Cardiff: Winter and Summer Charter flights

[lbaspotter]

Jerry as promised. These are the only ad-hoc charters i could find for Cardiff over the winter 2017/18 season. Was really quite surprised to see that neither Thomas Cook or Thomson Holiday offer day trips for short breaks up to Lapland along with SantaHolidays.

Transun Travel Lapland - Lapland Xmas day trip
Sat – Dec 16th = Cardiff: 07:30 / Enontekio: 11:50 = ENT---- / B738
Sat – Dec 16th = Enontekio: 19:10 / Cardiff: 21:30 = ENT---- / B738

Newmarket Holidays - Lapland Xmas day trip
Sun – Dec 17th = Cardiff: 07:00 / Pajala: 11:20 = ENT601 / B738
Sun – Dec 17th = Pajala: 19:00 / Cardiff: 21:20 = ENT602 / B738

Superbreak - Arctic / Northern Lights Trip
Fri - Jan 12th = Cardiff: 08:30 / Akureyri: 11:30 = ENT501 / B738
Mon - Jan 15th = Akureyri: 12:30 / Cardiff: 15:30 = ENT502 / B738

Omega Holidays - Northern Lights evening trip
Mon – Mar 16th = Cardiff: 21:00 / Cardiff: 00:10* = TBC

 

[Jerry]

Jerry as promised. These are the only ad-hoc charters i could find for Cardiff over the winter 2017/18 season. Was really quite surprised to see that neither Thomas Cook or Thomson Holiday offer day trips for short breaks up to Lapland along with SantaHolidays.

Transun Travel Lapland - Lapland Xmas day trip
Sat – Dec 16th = Cardiff: 07:30 / Enontekio: 11:50 = ENT---- / B738
Sat – Dec 16th = Enontekio: 19:10 / Cardiff: 21:30 = ENT---- / B738

Newmarket Holidays - Lapland Xmas day trip
Sun – Dec 17th = Cardiff: 07:00 / Pajala: 11:20 = ENT601 / B738
Sun – Dec 17th = Pajala: 19:00 / Cardiff: 21:20 = ENT602 / B738

Superbreak - Arctic / Northern Lights Trip
Fri - Jan 12th = Cardiff: 08:30 / Akureyri: 11:30 = ENT501 / B738
Mon - Jan 15th = Akureyri: 12:30 / Cardiff: 15:30 = ENT502 / B738

Omega Holidays - Northern Lights evening trip
Mon – Mar 16th = Cardiff: 21:00 / Cardiff: 00:10* = TBC

Thank you very much for that!

 

[Jerry]

With a 07.30 departure Small Planet Airlines will operate the flight to Ivalo on the 7th December. I'm assuming it will be on an A320?

 

[Jerry]

Small Planet A321 due in from Ivalo today at 15.55.

 

[Jerry]

Just seen a post on the other forum saying that Superbreak is going to release more one off flights to new destinations.
Verona, Malta, Funchal and Tivat (Montenegro) are the destinations that were mentioned.
Cardiff, Exeter, Derry, Teeside, Humberside, Leeds, Bournemouth and Norwich are all mentioned as airports where the flights will depart from. If Cardiff gets these flights preferably to all the destinations that were mentioned then that would be great.
At the moment though even though the poster says they are onsale i can't find anything on Superbreaks website so definitely something to keep an eye on.

 

[Cruzeiro do Sul]

There is a link to Superbreak's forthcoming offerings on the Air Humberside Forums website. It shows as a posting by Humberside under Charter Flights, Special Departures.

 

[Jerry]

There is a link to Superbreak's forthcoming offerings on the Air Humberside Forums website. It shows as a posting by Humberside under Charter Flights, Special Departures.

Thank you for that!

 

[Jerry]

At the moment this is what's on sale for Cardiff.
Montenegro, Croatia and Adriatic Coast. 3 night break departs 21st September and return the 24th September.

Malta: Mdina and Gozo. 4 night stay depart 4th June and return 8th June.

Madeira:Funchal & Island experience. 7 night stay departing 2nd November and returning 9th November.

They also have as Coming Soon Gibraltar, Florence, Iceland for Summer 18 and Incredible Iceland for winter 2018/19 but none of these are bookable yet and it doesn't say what airport's either.

http://www.superbreak.com/flight-ho...publishers&utm_campaign=AW85386&stop_mobi=yes

 

[Jerry]

Will Montenegro and Funchal be the first time these have been offered from Cardiff Airport?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Will Montenegro and Funchal be the first time these have been offered from Cardiff Airport?

CWL used to have weekly charter flights to Funchal in summer. I can't remember the tour company although it's likely it was Thomson using their own airline. They ended nearly ten years ago, from memory. In 2007 for example CAA stats show that CWL handled nearly 10,000 passengers on the Funchal route and airports such as Bournemouth (8,000 in the year) and Exeter (13,000 in the year) also had regular charter flights. I remember flying from Bristol to Funchal with First Choice (A320) in the mid 1990s long before easyJet turned up at BRS.

