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Lesvos spring 2010 flights info (1 Viewer)

Steve Dudley

Steve Dudley

aka The Toadsnatcher
United Kingdom
I'm getting lots of folk telling me they are having problems booking direct charter flights (from Gatwick/Manchester) for Lesvos next spring. Things seem to be worse than usual following the merger of First Choice and Thompsonfly routes, inc. Lesvos. Thompsonfly's online booking system hasn't been working for weeks (comes up with flights not available) and some local agents are telling people there aren't any flights to Lesvos next spring!

I've just put a 2010 flights update on the Lesvos Birding website inc. a link to the Thompsonfly schedule for 2010 (Gatwick and Manchester) so you can get the flight info you need and be armed when you call/visit your local agent.

The other shock will be the cost with flights booked today costing £400 return.

I've also added info for flights via Athens which will save you around £100 for a return trip.

I'll continue to update this page as and when things change.
 
We called into our local Thomson shop the other day, I love it when they tell me, flights to Lesvos don't start until May.
I then ask them how we have been for umpteen years to Lesvos in April.
Its right that the website does not advertise flights in April, but the lady who had the pleasure of searching for us delved deeper into another Thomson website and found flights to Lesvos in April, how does £638 sound, do you want to book it now.....NO!!!
I mentioned to her that Travel Republic website have been advertising flights in April and May for a few weeks now, so why don't Thomson......the most blank expression you could wish to see!!! Its still £303pp for flights on 15 April 2010, but I'm sure common sense will prevail and prices will tumble.
 
Hi Donald

I'm sure you're right and that if you shop around now you can find cheaper options. Thompson are advertising flights on their website, just you can't book them when you try and click through! Thats the problem most folk I've heard from are having. Not everyone ha you're nerve to stick it out for cheaper prices on the charters.

I've also just found out that Aegean have now finalised their new Heathrow to Athens schedule and you can now fly with them to Lesvos, changing at Athens, on the same day (required an overnight stay in Athens until recently). Price is around £290. Flight details are on my website for those who are interested.
 
I'm still heating about people having difficulties getting flights as some agents are claiming there are no charter places available to Lesvos in spring. This is not the case. There are charter flights available, as well as reasonable packages, and there are good flights via Athens.

If you're encountering difficulties please see the flight info page on www.lesvosbirding.com which I will update as and when I have any news.
 
Lesvos Sat 1st May 2010 - Manchester, Manos flight time put back

We had word today that this flight now departs from Manchester at 14.00 arrivng Mitilene at 19.55 - effectively loosing us a day compared to what we're used to with the Thursday flights.
Those beggers!
:C
 
Mick Sway said:
We had word today that this flight now departs from Manchester at 14.00 arrivng Mitilene at 19.55 - effectively loosing us a day compared to what we're used to with the Thursday flights.
Those beggers!
:C
Click to expand...

So I guess we're standing by now to hear from our travel agent, Mick? I'll give them a day or so then phone and ask if they've something to tell us!
It's OK saying we gain nearly a day at the end of the holiday - but I just want to get home then - and the car will have been collected!

Sandra
 
BBC4 have a programme about Lesvos on Sunday (17th) at 21:00 called 'Aristotle's Lagoon'. Not about birds but of interest to those of us who have been to Lesvos maybe.
 
Charter flights are still proving problematic. I was told at the weekend charters were quoting around £480 pp for a return flight. You can get a package with them for less than that!

Traveling via Athens is now becoming popular with Aegean Heathrow-Athens-Mytilini returns flights coming in at around £285. See the Lesvos Birding website for fight times, etc.
 
Well, its Aegean's turn to start mucking things up now. For those who have booked with Aegean this spring, then please check your flights with them again. They are rescheduling some flights and some of the Athens to Mytilini flights are now being handled by another carrier.
 
Do other holiday place suffer with flights like Lesvos, every year its the same.
We always like to go on the first flight out, 15 April this year for two weeks.
The flight was advertised by Thomson from the new year, but who wants to pay £798 for two people, two years ago we paid £103 each, but thats another story.
I investigated this with Thomson asking why now has this flight been deleted from their website, I was told the flight was not selling, well it won't sell if its not been advertised......they also told me it could be "stop sale", which apparently means that the flight could be back on their website at some stage.
I asked what happens if people have booked this flight, they will receive a letter, did anyone on BF book this flight????
Now, as Steve says, Aegean are messing people about.
I was looking recently at Easyjet flying Manchester-Athens, but then you have to connect to a flight from Athens-Mytilene, and it goes on.....
 
Hi Donald

I hope you Jennifer are well and havent suffered in this winter of ours. I bet like we you cant wait to feel the island under your feet again! Not long now!

