San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu

The 'discussion' rumbles on and appears to be quite divsive, which in itself is v unusual for the San Stef forum.
That probably tells a story about how smoking has become v 'black and white'.
I did not mean to cause offence earlier this week - al fresco smoking is fine - that's where it should be, but just be considerate to the tables near you. You wouldnt blow smoke over your friends on your table, so why slyly blow it over your shoulder to affect the table(s) near you?

When we were in San Stef in 2010 and 2009 both hotels we stayed in had no smoking in their bars but never enforced it. Did it spoil our friendships with people we met? No.......but it would've been preferable if the people we'd met had stepped outside to smoke.

As for the UK the smoking ban has been brilliant. Not going home without smoke smelling clothes or a hoarse throat (or coughing in the night) has been fab.
More people going to pubs to eat and drink - many families would not have considered a good pub  to eat, without the smoking ban.
As for the argument that pubs have suffered because of the smoking ban - complete rubbish!

Pubs have suffered because
(i) Peoples eating and drinking habits have changed
(ii) It's become much cheaper to drink at home
(iii) Rents from the brewers have vastly increased
(iv) The large brewery conglomerates have inflicted around 3 price increases/year on beer for last 30 years ( the govt tax take is small compared to brewery price increases every year)

As for smokers thinking they have a right to inflict their filthy habit on others, why not congregate in your own room and let each other inhale each other's putrid smoke - the rest of us, especially my 2 year old grandson, shouldn't have to.

Seems like i upset a few

The irony of people smoking on a table next to us, whilst al fresco, is never lost on us when one person is smoking and deliberately blows his/her smoke away from their party on their table with no regard for 'strangers' sat next to them on another table.

We looked in November and I said  - we won't bother - about £280 each
Booked EJ in January and paid (with all the extras) £138 each - - you really do need to Pricewatch weekly and not panic buy.
If you can be a touch flexible - some days the prices are really good...

I think it depends where you fly from normally though, Tony.
I believe Ejet flies from Gatwick to Corfu everyday in the summer months. From the regionals it may only be twice a week, plus we now have the added impact of the Thomas Cook/Easyjet partnership at the regionals.
I just looked at Ejet Gatwick to Corfu and yes there are still reasonable deals available if one can be flexible. Bristol flights with Ejet defo not so though.

The remainder of September Ejet flights from Bristol for Sept 2013 have come online in the early hours today.

Although not visiting Corfu next year the Friday and Monday flights look quite expensive already - may have something to do with Thomas cook holidaymakers sharing the Ejet flights out of Bristol to some of the Southern Med countries.
I noticed on the Thomas Cook site last week their package holidaymakers could already book for mid to late Sept.
Regards BB

It could be that the days of ridiculously cheap flights are over. Let's face it, it was daft that you could fly a thousand miles for £20 if you were lucky.

I just checked what it would cost me to go to London and back tomorrow by rail: £229 - that's a 186 mile each way journey. Corfu is about 1,300 miles each way.

Mile for mile - that's 2,600 divided by 372 times 229 - the price for Corfu should be about £1,600

We have lived, I think, through a ridiculous period of unrealistic air fares.

I'm afraid you're comparing apples & pears there Jimbo.

Most air routes have competition in the form of a number of airlines.
Rail lines in UK - only one co. operates each route between two points.

But yes air travel did get v cheap mainly due to increased competition in last 10 years, now correcting itself somewhat.

Morning all from a slightly drier South Wales than of late - I have a question.

Normally by this time I've booked our flights to Corfu for July, however I haven't this year because the prices seem to be incredibly high regardless of the carrier. Last summer I paid roughly £250 each for our flights with Thomas Cook. The same flights for 2013 at roughly the same time are £360+ at the moment. Easyjet's prices have ballooned mainly I guess because you have to book your seats now.

Is this just a problem in Bristol and Cardiff or are the prices much higher regardless of where you fly from? If so are the prices going to stay this way because paying roughly £1200 (3 tickets) is a lot more money to find than £750.  

Hi Tredegar

We fly from Bristol all the time. We're frequent users of Easyjet.
Prices have shot up - it's more true than in the past that u have to try and book as soon as Ejet flights come out. And by that i mean the day they come out.

We fly to Faro, Portugal once or twice a year - we privately book an apartment so always fly Ejet. In July this year we paid £280 return for the two of us (thats the total price, so £140 each). We paid about the same for September this year. A couple of years ago same flights would've been about £100 each.
In June 2011 we paid £75 return for flights to Fuerteventura - the other week, 1st wk of November cost £140 each to Fuert.

I'm currently accessing Ejet website about 4 times/day waiting for September 2013 flights to Faro - sad maybe but i want to get best prices. I' m afraid it's the only way to get cheapest flights these says, esp on the popular routes.

Another development with Ejet this year and onwards is the following:
They signed a partnership deal with Thomas Cook - effectively some Thomas Cook package hols now use Ejet planes - TC have stopped using their own aircraft to some S European airports. This increases demand for Ejet seats, so prices ratchet up quite quickly. Good for Ejet, not so good for Ejet frequent flyers.
The days of cheap air travel are over, unless travelling in off peak season and that's not often.

So plan yr hols way in advance, watch Ejet website a few times/day and book as soon as the flights are released. Worry about accomodation booking after.

EDIT:
Bristol to Corfu is one of the routes that TC is using Ejet for its package hols next Summer - so i'm afraid the BTL to Corfu route is going to be v high demand, with a mix of Ejet independent travellers and TC package holidaymakers.
Bang goes that cheaper route! Too late now but for Summer 2014 book on the day Ejet summer flights are released if u want to travel to Corfu with Ejet.
At the mo only flights to Corfu from BTL with Ejet are out up to 1st week of Sept 2013.

We're users of Ejet from Bristol 3 or 4 times a year. I'm an avid 'watcher' - like to book early for the following year, ideally on 1st day flights are released. I've found the email alerts useless in relation to the scenario i've outlined - the alerts are usually a day or two behind.

I'd expect April-June flights out within next 2 weeks and July to September around mid November.

My tip is to go into Ejet website twice/day from now. Second tip is to look on Flight timetables on Ejet - this usually updates about a day before the actual flights for next year can be booked. Then u know that within next 24 hours or so the actual flights will be bookable.
Hope that makes sense

Hi

Last time we were in San Stef (June 2010) there was one cash machine at Thomas Bay Hotel - but for the 2 weeks we were there it was only working a couple of days. I think there's a bank in a village/town nearby but the SS regs will know more than me.

When we were last in SS i took a wad of cash for the 1st week and as we were planning an afternoon/evening trip to Corfu Town halfway thru' the holiday i planned to stock up from Corfu Town, which i did.
Regards BB