Flight Information

Flight Schedules

We are pleased to offer our guests the flexibility of flights from many UK airports, using scheduled, ’no-frills’ and charter airlines, as we do not pre-purchase restrictive chartered seats in advance.

Charter Flights

Charter flights operate on a Saturday from early May to early October, whilst most scheduled and ‘no-frills’ flights are daily and run year round. Please let us know which airport(s) you would prefer to fly from and we will endeavour to find the most convenient flights for you.

All our flights are designated as non-smoking. All timings may be subject to change, so the most up-to-date timings will be confirmed to you at the time of booking.

Please note that, in most cases, we have to book, pay for and ‘ticket’ all flights at the time of booking. In this event, we will ask you to pay an increased deposit to cover the cost of the flight in addition to the £125 per person deposit. The exact amount will be quoted to you at the time of booking and this payment will be non-refundable.

Flights to Tuscany & Umbria - (including Rome, Bologna & Venice)

Please note that all flights timings below are based on a selection of Saturday departures (unless stated) at the time of printing, although all routes are subject to change for 2008. Certain routes also run on weekdays and Sundays, although timings may differ. Flight times are always subject to change, and the most up to date times will be confirmed to you at the time of booking and again when your travel documents are sent to you.

Flight supplements

The cost of flights included in the price of your holiday is based on the expected costs at time of going to press. However, please note that supplements may apply depending on the route, the date, the airline, the available class and the general availability at the time of booking. Supplements will always be confirmed to you before we book the flights. Generally the later the flight is booked, the higher the price, therefore those booking earlier will secure the best flight prices and have the best choice of flight availability.

Connecting regional flights from your local airport

If there are no direct services from your local airport to Italy, then British Airways offers a wide range of flights from many regional airports to connect with their international flights from London. Please contact us for details.

If you prefer to book these independently, then please allow ample time to collect your luggage and check-in for your onward flight, bearing in mind there may be delays.

Change of flight times

Our brochures are compiled many months before airline schedules are finalised, and the flight timings shown are correct at the time of going to print. However, all airlines reserve the right to amend their flying schedules prior to departure. We will always advise you of any significant changes as soon as the airline (or their agents) notifies us.

The most up to date times will always be shown on your itinerary, sent out with your tickets at least two weeks before your departure. Please check these documents carefully upon receipt and advise us immediately of any discrepancies.

Name changes

The name shown on a ticket must exactly match the name of the passenger travelling, as it appears in his/her passport (first full name and surname). If not, you may be refused boarding and have to purchase a new ticket for your journey, so please ensure that you give us the correct names of all passengers at the time of booking. Once your flights have been booked, it is not usually possible to make name changes without incurring charges, sometimes the full price of a new ticket. If there are any errors on your invoice or your flight tickets, please inform us immediately.

In-flight meals and special diets

If the airline you are travelling with offers free in-flight meals, requests for special meals (i.e. vegetarian, vegan, kosher) should be made at the time of booking. Regretfully we cannot request special meals less than 7 days prior to departure. Whilst we will always pass your request onto the airline, we are, unable to guarantee supply. Charges may apply and we will confirm these to you at the time of booking. For peace of mind, we recommend that you reconfirm your special in-flight meal request at check in. Please note, if you are travelling with a ‘no-frills’ airline, meals are not provided but snacks and drinks can usually be purchased on board.

In-flight comfort

Most airlines configure their aircraft to optimise the number of passengers they can carry. In general this means the seating on  charter and ‘no frills’ flights is not as comfortable as that offered by the scheduled airlines. However, on a positive note, by  inimising costs and maximising capacity, these airlines can fly from a much wider range of destinations bringing economical, direct flights to the regional airports. We fully appreciate that the importance of in-flight comfort varies from one passenger to another. Some airlines offer passengers the opportunity to pre-book seats with extra leg room – supplements start from £15 per person one-way. Please discuss this with us at the time of booking, and we can advise you if this is possible and how to check availability for such seats.

Seating on ‘No-frills’ flights

Please note that some airlines allocate seats at check-in whilst others, such as Easyjet and Ryanair, offer ‘free seating’ i.e. first passengers to board the aircraft get the best choice of seats. Please check with us at the time of booking if you have any concerns in this respect.

Pre-booked and group seating

Some charter and ‘no frills’ airlines offer passengers the opportunity of pre-booking guaranteed seats together at a pre-paid  supplement. Prices vary but will typically cost from £10 per adult and £5 per child. Please note that the seats allocated may be situated either side of an aisle. Please advise at time of booking if you would like to book group seating, and we can confirm if it is possible and at what cost.

Luggage allowance

Most airlines allow 20kg of luggage per person – excluding infants, but some airlines offer less (especially ‘no-frills’ airlines, who often ask you to pre-book your luggage allowance at the time of reservation). This will be confirmed to you either at the time of booking or when your tickets are sent out. In all cases the amount of luggage is strictly controlled and excess luggage charges are made direct to the airline or handling agent before passengers are issued their boarding passes. If you wish to check-in any bulky items (for example bicycles, golf clubs or surf gear), please inform us so we may check with the airline.

Scheduled flight upgrades to Club Class

Those passengers for whom space and comfort is a priority, we recommend upgrading to the superior services offered by the scheduled carriers in the Club Europe or Business cabin on Air Malta, British Airways, Alitalia and Meridiana flights. Please ask us at the time of booking for applicable supplements.

Delays

On occasion, delays can occur to your flights, which are unfortunately out of our control. In this event, whenever possible we will ensure that the airline or operator effectively communicates the reasons for and extent of any delays and implements appropriate standards of welfare provision to our clients. ABTA recommendations state that in the event of a delay of more than three hours, clients should receive light refreshments. After six hours, clients should receive a main meal and in the event of longer delays clients should receive appropriate accommodation for the time of day. EU carriers should also follow the EU Regulation 261/2004 in the event of delays, and these can be viewed online at www.auc.org.uk

Blacklisted Airlines

Please note that you can view a list of European Union's blacklisted airlines via the following website http://europa.eu/index_en.htm