Balkan Holidays

[eastcoaster]

Balkan Ski Holidays have just put on sale a new destination from LBA to the winter ski resorts of Bulgaria.
Flights will operate from Sundays 19th Dec 2010 to 9th April 2011. Flight times are from Sofia arriving 1245, departing to sofia at 1345. Flights are believed to be operated by Balkan A320s.
This is the first time Balkan have operated winter ski flights from LBA.

 

[Aviador]

Excellent news Eastcoaster, nice scoop but I hope this isn't at the expense of their ski flight from Humberside. I have never been able to understand why until now they didn't operate from Leeds on the ski runs. Jet2 has proved that there is a large scope for winter ski business from LBA.

It seems this news is also being covered in the general thread for Winter 2010/11 but we don't have a thread for the airline and tour company 'Balkan Holidays' so i'll keep this thread open for general things related to Balkan Holidays.

 

[eastcoaster]

I also wonder if it is combined with another UK airport. They do this in summer, and also do it with the winter ski flights too.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks for that Humberside, I wasn't aware of that. I wonder if like Eastcoaster says, they might combine the flight with another airport such as Humberside? I know it isn't ideal to do this from both the operator and passengers prospective but if that is required to ensure workable loads then it can't be snarled at.

 

[ex_crew]

I would imagine they are waiting to see what the response is like first before they consider combining the flights. I think there will be no need to tie it up with Cardiff.

 

[Bigman]

So is Sofia a better destination than Plovdiv then? I always thought that if we picked up a winter route they would go for Plovdiv, but obviously not.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Plovdiv is usually a worse bet than Sofia for the ski season from regional airports.

My local airport at Bristol has one of the biggest regional airport ski programmes in the UK but even it lost Plovdiv a couple of years ago whilst retaining two Saturday flights to Sofia in the ski season.

Cardiff had a Plovdiv flight three winters ago, lost it because of very poor loads, and now, like LBA, is getting a Sofia next winter.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

The Airport company have now officially announced the new Balkan Holidays ski route to Sofia yesterday at last. There only a month late. Anyway at least they have now done somthing about it.

Here is the official press release from the LBIA website. http://www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk/newsandupdates-newsstory.php?storyid=20100318

New Bulgarian ski route with Balkan Holidays
18 March 2010

Photo Shows: (L-R): Tracey Burke of Balkan Holidays, Tony Hallwood LBIA Commercial Director , James Broughton Sales Manager LBIA

Balkan Holidays has announced a new route from Leeds Bradford Airport(LBIA) to Sofia in Bulgaria for the winter 2010/2011 season, targeting the expanding Yorkshire ski market.

Winter 2011 ski packages to Bulgaria from Leeds Bradford are now on sale, with prices starting from £222 for 7 nights departing on the 19 March 2011 staying at the Castle Apartments in Pamporovo – based on 6 people sharing a 2 bedroom apartment.

The tour operator currently operates summer charter flights serving the resorts of Bourgas and Varna in Bulgaria from Leeds Bradford. With the addition of this new winter route Balkan Holidays will be able to offer services throughout the year for passengers keen to travel to Bulgaria.

Rupert Diggins, Balkan Holidays Sales and Marketing Manager commented: “In light of the tremendous support we have received over many years for our Summer holiday programme from Leeds Bradford to Bourgas in Bulgaria we are delighted to introduce this new winter service to Sofia which opens up the popular Bulgarian ski resorts of Bansko, Borovets and Pamporovo to the Yorkshire Ski market”.

Tony Hallwood, LBIA Commercial Director, added: “This is great news for skiers who now have a wider choice of ski destinations from their local airport. As a non Euro destination Bulgaria is particularly attractive, offering excellent value for money.”

Summer 2010 and Winter 2010/11 holidays are on sale now and can be booked online on www.balkanholidays.co.uk, over the phone by calling 0845 130 1113 or by visiting your local travel agent.

ENDS

For press or media enquiries only please contact:
the Communciations Team on 0844 414 3342

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi all

Balkan Holidays re-start there weekly flights to Bourgas-Bulgaria this Sunday, May 23rd 2010. It looks as the service has once again been retimed. So instead of been an early Sunday morning service as planned the Balkan Holidays Air, Airbus A320 will now visit on a Sunday evening.

The reason for the change is that the inbound flight BGH5559 will operate direct into Leeds/Bradford. But the outbound BGH5560 service will once again operate via a stop at Humberside Airport to drop-off and Pick up passengers.

Flight operates as follows
BGH5559 = BOJ 16:30 – LBA 18:00
BGH5560 = LBA 19:00 – HUY 19:35
BGH5560 = HUY 20:30 = BOJ 02:00*

* Arrives Bourgas early Monday Morning.

 

[backtrack]

Sunday 22nd August's Balkan Holidays service was, Airbus A320 LH -BHB, had to be parked nose out on stand 23, away from the norm stand 7 with airbridge facilities. This was because both of the handling agents A320 towbars were out of service.

[rimg]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs389.snc4/45238_10150257165855414_619605413_14438826_2180982_n.jpg[/rimg]

 

[lbaspotter]

Sunday 22nd August's Balkan Holidays service was, Airbus A320 LH -BHB, had to be parked nose out on stand 23, away from the norm stand 7 with airbridge facilities. This was because both of the handling agents A320 towbars were out of service.

So what have they been doing with the based Thomas Cook, Airbus A320 while both towbars are out of service?

 

[backtrack]

They had got one brought over from Manchester for the timebeing untill our two are fixed. Airbus A320 are popular aircraft anyway all over the world and with like you say our based TCX, we could not of gone on without a bar.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi

Bad news to report

It looks like Balkan Holidays have axed its planned winter 2010/11 Ski flights from Leeds/Bradfford to Sofia already.

The service has dissappeared from the second edition brochers and now also from the Balkan Holidays website as well

 

[White Heather]

Disappointing, although given how there was a reduction in ski flights last year, not perhaps a surprise. I was surprised that they launched a new route this winter in the first place. Perhaps they were just testing the market. Lets hope when things pick up they try it again.

 

[White Heather]

I hjave just checked on the airport web site and in the 'flights and destinations' section, Sofia is still shown. If you click on it, there is now an asterisk against it and the footnote states that this route 'operates from winter 2011' - so it would appear it has been put back one year. At least it is planned to operate next year and hasn't gone to the wall for good.

 

[tleeds]

Hi all,

On the Leeds Bradford Airport website, there is a new advertisement stating that there is "Direct" flights to Croatia and Bulgaria, under the BH Brand this summer 2011. Have they bought seats on the LS Dubrovnik route?

Also, on the Dubrovnik issue, it says that they should start today on the Jet2.com website, but nothing is stated on the LBA website?

Can anyone shed any light on these issues?

Regards,
Tom.

 

[jason1-11]

Sunday is the big day for arrivals and departures into Dubrovnik from the UK.

 

[Aviador]

Is tomorrow's Bourgas flight the first one of the season?

 

[tleeds]

I think it might be Aviador, although I'm not sure if it was the first one last week.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks tomleeds!