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Published: 27/06/2011 - Filed under: Archive » 2011 » July / August 2011 » Special reports » Features » Archive » 2011 » July / August 2011 » Features » Special Reports »

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Alex McWhirter looks at how new services can benefit business travellers. This month: summer services from London City

Summer routes from London City

As happened last year, the summertime sees London City airport (LCY) unwind with seasonal services to a number of holiday destinations. It’s a time of year when airlines can divert spare capacity to leisure resorts. And the carriers concerned are aiming their holiday routes at well-heeled travellers happy to pay a little more to dodge the queues at the capital’s other airports.

British Airways’ Cityflyer division will add Malaga and Faro to last year’s Ibiza and Palma. But while the latter services end on October 31, the flights to Faro and Malaga will continue beyond the summer.

Air France-owned Cityjet will serve Brive and Deauville in France during the summer. A clutch of new quasi-leisure destinations such as Florence, Pau, Toulon and Avignon will also continue beyond the warmer months. All destinations involve a long or tricky journey by surface transport, so air makes the best travel option.

What Cityflyer offers

Passengers will sample a two-class Embraer 190 aircraft with 98 seats configured 2-2. This layout is a far cry from the dense 3-3 budget airline experience you could expect at airports such as Gatwick and Stansted. Services to Ibiza and Palma operate daily except Saturday.

In the case of Faro, there are three flights a week departing on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Services to Malaga operate four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Return fares on ba.com for travel during September start at £148 for Palma and Ibiza, £156 for Malaga and £180 for Faro.

What Cityjet offers

As last year, Cityjet will serve Brive in southwest France in addition to Deauville, just across the Channel in Normandy. There are three flights a week to Brive operating every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Brive serves the Dordogne, Lot and Correze regions and has good access to the medieval towns of Bergerac, Turenne and Sarlat.

Deauville is a stylish resort near cultural and historical attractions such as Honfleur, Mont St Michel and Bayeaux. Four flights a week link the resort to LCY every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Flights to Florence operate daily except Saturday. Cityjet offers an alternative way of reaching this Renaissance city, seeing as the only other direct flight is out of Gatwick with Meridiana.

Avignon is another interesting destination. It’s believed to be the first time that this city in the south of France has been served nonstop from London. Cityjet will be competing against Eurostar’s once-weekly seasonal (between July 9 and September 10) train out of London St Pancras. Not only does flying extend the time at your destination – Eurostar takes about six hours, compared with two by air – but air’s advantage is that you depart on a Friday and return on a Sunday. By contrast, Eurostar’s direct service runs only on a Saturday – on other days passengers must take connecting services. So Cityjet’s once-a-week flight offers the opportunity to take a weekend break.

Toulon on the Mediterranean and 45 minutes by car from St Tropez is another new destination. It is served every Friday and Saturday heading out, with return flights on Saturday and Sunday. The final new leisure destination is the city of Pau, located to the north of the Pyrenees. Flights operate every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

With the exception of Deauville (served by a turboprop F50 configured 2-2), the other Cityjet points are rostered for a 95-seat Avro RJ85 configured 3-3. Return fares quoted by cityjet.com for September start at £118 for Brive, £120 for Deauville, £128 for Florence, £173 for Avignon, £136 for Toulon and £75 for Pau.

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