Wick-Inverness Flights

**scotsboy** · 10-Nov-04, 09:30

I really cannot see the need for this route - a waste fo funding if you ask me.

**Fifi** · 10-Nov-04, 10:13

Are you mad?? This is exactly what we need!!

The ability to connect with onward flights from Inverness without a 2-3 hour slog down a twisty road is fantastic beyond words as far as I (and others I know of) am concerned. Inverness is now a fantastic hub with flights available from Easyjet, BMI and BA - not only to London but direct to other countries - and the ability to access these quickly is worth every penny of that funding.

(I just hope they run at weekends and are reasonably priced as well as I can see a lot of use being made of them by people going for shopping trips.)

A lot of people have worked really hard and kept pushing this issue within the business community and this will have a postive effect not only for them but also for employment, tourism and the local community. Congratulations and thanks to all those involved in this effort.

Angel · 10-Nov-04, 11:14

Wick to inverness flights would be fantastic, this is exactly what the County needs and will certainly make my life a lot easier too. Just hope they are reasonably priced.

**captain chaos** · 10-Nov-04, 12:03

Scotsboy

You obviously don’t travel South from Caithness very often with a comment like that!!

To get to a meeting at our office in the South of England involves 3 days travel. Wick –Edinburgh – Heathrow. First day wasted as the flight arrives at Heathrow at 17:30. Meeting second day .Flight home third day. With BA this costs around £500 return.

A morning flight to Inverness at £118 (quote from Eastern Airways in the Groat.) and then onto Heathrow by BMI at £160 a total of £278 (again Return Prices) now you can see the savings involved. As you can leave Wick in the morning and return late at night it would cut my trip down to 2 days possibly even 1 day . With hotels charging over £100 per night again the savings mount.

It’s not only the costs but the waste of time involved

I would also like to pass my thanks onto the people who have fought long and hard for more flights from Wick

**Jennie** · 10-Nov-04, 12:08

I would defentley use the flights if the price was alright! I am always going down to London and now with flights to inverness I won't have to get my parent's to keep running me down to inverness all the time.

**Naefearjustbeer** · 10-Nov-04, 12:50

Originally Posted by Jennie

I would defentley use the flights if the price was alright! I am always going down to London and now with flights to inverness I won't have to get my parent's to keep running me down to inverness all the time.

Yip I think it is a good thing I just hope it is reasonably priced. I dont go away on holiday very often but If I could get to several destination by flying out of the county it would be great.

**George Brims** · 10-Nov-04, 20:13

Captain Chaos - is that a *direct* BMI flight to Heathrow? Every time the mrs or I fly back from the US and come into Heathrow, we either have to take the bus from Heathrow to Gatwick to get a BA flight to Inversnecky, or go through Edinburgh or Glasgow just so we can leave from Heathrow. The bus option is a waste of time and money, and the other option takes a lot of extra time. If there are now direct flights between Inversnecky and Heathrow that is good news.

**captain chaos** · 10-Nov-04, 20:37

Yup direct from Heathrow to Inversneky

Flew down and up a couple of weeks ago booking 3 weeks in advance total return price £69 . Not bad for booked seat and plenty of leg room.

Have given up flying with Easy jet. To many delays ,cancellations and no crew! talk about cattle class

Just picked a flight next week and these are the prices and flight times

The website is WWW.flybmi.com

I must admit that I book with expedia and got cheaper prices that on the BMI web site

Inverness to London Heathrow

Tuesday 16 November

Flight BD 693 £98.00 leaves Inv12:05 arr LHR 13:40

London Heathrow to Inverness

Wednesday 17 November

Flight BD 692 £56.00 depart LHR 09:45 Arr Inv 11:25

£154 Return not Bad

**George Brims** · 10-Nov-04, 22:08

Well that is good. I will make use of that service next time I come over, if I can't avoid using Heathrow altogether.

However I hate to put a pin in your balloon, but those prices are *shocking*. What happened to the low fare Europe that was supposed to result from deregulation? Airfares in the US are much much lower. Examples $150 (81 pounds) round trip Los Angeles-Baltimore, $180 (97 pounds) roundtrip Los Angeles-Chicago. Even fares across the world are much lower - I just spent $820 (444 quid) roundtrip Los Angeles- Sydney. That's 16 hours of flying!

