Turkish Airlines new Ercan TRNC flights from Stansted

LondonCypriot


Joined: 15/12/2008
Posts: 426

Message Posted:
03/08/2010 23:55

Turkish Airlines



YOU have to choose London stansted to Lefkosa



prices seem to be quite good return.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 00:49

They fly from LHR!



Richard

canyavuz


Joined: 22/02/2009
Posts: 363

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 01:23

Turkish airlines's other trading name "anadolu jet" also fly between London STN and Ercan via a breif stop over in Istanbul Sabiha gokcen.



CTA might be out but there are many others to replace it!

BrightonJim


Joined: 27/07/2010
Posts: 145

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 10:47

Does anybody know if or when flights from Heathrow or Gatwick to Ercan will resume. The slots are valuable and I am surprised they are not being used.

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 11:36

A big shame that on Turkish Airlines & Anadolu Jets own websites, if you try and book a Ercan flight is states "We do not have permission to sell these flights".



Also, do the daily STN->SAW->ECN flights operated by Anadolu involve a change in aircraft? I assume not if they are trying to compete with Pegasus... However, on their website it states a change of aircraft is required.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 12:08

London Msg 1 - Turkish have been operating that route for over 18 months it is now a rebadge to Anadolu Jet and no more.

jacroy1


Joined: 04/08/2010
Posts: 127

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 12:11

booked for next June 2011 with Turkish airlines great price £197

Stanstead/Istanbul/Ercan only one hour wait in Istanbul on way out and 50 min on return journey

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 13:49

Mus Msg 5 - If you can't book them locally why not contact us at IAH as we can through our consolidators.

email with all the details and a phone number to call you on.

Tom

IAH Ltd

LondonCypriot


Joined: 15/12/2008
Posts: 426

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 15:23

You have to book via the TURKISH AIRLINES WEBSITE. You have to book from the UK or return originating from London Stanted. For flights originating from Lefkosa to London Stansted you have to go to the Turkish Airlines office as you cannot book online.

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 15:28

LondonCypriot, On the Turkish Airlines website it seems to work at the moment, although when I tried last week it did not work. Maybe they are fixing it? If they are to compete with Pegasus effectively, they'll have to fix their websites or they'll be reliant on agents.

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 15:31

Is a change of plane required at Istanbul on the flights showing the shortest flight times of 6hr20? Or do you wait on the aircraft like with Pegasus?

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 15:35

London Msg 9 - No one has to book through the Turkish Airlines web site nor through their offices they can go to an agent like us at flightholiday where at least you get some real live service, options and knowledge.



Mus Msg 10 - Anything wrong with agents? There are more agents than airlines and often they take you the client far more seriously than their suppliers.

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 19:02

There is nothing wrong with agents, they can provide high levels of service and assistance where required.



However, some people (many people) may also want to book direct to cut out the middle man and get the cheapest possible price. E.g. the many millions of people that book direct with RyanAir & EasyJet each year...



I personally believe that like all other airports, ECN needs to have a number of different airlines flying in to it from many different airports competing. People should have the choice/option to book directly with the airlines, or through other popular website, or through ABTA/IATA agents like yourself.

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 19:09

For too many years, we were stuck with the CTA monopoly in to ECN with a "select" few agents providing varying levels of service mostly all within 1 miles of Green Lanes in North London.



Ercan / North Cyprus has to move in to the 21st Century. The agents have a place, but we also need more airlines and more channels available for people to book.



Flightholiday/tom will have their place, people requiring your service will use you. Think BIG cake shared with everybody, not small cake shared between few.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 20:52

Mus - msg's 13 + 14 - taking some of your points in order

If you don't use agents you will lose them and then you will truly be stuck with the uncaring big boys

Often agents can reduce your price not increase it due to their experience. It is also remarkable how many people ask agents for help with flights they have booked direct!

Your point about agents a mile from Green Lanes? What about South London, London's West End, Croydon, Birmingham, Gloucestershire etc.

The CTA monoploy is a myth what about BEA, TWI, Istanbul Airways, Turkish Airlines, Onur Air Pegasus etc?

With all thesee you could also book direct.

More airlines might not benefit what is a small country as many passengers might only want to fly on peak dates and that is not economic for an airline

I am sorry Mus but although to me and many others North Cyprus is a large part of our lives it is indeed a very small cake currently being shared by many.

I could carry on but will not.

