Monarch expands summer schedule

UK AIRLINE group #Monarch has announced the addition of #flights and #holidays to its summer 2016 schedule. The expansion includes two new routes: Manchester, London Gatwick and Birmingham to Lisbon, and Birmingham to Madrid. 

Monarch also said that an additional Airbus A320 aircraft will be based at Birmingham Airport for summer 2016. This brings the total number of aircraft flying for Monarch to 35, with nine based at Birmingham.

The new flight services from Birmingham to Madrid will commence on June 17, operating thrice weekly, while the new Birmingham-Lisbon route will start from June 20, with four services per week. The fares start from £79 for both. The Manchester-Lisbon route starts on May 5, while Gatwick-Lisbon will start on May 3, both operating three flights per week with fares starting from £69.

Following the launch of flights from London Luton earlier this month, a new route from Manchester to Tel Aviv will start on April 19, operating thrice weekly with fares starting from £110.

The extended summer 2016 schedule also includes additional services to several of the airline’s most popular destinations such as Malaga, Alicante, Majorca, and Tenerife.

www.monarch.co.uk.

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Advance summer bookings to the Canaries up 38%

2016 SUMMER bookings to the Canary Islands have increased by more than one third as British holidaymakers look to ‘trusted’ destinations that are perceived as safe. 

‘For next summer we have seen a 38% increase in packages sold,’ says the destination’s regional minister for tourism, María Lorenzo.

‘I think security concerns are the main reason for this increase in advanced bookings, because they [British holidaymakers] are not sure about travelling to other destinations. The #CanaryIslands are safe, and a #destination they trust.’

The UK is the number one market for the Canaries, representing more than 30% of total arrivals to the six islands the destination comprises. Tenerife remains the favourite island for the Brits, followed by Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, La Palma, and El Hierro.

‘The UK market is extremely important to us and it’s still growing,’ said Ms Lorenzo. ‘From January to September this year more than three million British tourists visited the island, an increase of 3.3% compared to the same period last year (January to September 2014).’

The strong value of sterling versus the euro, the Canaries’ year-round warm climate, and its diverse offering were key factors driving more Brits to the destination. As a result, she said, the repeat business rate from the UK was 84%.

Ms Lorenzo said her job was to build on this momentum by lobbying for improved air connectivity from the UK to the Canaries, with a focus on flights from the North and South-West England. ‘We also need to renovate hotels, provide modern infrastructure, and invest in the islands to ensure they remain attractive.’

The Canary Islands have launched a website – hellocanaryislands.com – which features more than 2,600 photographs, videos, and other resources highlighting the islands’ attractions.

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Picture Credit: Fotos Auditorio Alfredo Kraus - Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - Islas Canarias by JUAN RAMON RODRIGUEZ SOSA - Fotos Auditorio Alfredo Kraus Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Up in the air …

Monarch Airlines has expanded its schedule for summer 2016. New routes from Leeds Bradford to Malaga and Manchester to Gran Canaria are part of Monarch Airlines’ expanded schedule for summer 2016. Extra frequencies have been added from Birmingham to Gibraltar and Ibiza; Gatwick to Ibiza, Rhodes, Paphos, and Verona; Leeds Bradford to Naples; and Manchester to Ibiza.

Flybe has released its 2015-16 winter schedules to and from Stansted and Bournemouth Airport. Its thrice daily service to the Isle of Man from Stansted, which was launched in March, will continue to operate between October 25, 2015 and March 26, 2016, making it a year-round route. Flybe’s winter schedule from Bournemouth will include six routes to Amsterdam, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Dublin, Glasgow, Jersey, and Manchester.

United Airlines will be offering its customers from Northern Ireland a year-round non-stop service from Belfast to Newark, New York.


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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8269539@N04/9648446330">Monarch Airlines</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license),http://www.flickr.com/photos/27828336@N00/3519634225">Flybe</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license) 

Thomas Cook launches 2016 brochures

THOMAS COOK has launched eight short and mid-haul brochures and five e-brochures for all-inclusive, families, and adults for Summer 2016 holidays with the #ThomasCook and Airtours brands. 

More than 130 Thomas Cook Hotels & Resorts are on sale, including four new additions to the Thomas Cook exclusive hotels portfolio. 

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland’s new commercial director, Chris Mottershead, said: ‘We have added 25 new properties to our programme across a range of popular destinations which will cater for all types of holidays. We’ve also listened to feedback from our customers and have dropped a number of properties which didn’t come up to scratch with our quality expectations.’

Thomas Cook has added the Greek island of Thassos to its 2016 programme, featuring three hotels and with two flights a week departing on Thomas Cook Airlines every Friday from London Gatwick and Manchester.

Following customer feedback, Thomas Cook has added 25 properties to its summer programme across a range of destinations, including Sharm el Sheikh, Turkey, Ibiza, Skiathos, Parga, Kefalonia, Crete, and Corfu.

Meanwhile, Thomas Cook Airlines will launch two flights a week to both Los Angeles (Monday and Saturday) and Boston (Monday and Friday) from Manchester, from May 2016.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41153475@N04/10297384423">G-TCAD A320 Thomas Cook</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)