First Choice to drop Costa Brava

[IB4138]

Because of lack of demand, First Choice have dropped the Costa Brava from its brochures and will not be flying there from 2005.
They are unable to guarantee the price and quality ratio of the hotels used as a result of the downturn.
Cosmos is also reported to have dropped the Costa Brava and Ibiza, whilst Club 18-30 is said to have drop Benidorm.
Sharp hotel price rises are also attributed to adding to the problem, along with the strength of the euro and the trend towards low cost airlines.

[WHBM]

Most of the IT operators let go of the Costa Brava resorts (served through Gerona and Barcelona, and if you really know your IT history through Perpignan in France as well) some years ago, although the odd flight continued. Reus on the other side of Barcelona kept its flights for longer. But they're really destinations that time has passed by, until the low-costs started serving Barcelona in some strength, with pax mainly headed for the city rather than the old resorts.

Ibiza has not been a good low-cost destination because it is too seasonal, which Easy and Ryan don't care for (Baby seem happier with such destinations). There have been several operations started but a number seem to have retrenched.

If the hotels are able to put their prices up sharply they must be doing well from other sources.

[IB4138]

WHBM

The hotels don't have the business. They have scared it away by their pricing and are now groaning about their bookings being down 25%.

Also cannot understand your comment about Costa Brava being dropped by major companies years ago. Thomson, My Travel and first Choice are still there, at the moment.

[WHBM]

IB4138:

I suspect by your PPRuNe name you are closer to things than I am, but the days when there were plenty of charters from all round the UK to the Costa Brava at Gerona are long gone - it is rare nowadays to see Gerona up on the departure boards at all.

In fact a quick look at the Aena website for Gerona for today, Saturday, shows no holiday charters at all for the UK, just one to Rotterdam and one to Belgrade. I know Ryanair have started up low-cost schedules there, but they are serving a different market.

[IB4138]

Costa Brava is a summer season resort, with most flights commencing early May. Just from Manchester to Gerona, there are 9 charter flights per week and Reus 13 flights per week.

[mmeteesside]

Here at Teesside we only have Reus, and not Gerona as a charter, just once a week (with Spanair this summer ; for MYT)

mmeteesside
MME Movements (http://www.mmemovements.tk)

[Thomas_Cook_757-300]

Hi,
Thomas Cook may also be saying goodbye to the Costa Brava.

Thanks

Thomas_Cook_757-300