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Transatlantic flights coming to Leeds Bradford Airport
A JOURNEY from old York to New York will be that much easier from November.
Low-cost airline Jet2.com announced today that it is to launch the first-ever transatlantic flights from Leeds Bradford International Airport to The Big Apple.
They will be primarily package holidays from Yorkshire organised with Jet2holidays.com - four-day shopping trips which include accommodation from £699 per person.
Business travellers from Yorkshire will also be able to take advantage of the service without accommodation, but at a return fee of £579.98 including taxes.
That signals good news for First York's coach service, www.yorkaircoach.com which regularly ferries passengers between York and the airport.
The coach service has been given a huge boost with the announcement of eight new Jet2 routes to Europe, some of which have already begun.
The coach operator recently offered free travel for pensioners and others with national bus passes.
Jonathan Stewart, service delivery director for First York, said: "We welcome yet another new Jet2 route and York Air Coach is now the direct way to link into Leeds Bradford, next stop New York."
But the flights to Newark airport, will be an outbound service only - meaning that New Yorkers will not be able to take advantage of the service for package flights taking in York or elsewhere in Yorkshire.
That is disappointing to York's tourism chiefs who point out that only 26 per cent of the city's overseas visitors are from North America, where the proportion was 50 per cent eight years ago.
Gillian Cruddas, chief executive of Visit York, the city's new tourism organisation, said: "Hopefully these holiday flights will be the first stage to eventually developing a New York to Leeds Bradford International flight.
"This is something we can discuss with Jet2 at one of our regular marketing meetings with them."
Travellers will need to book early for the new service, which is expected to quickly sell out.
Packages are immediately available through Jet2holidays.com and travellers can choose from a number of three to five-star hotel options for trips that will depart during November and December this year.
Richard Bodin, managing director at Jet2holidays.com, said: "This is an important announcement for us. We knew this destination was one that our customers have been calling for and we are proud and thrilled to be able to be the first holiday company in the region to offer this great deal to such an amazing city.
"We are launching with Christmas shopping breaks as our research suggested this was the one thing most people tend to recommend to friends as a must-do first experience, and something they tend to repeat."
Initially there will be four departures - but if successful more will be added.
8:33am Friday 9th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Guy Fawkes, Bootham on 11:24am Fri 9 May 08
£580 just for a flight on a low-cost airline to New York?!
I've just booked a return flight from Teesside to Los Angeles on KLM/Northwest for August (i.e. a proper, full-price airline on which you don't have to pay extra for a meal and a drink) - cost £396!
"Travellers will need to book early for the new service, which is expected to quickly sell out."
Unless they lower the price a lot, I very much doubt it.
£580 just for a flight on a low-cost airline to New York?!
I've just booked a return flight from Teesside to Los Angeles on KLM/Northwest for August (i.e. a proper, full-price airline on which you don't have to pay extra for a meal and a drink) - cost £396!
"Travellers will need to book early for the new service, which is expected to quickly sell out."
Unless they lower the price a lot, I very much doubt it.
Posted by: Trev;, Canada on 2:45pm Fri 9 May 08
Wardair used to fly from Toronto Canada to Leeds/Bradford years ago and that was transatlantic.
Wardair used to fly from Toronto Canada to Leeds/Bradford years ago and that was transatlantic.
Posted by: insanity, york on 3:16pm Fri 9 May 08
I flew to Canada from Leeds a few years on Air Transat - using Globspan Holidays. The BBC have also reported this "first transatlantic flight" garbage - its nothing of the sort - but well done Jet2 for getting loads of free advertising.
I flew to Canada from Leeds a few years on Air Transat - using Globspan Holidays. The BBC have also reported this "first transatlantic flight" garbage - its nothing of the sort - but well done Jet2 for getting loads of free advertising.
Posted by: Guy Fawkes, Bootham on 3:39pm Fri 9 May 08
I once used Air Transat from Newcastle to Toronto - very efficient and comfortable, and under £300 (though this was in 2005, before the oil price started seriously going up). The only problem is that they won't through book you onto a connection from there.
As for the free advertising, it will surely end up shooting Jet2 in the foot. I've just had a quick look on Expedia, and you can book LBA-New York flights on full-price airlines for around £350. OK, you have to change (at either Heathrow or Amsterdam). But I can't believe that anyone would be willing to pay an extra £230 for a direct flight, especially one on a LoCo airline such as Jet2, which has lower baggage allowances and on which you have to pay extra for all food and drink. This isn't such an issue on short-haul flights, but for one of seven hours or so it would be a serious deterrent for me.
