Monarch due to start a new service between Newquay and Malaga

Newquay airport has been in the headlines all week this week after the falling out between Ryanair and Cornwall County Council over a 5 pound charge the council wants to impose on every person LEAVING Cornwall.

As I come from Cornwall I think that I can say with some authority that the Council has got it the wrong way round!

The tourist industry in Cornwall has been steadily growing since a massive decline in the 1980's. Cornwall is once agian a popular place for short breaks and easy summer holidays. It's easier to jump in a car loaded to the roof than to travel through busy airports and late flights with three kids. If you holiday in cornwall you can even take the dog!

Instead of focusing on who is leaving Cornwall they should focus on who is coming in..

In my humble opinion Cornwall County Council should be doing everything in their power to encourage more people to visit Cornwall they could do this by offering companies such as Ryanair a 5 pound refund for every passenger they bring into Cornwall!

Anyway I am sure that this story is set to run for a while yet so I will keep an eye on it.

On a more possitive note Monarch start their long awaited direct flights to Malaga tomorrow, 1st November. Ticket sales seem to be pretty high so fingers crossed that it all goes well.

Jet2 to fly from Edinburgh to Murcia in Spain

Jet 2 have announced that from 8th April next year they will be offereing up to five flights per week between Edinburgh and Murcia Airport in Spain.

The flights are on sale now from just 33pounds one way.

Murcia is on the very southern tip of the Costa Blanca and Benidorm, Alicante, Torrevieja and the exclusive resort of la Manga are all within easy reach of the airport.

Get your tickets direct from www.jet2.com

Half term is on it's way

And it looks like everyone is leaving the UK next week!

Flybe have just announced that they have sold 100,000 flights for half term week and 13,000 of those are heading straight to Spain.

I have also just stumbled accross This blog directory where you can submit your blog for free.

Hopefully the weather will be good.

Air Scotland creates havoc!

It doesnt always go to plan!!!

DESPERATE passengers stranded in Spain offered to pay a crisis-hit airline's fuel bill in a bid to get home.

Hundreds of holidaymakers abandoned at Alicante Airport were also left without their luggage after troubled Air Scotland failed to pay baggage handling charges.

And when the families forced to camp out in the departure lounge tried to ring the airline's Glasgow office, staff put the phone down on them.

Air Scotland flights out of the Spanish airport were grounded after fuel bills were left unpaid when the airline's owner, Iraqi-born Dhao Al-Ani, sold his shares in the firm.

Cheap Easyjet flights to Spain up for grabs!

Easyjet have just released 170'000 seats to spain for this winter with prices set at under 20.00 pounds (not including taxes etc). This deal is open for flights to Asturias, Almeria, Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Malaga, Murcia, Palma and Valencia.

www.easyjet.com

Jet2 flights from Blackpool to Palma and Murcia

Jet2.com have expanded their operations once again and are now offering flights from Blackpool to Murcia and Palma de Mallorca as of April 2006. Murcia can be used as a route into the Costa Blanca and resorts such as Benidorm and Alicnate.

Over the summer there are flights to Murcia San Javier Airport on a Mon, Fri, Sat and Sunday.

And to Palma Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The service will be scaled back over the winter months but is still good news for those of you who live in the north west.

You can buy tickets, browse at the timetables etc at www.jet2.com.

Easyjet flights to London

If you are trying to get to Lonodn form Spain or the other way around below are the various routes on offer from Easyjet.

In total there are 48 differnet daily flights from Easyjet to Spain and Portugal each day!

* 6 daily flights from Malaga to Gatwick, Luton or Stansted
* 5 daily flights from Alicante to Gatwick, Luton or Stansted
* 3 daily flights from Palma (Majorca) to Gatwick, Luton or Stansted
* 2 daily flights from Almeria to Gatwick and Stansted
* 1 daily flight from Murcia to Gatwick
* 3 daily flights from Faro Airport to Gatwick, Luton or Stansted

Easyjet to offer direct flights bewteen Milan and Malaga

From 27th March 2006 you will be able to fly direct from Milan Malpensa to Malaga and vice versa with Easyjet. There will also be a route to Madrid Airport.

Not sure when the tickets go and sale as the announcement was only made today.

Easyjet.com

Malaga Airport parking is in chaos

I have just been up to Malaga Airport to pick up my father-in-law and the parking there is in real chaos.

If you are collecting someone from the airport or dropping someone off, leave plenty of time for parking.

I am sure that when the work is finished it will be bettre than before it's just living with the pain in the meantime.

