Crystal Ski...... Experts?

A snowHead

I've booked my first ski trip with Crystal Ski. Val Thorens in early March, flying into Chambery. After reading on here about the inevitable nightmare at Chambery Airport I decided, whilst walking past a Crystal Ski travel office, to enquire about the probability of problems and the possibility of switching to Geneva. Quantum Physics it is not, but it might as well have been for the blonde woman ( not stereotyping I swear Blush

) behind the desk. She explained about the valley and the lake..... I said I know, hence me asking a) what's it likely to be like in March and b) can I switch to Geneva if that's better. She explained Geneva had longer transfer, I know, I said but at least I'd be on the deck and on the way. She ummed and erred. I said what's it normally like in March? ... I'm new to this but surely I could draw upon her wealth of knowledge..... Who knows was her reply. So is it worth while to switch? Better chance of getting there on time? Couldn't say really.... I turned and walked away. 😡 please could someone help out or at least tell me I'm not stupid.

A snowHead

I have never flown into Chambery and have heard lots of the issues the weather can bring to this airport. But, I think it would be difficult for anyone (never mind the travel agent) to say what the weather is going to be like in March.

You are going with a tour operator and it's their responsibility to get you to your destination so, personally, I wouldn't worry.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

As @Sunshine81, said Crystal will get you there. Used Chambery once and vowed never again as it was chaos. However a ski pal uses it every time and she rarely has trouble and has a shorter transfer than me. If only they had a 'Crystal ' ball😊😊

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Effectively you were asking someone what the weather might be on two specific days in March. Of course she couldn't tell you. Can you predict the weather that far in advance?

Why did you mention her hair colour?

What you have reported she said was right. Can't help you with your last request.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@GorillySticks, I've used it a few times in March and never had any problems that I can remember. I'd say it was worth the risk.

As for the Crystal rep; I suspect you are being a little unfair. I'm not sure you can expect her to have too much knowledge of the statistical likelihood of weather-induced delayed at Chambery during March.
She should have been able to tell you about the costs/impact of changing flights to GVA I grant you.

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We've used Chambery in March a couple of times and all ok. You've a better chance of good weather that time of year than earlier and it is quite a short transfer, so worth it if all ok.

Last two seasons we've driven past it in March and climbed up the side of the lake to go through the tunnel heading west, all in beautiful clear conditions. I know you can't predict the conditions for those flight slots but think you've certainly got a reasonable chance of being ok at that time of year.

It's a nice flight into there as well.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Thank you. I wasn't asking for a guaranteed weather report just as I'm new to this, what's the weather generally like in March. Thank you for your posts, your experiences and knowledge was what I needed. That's what I was asking her for. She could have said, as @ski3 said, you've got a good chance. Or in my experience it's normally not too bad around then. I also only added that she was blonde as she had a colleague who was brunette.... Decided to leave him out because he did even less. Not here to cause a ruck. Thanks guys..... Put my mind at ease.

After all it is free

The problem with Chambery is the fog in the valley, it doesn't have to be that bad to restrict arrivals, the issue is all to do with the requirement for a go around in case they don't get visual and the minimum height for that due to the high ground to the north. I've been on a diverted aircraft at least twice, but both around christmas when the fog is much worse. March I would normally expect far less issues.

I stopped using Chambery totally because of Jet2s inability to transport a pair of skis. After 3 strikes they were out. Never had a problem with EZY through Geneva and these days there's less than an hour in it.

Anyway, you haven't even started on the joys of Crystal yet - you have much to enjoy.... Skullie

(I still use them occasionally - I just have to do some very "stoic" mental training the week before)

As the pilot said the last time I flew there "it's in a valley at the end of a lake, not the best place for an airport". However we were only delayed for about 45 minutes on take off and a bit of circling, nothing too bad or upsetting.

Difficult to say what it's like in March, but on balance of probability you'll likely be fine.

Bear in mind that the travel agent may not have actually been to Chambery and may not even ski. Even if she has been there it's probably not a regular thing enough to predict weather patterns. Plus she's a travel agent for Crystal, they're essentially people that can use google and let an algorithm do the rest...MetOffice experts they ain't Very Happy

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

I have sat in my Brother in Laws garden looking down on Lac du Bourget many times in March and seen beautiful blue skies and not a ripple on the water.

Equally i've seen the fog develop on the lake and then roll across to the airport fairly frequently. But not as frequently as you would imagine and remember in March the sun is gaining strength there.

So I don't think you can second guess and the 'blond' lady was perfectly correct. It is a much shorter transfer and yes it is prone to fog and no she couldn't give you much more.

Your original post did come across as being a bit sexist. If the person had been a ginger haired guy, would you have made vague ginger allusions?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

@emwmarine, what's a ginger allusion? That they don't have souls?