Dusterbruce


Joined: 03/08/2007
Posts: 1125

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 21:09

You can book from Ercan via Ebookers

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 21:34

Tony Msg 16 - you forgot to say directly and at no extra cost through a link on the http://www.flightholiday.co.uk web site.

http://www.ebookers.com/shop/home?WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=EBUKM30001&tduid=56cdeae3929f66618548abeb1c59b386

caulkhead


Joined: 03/01/2009
Posts: 149

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 22:15

You can book a through flight on the THY website but Ercan is called Lefkosa. Just type in Le into the destination box and Lefkosa will pop up.

silcuty21


Joined: 24/05/2010
Posts: 208

Message Posted:
04/08/2010 23:27

flight company



i have noticed your special offers they are cheaper than the Airline itself what is message 9 going on about



its a well known fact that when i go to the far east i would book through a consolidator they are cheaper than the airline they sell for 9 times out of 10 they usallay have seats that the have not and its their airline



i think message 9 has only ever travelled to north cyprus and within green lanes and the airport



i booked seats with green island £250 with pegasus same flights with pegasus were £300 odd on top of that pegasus are not atol protected green island is or any uk atol company the green lanes lot are bucket shops i have booked with them a few time well they dont even speak english half the time



people never learn tom dont waste your time with these people



take care babes dont let them wind you up they would not know good wervice if it looked at them in the face



sylv

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
05/08/2010 09:06

It is a myth that booking on line is cheapest and best.



If anyone were to compare directly the price you have quoted on line (except possibly in a sale situation) people like IAH and Ankara Travel who we use in Girne can compete. They may sometimes be a few pennies more expensive but if anything goes wrong it is worth the "insurance".



Take for exapmple the volcano earlier in the year and the collapse of CTA. many of those booking on line had a nightmare, those through agents got everything sorted for them as far as possible. I know Tom works around the clock at best of times and our experience of Ankara Travel because of CTA I could only describe them as heroes.



If this was a high number destination then you may get Ryanair/easyJet prices and service but it is not and never will be so this in msg 13 "ECN needs to have a number of different airlines flying" just does not hold true in the wider sense.

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 13:29

I believe that when prices fall then demand increases... People travel more often if prices are lower... That's what the EasyJet / RyanAir model is all about.... The market size increases.



The potential is there... However, with special offer prices near the £300 mark, it is not suprising that ECN will remain a small airport..



Even the market that could be served by ECN in the North is being lost to Larnaka. But the TRNC government have to attract competition that can compete with the Charter flights offered by the likes of Thomas Cook & Monarch in to South.



But as long as we have high prices then the market will remain small, and Ercan will not develop and nor will the North!

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 13:41

With regard to Agents/Shops vs Direct Bookings/Online, the pros & cons are obvious to most... But what is important is that people have the choice.



RyanAir are not renowned for customer service, yet they sell many millions of flights directly online only each year... So clearly, some people are willing to suffer the cons of this model. At the same time, many millions book full service airlines through agents like flightholiday, and have a human to talk to.



The choice is available, people can make a decision according to their personal preferences, budgets, etc.. Ercan needs this choice too. It's available at Larnaca.. Why should Ercan be stuck with Scheduled airlines sold by Agents only? It needs a mix of Charter/Budget/Scheduled flights sold direct/budget/agents/tours etc if it is to develop.

silcuty21


Joined: 24/05/2010
Posts: 208

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 13:42

zcacmxi



is that a bad thing the north will not develop is that not the point or do we really want a concret jungle

and macdonalds like the south



sylv

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 2381

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 14:15

msg 22



You still do not see it,



There are at most 3 flights to differnet parts of UK on any one day so how do you provide a differential service. Well you can, Pegasus do already but have the stop in Istanbul.



So if you have one flight to Stansted, one to Manchester and one to Birmingham where does easyJet get a look in. There just is not the demand.

Cyprusquest


Joined: 09/12/2008
Posts: 428

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 15:17

zcacmxi Having heard how many of the charter companies have gone out of business serving North Cyprus over the years (some on the list flightholiday posted).

I wonder if more would be a good idea?



Sylv It is already a concrete jungle in comparison to the island I visited in the earlier noughties (before the border opened).

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 19:56

Mus - msg 22 I'm thick & I'm biased could you explain the pro's and con's of agents?

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 22:45

Pro's of using a GOOD agent for me would be:



1) Expertise: Agent may be a specialist who is able to provide better options than a novice can find on his own. They should know the market better than the public.

2) Service: A human, they deal with the systems and call centres.

3) Price: They may have negotiated or have access to special fares.

4) Convenience: They may offer service through less conventional channels large organisations do not? e.g. forum participation, skype, etc..

5) Value add: They may bring together a number of services from different companies, giving a useful one stop shop... e.g. air/car/hotel/insurance/parking..

zcacmxi


Joined: 30/11/2008
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
06/08/2010 22:48

Con's of using a BAD agent for me would be:



1) No Expertise: You get the agent who could not care less "Computer says no agent from Little Britain".

2) Poor service. Does not have the capacity to deal with peak demand. Engaged lines, office difficult to visit due to awkward location.

3) Price. Sells the same thing you could get online but just with an added service charge / fee or credit card charge.

4) Attitude. You get an agent with lousy customer service skills, makes up the rules as he/she goes along... Messes you about.



From what I've seen over the past few years on these boards, Tom @ flightholiday is a GOOD agent, and my good list above is more or less a description of his services!