Flights from Cardiff to Alicante or Murcia

Hi. Does anyone out there have any information as to whether any company is taking over from BMI Baby for flights to Alicante or Murcia after October 2011?    I can't believe the whole of Wales won't have any Airline to Spain - crazy!

 if you google it you will get the answer

Thanks - that was really helpful!  I'd already tried that but couldn't find the answer. 

 SORRY BUT I DID IT GOT ANSWER IN 2 SECS FONE THE AIRPORT

Many thanks (far more helpful than previous respondent - cheers!)   Quelle bummerre!  Flying from Bristol isn't really a problem but cost of car parking for 3 weeks plus is (can get lift to Cardiff but Bristol is too far to expect friends and family to travel).  The last few trips we've made to Spain have been using car and ferry, so looks like we'll have to continue down that route.  Luckily, now retired, our time is our own and can take afford to choose either to meander through France or pay a bit extra and take Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Santander.   Why oh why don't the likes of Easy Jet come in - there must be sufficient  population to sustain at least one budget airline?  Anyway, my moan over for the day - the sun is shining and I've a smile on my face! Thanks again.

We are just over 4 years from retirement at which time we plan to spend at least 6 months in the sun so wont need the airlines as we plan to drive our own car down for our stay.

Hopefully if the wife likes it and makes enough friends we will hopefully stay permanently !!

I too find it strange that there no cheap airline willing to come into Cardiff as there would be no competition and most hate the trip to Bristol as you need to go through the centre and out the other side  to get there plus then the parking, bridge tolls, petrol etc.

Also every bmibaby flight I have travlled on (around a dozen in the last few years) has been full and thats out of season, rumour was it was down to cost of landing / service fees at Cardiff. They also pulled out of Manchester which is perhaps more understandable due to competitino from Jet2

anyway they are going and no replacement on the horizon

regards

Thanks for that.  The reasons for me coming back to you are the following:

1. The dream of 6 months at a time (from our experience anyway) is fraught with difficulties because we can only get car insurance for being out of the country for 90 days at a time, so that obviously restricts us to half that.  House insurance is a similar problem.

2.  Apparently your NHS (unless you are of official retirement age) is only valid for 3 months, and although many people are getting by with a wing and prayer, it can only be a matter of time now before scanning passports and the likes of the NHS are linked to 1 huge computer!

3.  Driving to Bristol Airport - may be able to help you there - ignore the motorway signs for the Airport and, maybe with the aid of a GPS, circumvent Bristol - this is roughly (with the aid of Google Maps) how we go: 

Leave M5 at Junction 21:take A370 to Congressbury / Yatton:

After 7.4 miles, turn right onto Brockley Combe Rd..  Follow for 1.4 miles, then continue Downside Rd. for further 1.5 miles.  These are country roads - narrow but with littlie traffic.  In the snow which we did it in, not the best!

Turn right onto A38 [South] and at next roundabout take 3rd exit for Airport.

This route may take longer but it avoids potential traffic congestion around Bristol.

Hope this helps - good luck with your Spain planning and if I can help PM me.

Regards

This message was last edited by Spanishtogs on 06/09/2011.

This message was last edited by Spanishtogs on 06/09/2011.

 I tend to want to go to Barcelona area so BMIbaby were never very useful for me after they dropped the Barcelona flights. However I have used ThomsonFly from Cardiff to Malaga before and they were quite good, but they only have one flight a week. They also fly to Alicante  from Cardiff on Saturdays.

We are insured with M&S (who won an award for their car insurance).  Wanting to stay in spain for 5 months last year, we phoned the AA and couldn't believe the price they wanted for cover whilst we were there with our car.  We then phoned M&S and were told, 'No problem, 5 months comprehensive cover whilst in Spain....for a total extra cost of £40!!!  We haven't booked for this year yet, but we're hoping it's the same deal....

 Move your car insurance to Saga (you have to be over 50) and you automatically get car insurance for 12 months overseas with no extra charge. Saga home insurance allows 60 days holiday. Way around this is maybe to get one of your kids to stay for a few days every couple of months?

As yet we have never had our passport scanned in Spain. We also have a travel insurance policy. We do tend to come back every 6 weeks for a week.

Hope this helps.

Kevin

thanks all for your advice and help

Any other tips, potential problems etc with retirement in Spain