I once used Air Transat from Newcastle to Toronto - very efficient and comfortable, and under £300 (though this was in 2005, before the oil price started seriously going up). The only problem is that they won't through book you onto a connection from there.
As for the free advertising, it will surely end up shooting Jet2 in the foot. I've just had a quick look on Expedia, and you can book LBA-New York flights on full-price airlines for around £350. OK, you have to change (at either Heathrow or Amsterdam). But I can't believe that anyone would be willing to pay an extra £230 for a direct flight, especially one on a LoCo airline such as Jet2, which has lower baggage allowances and on which you have to pay extra for all food and drink. This isn't such an issue on short-haul flights, but for one of seven hours or so it would be a serious deterrent for me.
Posted by: KarenWhite1978, Heslington on 3:54pm Fri 9 May 08
[quote][bold]insanity[/bold] wrote:
I flew to Canada from Leeds a few years on Air Transat - using Globspan Holidays. The BBC have also reported this "first transatlantic flight" garbage - its nothing of the sort - but well done Jet2 for getting loads of free advertising.[/quote] Read carefully - it's the first transatlantic flight to NY from Leeds airport (well, pretty close to NY anyway).
Never flown Jet2 but the queues last year seemed to be full of the cast of "Shameless". Perhaps it was an excursion from Dewsbury.[bold]bold[/bold]
insanity wrote:
I flew to Canada from Leeds a few years on Air Transat - using Globspan Holidays. The BBC have also reported this "first transatlantic flight" garbage - its nothing of the sort - but well done Jet2 for getting loads of free advertising.
Read carefully - it's the first transatlantic flight to NY from Leeds airport (well, pretty close to NY anyway).
Never flown Jet2 but the queues last year seemed to be full of the cast of "Shameless". Perhaps it was an excursion from Dewsbury.
Posted by: Brandon, York on 7:30pm Fri 9 May 08
The price includes accommodation so you are not comparing like with like. I think it is brilliant.
The price includes accommodation so you are not comparing like with like. I think it is brilliant.
Posted by: redjanet, york on 12:02am Sat 10 May 08
Karen White 1978 how dare you judge people by their appearances. I suppose you dress in designer clothes, shoes handbags etc but are up to your neck in debt with credit cards and the like. Does Heslington make you superior. I suggest you take a look in the mirror.
Karen White 1978 how dare you judge people by their appearances. I suppose you dress in designer clothes, shoes handbags etc but are up to your neck in debt with credit cards and the like. Does Heslington make you superior. I suggest you take a look in the mirror.
Posted by: redjanet, york on 12:04am Sat 10 May 08
Snotty B*tch
Posted by: OldFart, York on 12:30am Sat 10 May 08
[quote]Never flown Jet2 but the queues last year seemed to be full of the cast of "Shameless". Perhaps it was an excursion from Dewsbury.
[/quote]
Never seen 'Shameless' but I get your drift. We have flown Jet2 many times over the last few years because they were cheaper than the others and local. And for 2-3 hours who cares if your companions are tattooed single mothers with 3 kids and dysfunctional boyfriend? However,I notice that Jet2 have reduced baggage allowance and imposed a charge, together with an additional fuel charge. So Jet2 may not be my airline of choice in the future.
Never flown Jet2 but the queues last year seemed to be full of the cast of "Shameless". Perhaps it was an excursion from Dewsbury.
Never seen 'Shameless' but I get your drift. We have flown Jet2 many times over the last few years because they were cheaper than the others and local. And for 2-3 hours who cares if your companions are tattooed single mothers with 3 kids and dysfunctional boyfriend? However,I notice that Jet2 have reduced baggage allowance and imposed a charge, together with an additional fuel charge. So Jet2 may not be my airline of choice in the future.
Posted by: pay as you go, easingwold on 8:03am Sat 10 May 08
[quote][bold]redjanet[/bold] wrote:
Snotty B*tch[/quote] A very snotty up her own ar** person indeed, if she has that attitude she should stay in heslington,or better still move to Dewsbury.
redjanet wrote:
Snotty B*tch
A very snotty up her own ar** person indeed, if she has that attitude she should stay in heslington,or better still move to Dewsbury.
Posted by: Free Speech, York on 2:42pm Sun 11 May 08
[quote][bold]pay as you go[/bold] wrote:
[quote][bold]redjanet[/bold] wrote: Snotty B*tch[/quote] A very snotty up her own ar** person indeed, if she has that attitude she should stay in heslington,or better still move to Dewsbury.[/quote] Aren't you so full of yourself?
pay as you go wrote:
redjanet wrote: Snotty B*tch
A very snotty up her own ar** person indeed, if she has that attitude she should stay in heslington,or better still move to Dewsbury.
Aren't you so full of yourself?
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