.15 on the Sunnday, which means that day will be virtually wasted hanging around for the transfer. Going to speak to travel agent, but looks like we've got to go with these changes!
-
Edited by
alcol
2006-04-11 12:27:22
I booked a while ago Birmingham to Bourgas flying out on Thursday 10th August. I have just looked on the Ballkan website and the flight has disappeared from the schedule. I have not been told of the change yet.
When I try to book a holiday with Balkan on 10th August in Sunny Beach flying from Birmingham, it brings up a flight from Doncaster.
I'm sure Balkan will be in the midst of sending out a lot of letters, legally they have to.
Peter
Hello Peter. Looking on Balkan site, there are flights from Birmingham on both 5th and 12th August, the Thursday flight does not show at all for season. Still no response to my query on the Gatwick saga, but as the saying goes in Bulgaria, "No Problem just a momento" Cheers Tonyt.
I rang Balkan yesterday to query the flight not being on the timetable. I was told that the flight on 10th August from Birmingham is still going ahead and that it has probably been taken off the timetable because it is full. They also said there was no note on my file to say that I was getting a letter and that all letters were sent out last week.
I don't know what to believe because last year I noticed that the apartments I had booked were no longer in the brochure, after the 1st edition. They assured me on 3 occassions that my booking would definately stand but low and behold, I got a letter 3 weeks before departure notifying me of a change to my booking and we were moved after all!
If my flight is to be changed I want to be able to fly to Varna on 12th instead and choose a different resort as the flights from Birmingham on 12th are at terrible times. We are supposed to be going to Sozopol but who knows at this stage. Good old Balkan Holidays!
You might do better emailing them at the address at the very bottom of your invoice, and explaining the problem.
I've always found them most helpful, and you'll have an answer in writing.
Peter
Thank you Peter. I have taken your advice and emailed them. I'll let you know when I get a reply (last year I wotre to them twice and they didn't answer either letter, so here's hoping my email provokes a response).
I sent an email to that address this last Monday and got a most satisfactory response within three hours from a supervisor.
Hope you get the same service.
Peter
Peter and all other interested parties. My response on Monday was "We know nothing of any alterations to Flights from Gatwick, however we will check and let you know. Nothing heard, but on checking Balkan website tonight it is now listed that the Friday flight BGH5504 will leave at 20.30 and not 17.15 arriving at 01.30. dep time will now be from Varna 18.20 instead of 15.15 arriving Gatwick 19.30 instead of 16.15. We now wait too see how long letters will take. Tonyt.
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