Thats a South Park reference btw, I'm not genuinely saying that ginger people don't have souls

snow reports

Chambery airport proximity to Isere and 3v isn't worth it IMHO. If you do get down (I've been diverted back to Lyon three times out of about 10 over the years) it is overcrowded baggage chaos at a weekend. Leaving can also be problematic as knock-on effects from incoming delays and diversion play out. Have spent many hours sat on floor surrounded by remnants of rubbish food.

However

Crystal usually have done a good job for us - if you accept what they are. One big advantage over DIY is they will get you there and back somehow - their problem and cost. You've just got to relax and let it happen. However, missing a Ryannair flight home due to return transfer snowmaggedon is a different level of (first world) nightmare.

And I'm ginger. And a bloke snowHead

not only a chance of fog because of said lake, but also "wind shear " due to the mountains parallel to runway

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Or "I'm not racist but..."

Statistically it will be fine. Otherwise they wouldn't use it. Problem with statistics is that sometimes you're stuffed.

A snowHead

A snowHead

@johnE, you'd have to ask the pilot who said it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Went with Crystal to Val Thorens some years ago and we had heavy snow which delayed our return coach by a couple of hours. I could see that we would never get to Geneva in time for the flight and half way down the rep announced that we were going to divert to Chambery where there were enough seats on a plane to take us all (it was in December and could have been first flight in so no or few returners). Got home half an hour late - well done Crystal. I've flown through Chambery a number of times and had one delay through fog - planes could land but not take off for some reason so the (small) airport just filled up with passengers as coaches couldn't leave due to avalanche risk! As others have said it is quite unpredictable. It is small but even Heathrow is miserable if flights are delayed. Keep your fingers crossed.

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I've been going with Crystal to Chambery for well over 20 years and have only been re-routed once, which was on the return journey....but I was (some years ago) on the last flight that was let in, before the rest were sent elsewhere. I think I have been lucky though.

When I first went there, it was a little used airport that was a pleasant experience. As other operators realized it was the closest to some major French resorts, it became very popular.

It is far too small for the amount of traffic that passes through...but it's on the return journey that it can be particularly miserable, where check-in is chaos and there are far too many people for the seats and facilities available.

It's an Airport that is only busy in winter and has a reluctance to invest just for the Winter demand, which is so seasonal.

Crystal have greatly improved over the years, but transfers can still prove frustrating and disorganized.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Weather apart, IMO, the problem with Crystal flights there its that they schedule multiple flights to land within minutes of each other, presumably to optimise the bus transfer arrangements to different resorts. Chambery struggles to cope with one plane load of passengers and luggage, let alone 4+. The passport queue is often so long that it extends outside of the buildings and the overflow marquee and then there is the hell of the bijou arrivals luggage collection. Having got past that you then may have to cross the extended queues of the outbound passengers checking in. The extra hour or so to Geneva is well worth it.

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You lost me after the "blonde woman" point - spend 1 minute on the Weather thread and you will soon realise that alpine weather is impossible to forecast accurately past the 1-2 day point. Yes, it is a bit like quantum physics.

I agree with all the points made about Chambery by the way.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Thank you all for your help and experience, apologies again for the unintentional sexism. She was blonde he was brown haired, she knew more than him but had the customer service skills to acknowledge me, unlike the guy who looked away when I said Chambery. Please dont think I was being anything other than descriptive. From now on I will refer to all people as he or she.... Unless this is also sexism and therefore I don't think I can comment on here further. I'm ginger...... Or Moroccan sunset. I am a man...it describes me as much as blonde describes the woman. No stigma, stereotype or insinuations were meant or suggested. Again..... Sorry..... Only wanted some advice people.

After all it is free

Don't take it too personally @GorillySticks: half o them are just cranky cos they've spent the last month worrying about snow conditions but knowing that if they ask the one question they really really want to ask , eg. "Will there be decent snow by the time I go on xx/xxx/2017" they'll get shot down for it because it's a stupid question THAT NO ONE CAN ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to snowHeads

March weather is usually better than Jan as the days are longer but it can still snow a lot, still be very cold and VT is very high so it's colder still.
If Chambery closes, there's every chance you'll end up at GVA anyway and, if you've bought a package including flights, it's up to the tour op to get you there from wherever you happen to land.

I would be very surprised if sales staff were given any feedback on operational problems, anyway. Unless she happened to be a keen skier who habitually travelled to Chembery herself - or was married to a pilot - she wouldn't have any idea. However, diversions are very expensive events for an airline. So if they keep going there, they must think the chances of operating a successful programme are good.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Why does Chambrey always get criticised? I wonder what people at Innsbruck felt on Saturday?

