Tuesday, December 04, 2007
No-frills airlines come to Corsica
The imminent acquisition of GB Airways by easyJet has caused a good deal of interest amongst those who are attached to the Island of Corsica.
At the moment, GB Airways, operating with their current partners British Airways, run two services between London and Corsica - a Sunday service to Bastia and another Sunday service to Ajaccio. Both run between May and September. When the easyJet deal is finalised, over the next couple of weeks, customers will have to book their flights on the easyJet website rather than BA's.
The good news is that easyJet are committed to maintaining the two services - at least for the coming season - and under their terms and conditions.
It's difficult to forsee how well the newcomer will be received on l'Ile de beauté. A survey carried out recently by Corsica Lista on easyJet's failure to get a route between Paris and Ajaccio showed a majority in favour of easyJet's stance, but there were dissenting voices. And just how the permanent residents, not known for their warmth toward big, brash, non-Corsican businesses like easyJet will react to the Orange and White livery is anybody's guess.
I enjoyed the flexibility offered by the GB Airways service a year or two ago when it was running Tuesday and Thursday flights as well as the weekend services. For now, I'm glad that the future of our Sunday service is assured and look forward to a day when easyJet starts thinking about expanding their small beginnings - maybe into April and October, as well as the other days of the week. But I wonder if they could be persuaded to keep the muted GB Airways livery on their planes?
At the moment, GB Airways, operating with their current partners British Airways, run two services between London and Corsica - a Sunday service to Bastia and another Sunday service to Ajaccio. Both run between May and September. When the easyJet deal is finalised, over the next couple of weeks, customers will have to book their flights on the easyJet website rather than BA's.
The good news is that easyJet are committed to maintaining the two services - at least for the coming season - and under their terms and conditions.
It's difficult to forsee how well the newcomer will be received on l'Ile de beauté. A survey carried out recently by Corsica Lista on easyJet's failure to get a route between Paris and Ajaccio showed a majority in favour of easyJet's stance, but there were dissenting voices. And just how the permanent residents, not known for their warmth toward big, brash, non-Corsican businesses like easyJet will react to the Orange and White livery is anybody's guess.
I enjoyed the flexibility offered by the GB Airways service a year or two ago when it was running Tuesday and Thursday flights as well as the weekend services. For now, I'm glad that the future of our Sunday service is assured and look forward to a day when easyJet starts thinking about expanding their small beginnings - maybe into April and October, as well as the other days of the week. But I wonder if they could be persuaded to keep the muted GB Airways livery on their planes?
# posted by Derekthered @ 8:27 AM 
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It is difficult to fly out of season. Hope Easyjet enable that to happen. No flights from Bristol this year via Nice because of some French monopoly and flights at half-term from Bristol have a £300 supplement - appalling.
Hi Mac
Can I give a plug to the low-carbon alternatives?
Eurostar to Paris, then TGV to Marseille, and overnight ferry to Corsica is probably the most civilised way of getting there. If you get the ferry to Propriano, and you get up early, you also get great views of Scandola and the Calanches de Piana.
It would be hard to find a more appropriate place to start a trip to Corsica than St Pancras with all its Corsican connections (patron saint of Corsican bandits and original burial place of Pasquale Paoli).
There's a consigne (left luggage office) at Marseille train station so you can stop over and explore the city.
Andy Miller
(There will be a direct Eurostar service to Avignon, but on Saturdays only, and only in the high summer).
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Can I give a plug to the low-carbon alternatives?
Eurostar to Paris, then TGV to Marseille, and overnight ferry to Corsica is probably the most civilised way of getting there. If you get the ferry to Propriano, and you get up early, you also get great views of Scandola and the Calanches de Piana.
It would be hard to find a more appropriate place to start a trip to Corsica than St Pancras with all its Corsican connections (patron saint of Corsican bandits and original burial place of Pasquale Paoli).
There's a consigne (left luggage office) at Marseille train station so you can stop over and explore the city.
Andy Miller
(There will be a direct Eurostar service to Avignon, but on Saturdays only, and only in the high summer).
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