A couple of issues at play here.

Charters - they are really feeling the pinch and they need to sell package deal (flight and hotel) to fill the hotels so they don't incur penalty charges with the hoteliers for empty rooms. So, they're advertising high flight only prices to get people to switch to a package which very often is cheaper than the flight only option! But you might not necessarily want to stay in the accommodation provided in the package. I know some folk who have taken a package then not used the accommodation and booked their own on top. I know charter packages are cheap, but from the hoteliers' perspective they can be crippling with some hoteliers making as little as a couple of euros per guest per night from package deals (one hotelier told me that he would make more from the charter companies for unfilled rooms!).

Aegean - they're in a bit of a mess since switching their operations from Stansted to Heathrow. When I went to book my flights Aegean couldn't offer a same day set of flights Heathrow-Athens-Mytilini. So I booked the Heathrow-Athens bit with BA and I'm fine. Aegean then altered their schedule and you could do Lesvos via Athens on the same day. But recent schedule changes suggest you cant do this and those who have booked thinking they can are struggling to get info from Aegean. So, its not great. I'm currently trying to find out more from Aegean by going through Athens, but I'm not holding out much hope. Cost via Athens, be it with BA/Aegean or Aegean, are working out at around £285ish ppvat present.

Good luck folks. I'm sure I'll still see many of you out there this spring.
 
Aegean Airlines - no longer able to fly UK to Lesvos in single day

I've just discovered that Aegean have again altered their flight schedule which again means that you can no longer fly between the UK and Lesvos on the same day. Those with booked flights are currently being informed by Aegean of this and being offered new flights (across two days) or a refund.

You can still get to Lesvos via Athens on the same day by using BA or another carrier to Athens and then using Aegean on to Lesvos (and vice versa for the return home) for significantly less than you can currently buy a charter flight (I expect the saving will be around £180+ per person).

See my Lesvos Birding website for current BA and Aegean connecting flights to and from Lesvos or contact your local agent.
 
Last edited:
I just phoned FirstChoice re holidays at Kalloni II this spring. Nowt on their web-site which seems dysfunctional anyway.

After much waiting I was quoted £1000 for two people b and b, two weeks from May 6th. This without extras for likes of inflight food, check in and whatever other scams Thomson Air are up to this year.

This compares with £711 for same holiday at same last year which though was booked online in February.

No quotes available for earlier departures.

Ron

ps I know it perhaps makes me a bit of a s--t but always nice to watch the faces of bird tour punters when you tell them the price of your holiday compared with theirs!
 
I have just had a call from Thomson to tell me the flight for 15 April is still not on the website....I do look myself a good few times a day.
Why can't they come up with some positive news, its always the same for that first flight to Lesvos.
She told me we could go on 22 April, but its £500 each, just for the flight.....get real Thomson.....its cheaper to fly to Sydney in Australia.
In another email I received they told me the seats were not selling......Question: If Thomson don't advertise the flight...how do they expect to sell seats.....they should have their own comedy show, but the thing is nobody is laughing..!!
 
ronjax said:
ps I know it perhaps makes me a bit of a s--t but always nice to watch the faces of bird tour punters when you tell them the price of your holiday compared with theirs!
Click to expand...

Not really comparing like with like though are you. Most tour company punters only need to know how to sleep, eat, drink, go to the toilet and know which direction to look in when told to. Everything else is done for them - no organizing to do, no driving to do, no bird finding to. That of course doesn't stop very knowledgeable folk going on such trips much to the benefit of the other participants. And please don't forget that not everyone is confident enough to arrange an overseas birding holiday for themselves. Each to their own eh, we're all there to watch the birds and enjoy a holiday.
 
ronjax said:
Ron

ps I know it perhaps makes me a bit of a s--t but always nice to watch the faces of bird tour punters when you tell them the price of your holiday compared with theirs!
Click to expand...

When you stop to talk to them to get up to date gen via the tour leader no doubt ;)
 
We booked a package with First Choice going out on the 22nd.
Total £580 for a week. That's for 2 of us. Staying in Anaxos.
We haven't been before.
 
Last edited:
Rob Smallwood said:
When you stop to talk to them to get up to date gen via the tour leader no doubt ;)
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself!
In 2008 I was giving gen to Ian Lewington and Killian Mullarney and not the other way around. They had a party of mainly Yanks who were happy to be put on to stuff like Whinchats.
Last year there was more than enough info available from fellow watchers staying at Kall. II, too much to take advantage of in fact with me and my video camera. That's why "there's always next year" with Lesvos.

Ron
 
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