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Ive flown to/from Chambery many times in March, (though not for a few years). Never had a problem with weather. Its a small provincial airport so can get busy, but no more or less than any other airport in ski transfer day. Ive been to Geneva airport once, and never again, not only a longer transfer but a horrible airport. Stick to Chambery IMHO

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@skitech, @admin, thanks for your replies. I wasn't asking for exact just the benefit of her experience...from now on its SnowHeads before CrystalSki every time!!

That's nice Little Angel

Crystalski have their place - after all, they take more Brits skiing than any other company so they must be doing something right - but so many of their staff are so young and inexperienced, if it wasn't covered in their days training, they don't really have much chance of knowing it.
SnowHeads OTOH, are so huge in number, the experience between them is, frankly, quite breathtaking and all you have to do is ask.

...and now you're part of that, and your experience this season, may help someone next season: good eh?

You know it makes sense.

@GorillySticks, @Old Fartbag, and @planeurge, have it spot on, I wouldn't expect most staff in a travel agents office to be able to know what airport conditions are like throughout the world, they are there to sell you a nice holiday and a few upgrades😳

I've used Chambrey a few times, you can't predict what the weather conditions will be like anywhere, but it's just too small for the demands placed on it, and becomes a bun fight at peak periods, March shouldn't be too bad as its past peak period. I dislike GVA as a charter flight airport, although it's bigger they seem to send you round in circles and up and down stairs, with a couple of bus runs thrown in for good measure😡

Given the option I would avoid Chambrey during UK school holidays, other times I would use it.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

We went with CrystalSki to Finland. We were delayed by 11 hours coming back as our plane was diverted to Geneva as people had been bussed there from Chambrey. Snow conditions were fine at both Heathrow and Finland so we weren't affected by snow as such, just that it was an operational matter. Anyway, we applied to Thomson for a refund because of flight delay. They refused. We were emailed by a speculative non win/no fee solicitor who took it on. We received a refund of £800.00, and the solicitors got £400.00. Had Crystal treated us like decent human beings, hadn't left us to get on with it in a café for 9 hours with two very bored kids and then not treated us with utter contempt when we had the audacity to complain, we probably wouldn't have taken matters further.

A snowHead

It's Chambery folks. Or to be absolutely correct Chambéry (with the acute accent).

Chambrey sounds like some home counties perry you all drink at christmas time. Just saying...

A snowHead

@andyrew, ChamBerry would be a better name than 'British Fizz'....!

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2017/01/americans-coin-new-name-for-english-sparkling/

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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On the other hand if you can get a window seat for the landing into Chambery it's bloody brilliant. Most of the problems are on the return leg where you have to hang around in a too-small airport for ages, which is what sticks in your head more easily as it's on the way home! Saying that, I did Grenoble for my last trip and that was pretty bad too.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Crystal are pants though Wink

Best effort so far was failing to turn up for their own bar crawl...we found the rep in pub #3 - apparently they 'forgot'.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Used Chambery a lot, I would pick it through choice. Yes it can be chaotic, but it cuts the transfer down. So far never had an issue with it and been through about 10 times, certainly equivalent to the other french airports in hassle and queues, baggage scrum etc. Plus the view going in and out is fantastic.

In short don't worry

After all it is free

Been through Chambery twice - would never use it again, but not for the fog problems (fine both times). It is just horrific on the way home with inefficient queuing systems and unhelpful, useless staff. We took off two hours late last year, JUST because of the badly managed queues for security - no other reason. A helpful member of airport staff told us we should have turned up earlier (we were there 3 hours before flight time). It makes me cross just thinking about that airport!!!!

I used to work as a rep for Crystal and regularly got to see the joys of Chambery on a transfer day from the "other side of the fence" Just horrific. I think I had two or three diversions throughout the season, and I only did Chambery airport runs every other week so a 20%/30% hit rate. When planes weren't diverted the departures and arrivals were absolute chaos, simply nowhere near enough room, check in gates, security access points etc. inside the terminal building for that many people. In the years before that, as a regular punter, I encountered one diversion (to Lyon) and one 8 hour delay in about 7 or 8 times of flying there.

I'd always choose Geneva over Chambery. Yes it's a longer journey but only by an hour, and the passport control / check in / luggage claims are actually fit for purpose for the amount of people going through. Plus there's a better chance that your flight will actually be able to land.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Have been to Chambery a few times years ago. Was always a bun fight then, no room & baggage/skis etc could be on any carousel. Sounds like nothing has changed. We are flying out of Chambery in April but managed to fly in from Geneva. But having said that I have never had an issue with bad weather & being diverted.

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Crystal Ski...... Experts?

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