Montenegro is a bit more difficult to answer. I'm confident there have been no flights to Tivat before - not regular ones anyway. However, before the Balkan Troubles of the early 90s which led to the break-up of Yugoslavia nearly all regional airports, and these certainly included CWL, BRS and EXT in south west Britain, had regular weekly summer inclusive tour flights (often 3 or 4 a week) to various Yugoslav destinations (Yugo Tours was a main tour company for these) using such airlines as JAT, Aviogenex and Inex Adria. Whether Montenegro was a holiday destination via some of these holiday flights I'm not sure.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Further to my previous post, I've had a further look and I find that in summer 2005 the Funchal flight was operated by Astraeus on Mondays and was a joint flight with Leeds-Bradford. This is borne out by the annual passenger total that year - 4,800 - which is about half that for 2007 when the route was almost certainly CWL-FNC-CWL. I have the aircraft type down as a Boeing 737-700 in 2005.

What I don't know is which tour company Astraeus was operating for.

 

[Jerry]

Even though they are one offs it'll be good to see them on the departure boards. Malta as well. It's a pity CWL didn't get the Verona flight as well but that may be understandable as Northern Italy is well served from CWL. Fingers crossed as well CWL gets included in the 2 Iceland flights and the Gibraltar flight as well when they go onsale.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Good job for Cardiff Airport to work with this type of operator to provide a series of one flights. Cardiff Airport started doing the same with Newmarket Holidays who despite only now operating the Santa flight they still sell seats on Flybe flights as far as i'm aware.

More of these partnerships can do great things especially if said operators end up increasing flights due to demand and could lead to an airline operating them on a frequent basis.

 

[Jerry]

News

22 NOVEMBER
Unique Northern Lights flight experience announced from Cardiff
Departing on Friday 16th March 2018, the three hour ‘night flight’ jets off from Wales’ national airport in what will be a brand new and unique way to explore the skies in search of the Northern Lights.

This one-off adventure will begin with an on-board presentation by some expert astronomers, who’ll provide an overview of the popular phenomenon, before joining guests for take-off around the Northern Hemisphere to seek out one of the world’s natural wonders.

The package includes in-flight astronomers’ commentary, the services of an Omega Holidays tour manager and on-board refreshments. The trip is bookable through local travel agents.

Spencer Birns, Commercial Director at Cardiff Airport, commented: “Our customers will love this unique opportunity to discover the Northern Lights with a starry flight from Cardiff. What a new and interesting way to discover the sky at night.

We’ve seen many exciting charter packages added already this year including Super Break trips to Northern Iceland and Seville in 2018, so it’s great to add Omega Holidays’ new departure. We look forward to more announcements from Omega Holidays in the future and to welcoming their passengers in 2018.”

BACK TO NEWS

https://www.cardiff-airport.com/new...hts-flight-experience-announced-from-cardiff/

 

[Jerry]

News

19 DECEMBER
Super Break Announces More Exclusive Short Breaks from Cardiff Airport
Due to the popularity of recently announced packages to Iceland and Seville in 2018, Super Break has added five new departures to its offering of short breaks available from Cardiff, taking off in 2018/19.

These new departures will offer holidaymakers the chance to visit even more of Europe’s most exciting destinations from their local airport:

• Malta – Including Gozo Calypso Island Full Day Tour, Mdina at Nightfall Tour and option to add on a visit to European Capital of Culture 2018, Valletta*. Departs 4th June 2018.
• Montenegro, Croatia and the Adriatic Coast – Including Dubrovnik – Pearl of the Adriatic Full Day Tour and Best of Montenegro Full Day Tour. Departs 21st September 2018.
• Madeira - Including Madeira Island Highlights Tour and Funchal Sightseeing Tour. Departs 2nd November 2018.
• Iceland under the Midnight Sun - Midnight Sun Whale Watching and Lake Myvatn Adventure Nature at its Best Tour. Departs 22nd June 2018. On sale soon.
• Incredible Iceland – Including the Search for the Northern Lights Tour and Lake Myvatn Land of Fire and Ice Experience. Departs 12th January 2018 and 28th December 2018, and 21st January 2019. On sale shortly.

These announcements quickly follow the sell-out success of an inaugural flight in January 18 to Akureyri in Northern Iceland, the first direct route of its kind to this incredible part of the country from the UK. To complement this, Super Break has added a not-to-be-missed Midnight Sun experience in North Iceland next summer, for a once-in-a-lifetime getaway and the chance to experience the natural phenomenon of an ‘endless day’.

For those seeking warmer climes, Super Break has added some stunning package breaks to Malta and Madeira, plus a trip taking in Montenegro, Croatia and the Adriatic Coast – making up the operator’s biggest ever flight programme for 2018, as the short break specialist expands its exclusive services further to launch new flights and in-destination travel experiences to some of the hottest locations in Europe.

