Post by abercymru on Aug 20, 2024 18:15:39 GMT
It's the only time I've been with them, just thought I'd give it a go as a couple of people I went with fancied it, so I thought I'd see what the atmosphere was like, etc. But it's not something I'd do again (nor would the others I travelled with). As you say, very high prices, and all the individually organised trips I've done have been smoother, ironically.
On the cost, they're clearly more expensive but that's the cost of the convenience of having an aircraft waiting to fly when it suits. Leaving Cardiff in the morning and enjoying a drink that evening at your destination just about anywhere in Europe. Getting up the day after the game, having breakfast, making your way to the airport, getting on flight and back home in time for tea. Places like Yerevan, Tbilisi and Baku you could well be looking at another day off work at either end to achieve that.
That's without the issue of getting to and from the main airports. If I lived in South Wales, younger and more pressure on my time then I'd use them more often. But I'm 10 miles from Stansted and winding down as far as work goes. There's plenty of people happy to use them so their offer obviously appeals to enough for them to operate. They do need to deal with their obligations on delays though. Personally I'd probably let them away with it, they got you to your destination in the end. The low cost carriers you want to to compare them with on price, will generally leave you high and dry no matter where you are.
Quite possibly I was unlucky that I went on a trip that just wasn't that same standard (and maybe they're normally good). On my trip there were two flights scheduled out, both sold as being in the morning to get there in the afternoon (as you say, leaving when you'd like to, able to enjoy a few drinks that evening, etc.). What actually happened was one flight left the following day, and one left arriving there late at night, so in both instances it was like losing that first day.
Then coming back I'm unsure how one flight went, but the other was delayed over three hours (and I'd presume not through any fault of theirs), which is fair enough. But the compensation isn't from them, it's from the airline but needed to be processed through them (as I understand it) as they booked it and have the details. But they're not cooperating with it. So it's not letting them away with it as such, and I'm not really in a position to let away with a few hundred £ unfortunately.