**golach** · 10-Nov-04, 22:34

But George Brims, look at the price of gasoline over there with you compared to here with us

Golach

**JAWS** · 10-Nov-04, 22:55

I think you will find that aviation fuel is much the same price the world over and certainly between Europe and America.

**zappster** · 10-Nov-04, 23:15

DONT KNOCK MORE LINKS DOWN SOUTH WHATEVER THE PRICE!!
Hopefully with aircraft based in Wick it will mean options for later(back to the old evening flight from Aberdeeen...hic/ maybe even Inverness?!!)connections back home (3.30pm is the latest you can leave Aberdeen to get back up to Caithness via Public Transport) , If only Eastern would see sense & lower the prices i'm sure it would be a VERY profitable route for them.

**JAWS** · 10-Nov-04, 23:44

Thiefrow - Inverness Return £154
Manchester - Florida Return £199

A short look at a map of the World will tell you something!

**captain chaos** · 10-Nov-04, 23:56

George

There are cheap flights out there if you wish to fly with easyjet or ryanair an example would be Inversneky to luton to warsaw £78 return.

At the end of the day if you are flying a 190 seater from Inv to LHR and its 90% full that's a lot of money made on that run approx £20k (average price of £120 x171 passengers) , compare that to a 18 seater again 90% full using the fare quoted in the groat £118 return x 16 passengers £1888 deduct fuel ,2 pilots wages ,air stewerdess and landing fees and you probably have a few hundred left.

Its up to us now, to make use of the services and ensure the survival of Wick Airport

homeboy · 11-Nov-04, 20:43

I think you will find the Early morning Flights will be going Direct to Aberdeen not Inverness. This will give the Traveller an Even Greater choice of Flights to the Capital.
Aberdeen curently has 4 Return Flights a day from Gatwick and 7 Return flights a day from Heathrow the Early morning Flight wil leave Wick at 0700 and arrive in Aberdeen at 0735. A late Return Flight leaving Aberdeen at 1945 and arriving at Wick at 2020.
Costs is about £ 99. This is Great news for Wick Hope its gets support

**Kenn** · 11-Nov-04, 23:28

Well here's another that will take advantage of the new link to Wick if the price is right.The A9 might pass through some stunning sceenery but can be a nightmare too.
Also means a saving on time and also less mileage for a hire car so maybe the one will be compensated by the other.Can't wait, it' been LONG overdue.

**jm.mack** · 12-Nov-04, 20:34

I think this is a great idea, can only benefit the Caithness area in general. I just hope that they curtail the prices, I regularly used to fly to Aberdeen & back but stopped & used the train due to the excessive cost, not through meanness but I felt they were taking the mick.....

Does anybody know when these flights will be starting?

**scotsboy** · 16-Nov-04, 05:42

I can assure you that I have travelled MANY times from Caithness South, and I predict that the flights from Wick to Inverness will be a waste of time and money.

Two hours travelling between Wick and Inverness.......so lets see how long do you need to check in beforehand? One hour, so you are travelling from Thurso so you need at least 30 minutes to get to Wick.......thats 1 hr 30 mins already, I am about Tain by now

**Riffman** · 16-Nov-04, 12:40

Well scotsboy, we shall all enjoy the comfort of being flying to inverness whilst you are stuck in a snow drift near Tain. since livin in wick I have done the wick-inverness route at least 200 times, and believe me it aint fun.

As the price of fuel, Jet A1 is about 40p a litre at the moment, and fuel at wick airport is some of the cheapest in Britain, ask Far North Aviation if you dont believe me.

This air link should at last get more interest in Caithess and it can only be of benefit.

Riff

**scotsboy** · 16-Nov-04, 12:59

Well when you have been in Caithness for a wee while longer you will realise that Wick Airport is closed with fog more days than the road to Inverness is closed with snow

Dont get me wrong I am all for well connected air services to the North, I just do not see Wick-Inverness being viable.