Katherine Scott from Super Break said: “We’re incredibly proud and excited to be launching our new chartered flight programme, providing holidaymakers from Wales with a brand-new selection of incredible travel experiences to choose from in 2018. Following the huge demand for our exclusive flights to Akureyri, Iceland, we have expanded the schedule from Cardiff Airport to now offer unforgettable travel experiences in five of Europe’s most exciting destinations, helping to connect more holidaymakers to new locations on the continent and beyond, all from their local airport.”

Deb Barber, CEO of Cardiff Airport added: “We’ve seen a huge increase in unique and unforgettable short breaks added to Super Break’s Cardiff schedule this year, and it’s great to see them offer something a little different for our customers.”

Destinations like Iceland, Madeira and Montenegro are welcome additions to the choice of destinations available from Cardiff, they’re proving hugely popular so far and we look forward to more exciting announcements in the future.”

All exclusive breaks with Super Break include in-destination experiences, central accommodation, return flights, 20kg of luggage, 5kg hand luggage with transfers also included. To book the trip of a lifetime, visit the Super Break website or call 0800 042 0288

https://www.cardiff-airport.com/new...-exclusive-short-breaks-from-cardiff-airport/

 

[Jerry]

Looks like the airport is promoting the Northern Lights flight with Omega Holidays. There is an article in Wales Online and a promotional email as well that i was sent.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-...n-lights-during-3-14115949#ICID=FB-Wales-main


Catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights this March

Fly on Friday 16th March 2018 and enjoy a three hour 'night flight' to experience the the Aurora Borealis!

The Northern Lights is a spectacular natural light show. However, whilst some of the best views can be had from ground level, visibility can be hampered by surrounding light pollution or bad weather.

Omega Holidays’ unique flight excursions aim to eliminate some of the factors which may spoil a land based experience by positioning their flights above the earth's weather systems to give some impressive views of the Northern Lights and even the Milky Way.

The package includes:
• In-flight astronomers’ commentary
• An Omega Holidays tour manager
• On-board refreshments.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Looks like the airport is promoting the Northern Lights flight with Omega Holidays. There is an article in Wales Online and a promotional email as well that i was sent.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-...n-lights-during-3-14115949#ICID=FB-Wales-main


Catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights this March

Fly on Friday 16th March 2018 and enjoy a three hour 'night flight' to experience the the Aurora Borealis!

The Northern Lights is a spectacular natural light show. However, whilst some of the best views can be had from ground level, visibility can be hampered by surrounding light pollution or bad weather.

Omega Holidays’ unique flight excursions aim to eliminate some of the factors which may spoil a land based experience by positioning their flights above the earth's weather systems to give some impressive views of the Northern Lights and even the Milky Way.

The package includes:
• In-flight astronomers’ commentary
• An Omega Holidays tour manager
• On-board refreshments.

The Bristol Post has now done a feature on this, taken from its Trinity Mirror stablemate Wales Online. The Post article says it's a unique experience and that for the first time local people will be able to view the Northern Lights without travelling to Iceland, Sweden or Norway.

The fact that this sort of flight has been operating from many regional airports for a number of years and that an Omega Northern Lights flight will be operating from BRS the day after the CWL one seems to have escaped the notice of the Bristol Post's finest whose overwhelmingly principal source for articles is the press release issued by organisations.

Brownie points to CWL though because the Wales Online story would have emanated from the CWL press release. BRS doesn't seem to have issued one for their flight, so may lose some passengers to the Cardiff flight given the publicity afforded it in the Bristol 'newspaper'.

 

[Jerry]

The Bristol Post has now done a feature on this, taken from its Trinity Mirror stablemate Wales Online. The Post article says it's a unique experience and that for the first time local people will be able to view the Northern Lights without travelling to Iceland, Sweden or Norway.

The fact that this sort of flight has been operating from many regional airports for a number of years and that an Omega Northern Lights flight will be operating from BRS the day after the CWL one seems to have escaped the notice of the Bristol Post's finest whose overwhelmingly principal source for articles is the press release issued by organisations.

Brownie points to CWL though because the Wales Online story would have emanated from the CWL press release. BRS doesn't seem to have issued one for their flight, so may lose some passengers to the Cardiff flight given the publicity afforded it in the Bristol 'newspaper'.

I do wonder sometimes if the Bristol Post articles are essentially written by the same people at Wales Online and whether they are just essentially one team.
Either way it is good advertising for CWL in general in the Bristol area.

 

[Jerry]

The first Iceland flight with Superbreak flown by Enter Air departed today and Cardiff Airport has put up a few photos on their twitter account. Looks like a decent load on the flight as the gate area looks full.
https://twitter.com/Cardiff_Airport/status/951732884657885184
https://twitter.com/Cardiff_Airport/status/951734305566461952
https://twitter.com/Cardiff_Airport/status/951741089060392960
https://twitter.com/FlySmartJets/status/951800784882225153
https://twitter.com/SuperBreak/status/951820749320458240

 

[Jerry]

The Incredible Iceland packages for the 28th December and 21st January 2019 are now on sale.