 Poster: A snowHead
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Just wondering about this (and a couple of other threads are getting polluted with chat on this topic).
How many people are drastically altering (e.g. driving instead of flying) or thinking of outright cancelling a trip for next season as a consequence of flights (especially half term ones) being so expensive?
I'm seriously considering driving, which previously I would have thought an act of madness.
How is it affecting you?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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All my trips to the Alps next season will be by car because I can only go in school holidays and therefore driving a family of 4 is cheaper than flying 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Flying was cheaper than driving for my trip to Tignes in December for 3 weeks, I'm going to drive though so I can take as much stuff as I want for 3 weeks without worrying about the luggage allowance, baggage people trashing my kit or them losing any of it! Plus fancied a change. I'm a bit sick of airports now. For more expensive times though the costs are comparable as long as there are at least 2 passengers going I think. It's a bit pricey driving to France for one person.
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I'm flying to Tignes for a weekend in December (if Easyjet ever release the flights) which I hope wont be very expensive. Also flying to Zermatt at half term, got a good price with BA by booking as soon as they were released. I'm driving to Les Deux Alpes at Easter but for reasons other than flight costs. I must admit for cost and other reasons (the course I wanted to go on isn't running) I'm considering canning my January trip. Original plans were probably too extravagant anyway.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I changed country, top that! (and went for a fuel-included company car)
I doubt that the relative cost of flying and driving will change that much - fuel must have gone up by c. 20%, too.
Had I stayed in the UK, it's most likely that I'd have had to cut back on 3 weeks plus 3 weekends.
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| horizon wrote: |
| I doubt that the relative cost of flying and driving will change that much - fuel must have gone up by c. 20%, too. |
The route I flew last half term is up by approximately 100%.
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None, driving isnt an option but have already booked flights and watched them increase since. The word is flights could increase by 40%, so hopefully will have a half empty plane 
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It doesn't directly affect me, but it does affect friends who might borrow our apartment at half term. The prices are horrendous - I do feel sorry for anyone stuck with this week. Driving is going to be very trying too, for anyone who can't get down very close to resort by Friday night, or travel on Sunday. Teachers have no option, but at the risk of starting another round of a familiar Snowheads argument, I think more people will think of taking their kids out of school and going at the cheap time in early January (which is what we always did when we went skiing with school age kids; we couldn't have afforded it otherwise).
Otherwise, I suppose a lot of people will go in the March/Easter holidays - or at Christmas. My teacher daughter and her partner are now looking at Christmas/New Year, travelling on the less popular days.
Driving will certainly be substantially than those half term flights, even with an overnight stop. Return Stansted/Geneva with one bag and a pair of skis, £400!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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none at all, flight costs are slightly more than hoped for but not prohibitively so. We don't ski at half term because of the extortionate cost, preferring Easter instead for our one family ski week. Other trips are long weekends during off peak times.
Not surprised by the high cost of half term week given that it;s the same week for the whole of the UK next year.
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I'm booked in for a week in the Ski Amade from 10-17 January, with flight costs at £170pp all in, compared to £200pp for a New Year trip last year, or £105 for a pre-Easter trip, so I'm not seeing a major increase for the main part of the season. This of course depends on which carrier you are flying with and from/to where, and certainly this year both Ryanair and Easyjet were up significantly compared to the prices I was seeing last year when I did a full costing for our trips. The direct result of this is that I'm flying with Jet2.com from Leeds/Bradford rather than from Stansted, Luton or Coventry which are my preferences as far as airports go, or Thompson/Easyjet/Ryanair as carriers who have provided flights for me previously.
Half term and New Year have always been expensive, but this year with synchronised half term dates over most of the UK, it looks like many of the TOs and airlines are trying to screw as much cash as they can out of their customers, since their usual 2-week rush period is going to be half that this year, so the prices need to be twice as much...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| ousekjarr wrote: |
| this year with synchronised half term dates over most of the UK, it looks like many of the TOs and airlines are trying to screw as much cash as they can out of their customers, since their usual 2-week rush period is going to be half that this year, so the prices need to be twice as much... |
That's a very astute observation, hadn't thought about it in quite those terms.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The flights I paid £520 for last February half-term are £1400 this year.
So, I'm either going to drive or go at Easter.
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We're flying into Seattle and driving up rather than flying directly into BC - but that's a bit of a quirk of the pricing structure as it every 3 years or so it seems to be significantly cheaper to do it that way. Otherwise will drive out usual at Easter.
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You know it makes sense.
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Since I can't drive or swim across the Atlantic, I'll have to swallow the far higher fuel surcharge. Bigger issue is my wife's "significant" birthday is buggering up my usual World Economic Forum ski week on empty slopes in Davos.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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No affect. When I work, I work hard enough so that when I need the break, I just do! I wonder if all the price increases will affect the resorts this year, I appreciate that as a punter it would be more difficult to judge as the week you are there could well be the week for some reason the resort is full. Skiing can be an expensive holiday, money will be spent by us all, we may save a few € on flights but IME seem to spend the savings made there in the resort with that extra bottle of wine at lunch! Will let you know re rental occupancy at end of season. My feeling is that it may not, but that is only a feeling!
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Poster: A snowHead
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The projected overall cost of our annual family christmas ski trip hasnt rised considerably. Because we're staying in cheaper accomodation.
Saying that we haven't booked our flights at the moment and yes for the budget airlines even at peak times they are expensive.