They are also changing the main slip road that leaves the airport and at the moment you are diverted through terminal 1.

My advice: Add ten mins to your journey time.

More funds for Malaga Airport

Frequent users of Malaga Airport will be glad to hear that central Government has allowed a further investment of €200 million euros to fund the continuing expansion of Malaga Airport.

The total cost of the works at Malaga Airport look likely to cost around €900 million euros and this includes improved car parking, a new terminal building, a new access road and a new runway to cope with the increasing passenger traffic.

In 2004 Malaga Airport received over 12 million passengers and is currently the fourth busiest airport in Spain.

Iberia Airlines getting in shape!

Iberia, Spain’s national airline is likely to lay off around 10% of its workforce due to pressure from the low cost airlines and soaring fuel prices.

Iberia already announced that it was cutting back its operation at Barcelona airport although they have advance purchased enough oil to get them through to the New Year.

It was rumored that Iberia were to start or buy their own low cost airline but those plans look to have been put on ice for the moment.

Esayjet flights to Valencia

Forget thermal pants and long johns...there are far better ways of warming yourself up this winter. Swap your Horlicks for a glass of wine, haul your summer tops out of hibernation and head off to Valencia to soak up the sunshine!

Valencia has a reputation amongst Spaniards as the city that knows how to enjoy itself, and it's easy to see why. Stylish chill-out bars, live jazz, fashionable clubs and Latin vibes combine to make the city come alive when the sun goes down. Valencians like to party, and fiestas, music and cultural festivals are a vital part of life!

If you're a bit of a culture vulture, you'll love the city's ancient Gothic and Baroque buildings including the 13th century cathedral, and of course the Fine Arts Museum. The futuristic City Of Arts comprises a science museum, botanical garden, planetarium, Imax cinema and l´Oceanogràfic, Europe's largest marine park with its own underwater restaurant...perfect for a very unique romantic meal!

And speaking of food...paella and fresh seafood are just some of the tasty local delicacies awaiting you. From modern and stylish gourmet restaurants and trendy tapas bars to rustic tavernas and beachside seafood restaurants, Valencia has it all - fresh cuisine, great value for money and a fun atmosphere!

Flights to Valencia Airport start at just 22.99 GBP.

Booking direct through Easyjet

Thomsonfly have just celebrated their first six months in business.

Since March 22nd this year, Thomsonfly have flown over 240,000 passengers and taken a staggering 340,000 bookings.

The airline now offers flights from 11 different UK airports with Bournemouth on the south coast being particularly popular. Amsterdam is a surprising favorite amongst the people of Bournemouth but the old favorites of Malaga and Palma are the busiest routes.

The most popular destinations from Bournemouth Airport are Costa Del Sol (Malaga) and Majorca (Palma), which are traditional Spanish holiday destinations for British people. Amsterdam is also very popular for people traveling on business or heading off for a short break.

Thomsonfly travel to 7 European airports: Malaga Airport, Venice Airport, Palma Airport, Paris, Amsterdam Airport, Faro Airport and Pisa. Over the winter of 2005 they will also be introducing routes to Lyon, Salzburg, Tenerife Airport and Alicante Airport.

Monarch Frequent Flyers Scheme

I’ve just read a report about Monarch Airlines and it prompted me to remind everyone about their Vantage scheme. If you are a frequent flyer with Monarch you can join their Vanatage scheme which gives you priority booking, seat allocation etc.

You can check this out at www.flymonarch.com

Monarch Scheduled’ traffic grew again in September with the airline carrying around 288,447 passengers in September 2005.

Along with a new service from Birmingham Monarch also offer flights from Aberdeen, Birmingham, Blackpool, Lonodn Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester and Newquay.

Monarch flights to spain go to the following airports: Alicante, Barcelona, Palma, Menorca, Alicante, Murcia, Almeria, Granada, Malaga, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

Buying a home near a Spanish Airport

If you’re thinking about buying a property in Spain at the moment it may be worth waiting until April 6th 2005. From that date you will be able to hold residential property within a Sipps pension.

The actual rules are still a little unclear but it looks like Spanish property will be an acceptable form of investment along with odd things like fine art, classic cars and even diamonds.

I believe that if you are seriously thinking about investing your pension money in a holiday home then it would be wise to consider how close it is to any of the Spanish Airports.

You also need to consider how many airlines fly in and out of the airport. If you are relying on just one airline and that airline closes the route you could be left high and dry!