I have contemplated taking eurostar then TGV as an alternative, but I'm sure thats no cheaper.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Driving to the North America can be a bit of a challenge 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Seems to have hit families hardest then, which makes sense. The independent traveller, couple without kids, group of lads, etc. can not only be flexible with dates to avoid the school holidays which the airlines are really exploiting this year, but can swallow the extra cost a little more easily than a family of 4+ where at least 2 of the punters can't pay for themselves and the cost therefore takes on a big muiltiplier.
I definitely don't see it affecting my usual January trip with my mates, the Feb family do is another matter. Am right on the cusp of booking something, but still wavering a bit and wondering whether to move it to Easter.
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I'm thinking of binning a States trip I was planning. I was planning to see family as well as ski - but the family member may be coming over here this year - so part of the reason for going may have gone. Looking at a mix of cost and convenience, driving out to the Alps (which involves buying winter tyres, as well as the more obvious costs) and slinging the Rockies is looking to have the edge.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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stanton, but sounds like a fun challenge though
Handy living only a 5 hour drive from a significant portion of the alps. In general, prices for car (fuel+parking), plane (inc. transfers), and train (inc. transfers) all come out about the same for a single traveller, independent of recent fuel price rises. FRA-GVA with inclusive transfers to chalet comes out much less if you book early.
Train in general needs about 4 changes and all the associated hassle of bundling onto a train with shedloads of gear. Plane is a bit better with private transfers or rental car.
Car gives ultimate flexibility and opportunity to fine tune arrival/departure for extra (half) days on the slopes.
So probably car again for me (with Winter tyres this time)
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High fly costs are a good thing.
The environmental cost of (99p) budget flights to Europe clearly isn't factored in.
Especially when people are flying over for weekend trips etc.....
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Haggis_Trap, yawn yawn
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Well if we all carry on yawning there might not actually be much snow left in 40 years time....
Though I suspect that could be the least of future generations worries.
Environmentally I need to hold my own hand up - probably as guilty as the next.
However clearly we cant all carry on flying ryan air for 99p...
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Tue 8-07-08 11:12; edited 1 time in total
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
High fly costs are a good thing.
The environmental cost of (99p) budget flights to Europe clearly isn't factored in.
Especially when people are flying over for weekend trips etc..... |
Environmental offsetting should be part of a constant taxation that is applied to flights, not to the flight costs themselves.
And there is no imaginable 'environmental' reason why a flight on Feb 14th should be twice or three times as expensive as the same flight one week earlier.
Higher costs as a 'green' solution is controversial anyway as all it does is ensure that only the wealthy can damage the enviroment, rather than fix the problem of environmental damage. But this is all a different subject and I would prefer this thread to stay on topic please.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I'm going to drive in December, then back in May 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Swirly, me too!
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| Swirly wrote: |
| I'm going to drive in December, then back in May |
Nice - which resort did you decide on?
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You know it makes sense.
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Swirly, yeah where you going?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
And there is no imaginable 'environmental' reason why a flight on Feb 14th should be twice or three times as expensive as the same flight one week earlier.
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Not to mention a half empty plane does no less demage to the environment as a full plane either.
My holidays are limited by the amount of time off rather than by cost. So, I'll carry on with flying to whatever holiday destination I fancy. Due to the limit of time, I usually fly directly to airport as close to slope as I can find. That reduced travel cost the environment less, even if it cost ME more in ticket price. Though since I'm by no means rich, I tend to economize by going to destination that are cheaper and hunting for flights that are cheaper. So I'm helping to fill the most empty planes/slopes/hotels, which has fixed environmental impact even if no customer comes, rather than overloading the busy ones.
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar, VolklAttivaS5, Les Deux Alpes, still 5 months but I can't wait.
Annie, where are you off to?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Swirly, nice one - bet you can't. Am v envious.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Swirly, are you going on your own and getting an apartment on your own too?
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| Quote: |
I'm going to drive in December, then back in May
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Good luck with finding a parking space.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Probably going to have to abandon our trip to Ischgl at halfterm - flights £250 each to Munich with Easyjet for family of four. Unfortunately we are a party of 12 and I am finding it difficult finding anything else. Have sat in Travel Agents this afternoon trawling through stuff, but not at all easy so have left it with them to find us something. With 12 people either the flights are full or not enough accommodation. Haven't cancelled hotel yet as holding out for a miracle that Innsbruck flights are within reason, but then it would be a problem as they are Sunday to Sunday, so an extra night in a hotel is an extra cost factor.
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| Quote: |
dare I say, it no skiing at all this New Year and booking at a different time |
It's a bit cussed to go at New Year if you have the alternative to go at a cheaper, quieter, time with more likelihood of good snow.
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Have just made the decision not to wait in vain any longer for any 'cheap' flights yet to be released for feb half term and have booked Eurotunnel. Out on Friday 13th Feb and returning Sunday 22nd for total of £137.00. With four of us travelling it really does seem to make economic sense to drive even factoring in all the additional costs of staying overnight both ways. Have always flown before so it will be a new experience but one i'm quite looking forward to. Given that a lot of people may be thinking along the same lines I didn't want to run the risk of not getting the crossing i wanted and also wasn't sure if the prices on Eurotunnel go up the nearer you get to departure date? Will be heading to Le Grand Bornand so not the longest drive and also hopefully not too crowded with us Brits but will have to see!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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loatie, £137 for a return tunnel crossing over half term weekends sounds like good value. Was this booked direct with euro tunnel or elsewhere ?
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We are a family of seven . I have a good flat in Sauze Doulx which is cheap ( belongs to a friend) flights from Stansted to Turin are £1069 95 for February half term, coming bacjk on the Thursday though. I am waiting to see easyjet price from Luton to Turin. Anyone any ideas when they will be released?
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