Direct flights-No Thanks!

[Philoz]

Whilst many that live here find the Istanbul transfer a pain.

Have you considered the potential repercussions of direct flights?

Well take a look and read this-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... e-war.html

Marmaris is suffering from the blight of British lowlife tourists that are drawn by cheap flights and booze.
Remember Benidorm in the 70's and 80s,they realised their mistake and are now trying to reinvent themselves as a family resort.

Yes, the article is from the Daily Mail,not my most favourite read, but similar is reported in the 'posh' papers,like this recent report from the Independent-

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... rnalSearch

and this from the Daily Telegraph-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... urkey.html

I sincerely hope to God that direct flights don't happen soon,if it does,knowing how the TRNC works, there will be skyscraper hotels and bars/clubs everywhere(with increased strain on the infrastructure),and Kyrenia will be like a scene from 'Apocalypse Now' on a nightly basis,the streets awash with vomit and blood.

I am happy to put up with the inconvenience of the flight transfer if it helps prevent this.

[Owl Lady]

Here here,probably be blasted for this posting.So what!!!

[kbasat]

Not likely to happen anyway, but even if it does, I am sure the ticket prices will be quite high regardless compared to many destinations in and around Europe.

[PoshinDevon]

North Cyprus - A corner of earth touched by heaven..........so please no direct flights. The slight and only slight inconvenience of either flying Pegasus and the stop over in Turkey, or flying Turkish and changing aircraft or even flying into Larnaca and the transfer will hopefully keep out the majority of the riff raff as it will be all to difficult for them.

[How188]

Do any of you "guys" remember what Marmaris and the surrounding area was like BEFORE THE TOUR COMPANYS sold it
en-mass for a cheap holiday, with cheap beer and sun!!!!!

It is was and still is beautiful.

Go 5 miles from Marmaris, even today, to Icmeler and it is a very different story.

Yes blame the people for their behaviour but if you advertise a place being the cheapest booze and best curry outside Bradford you will get people who want that on a holiday.

It has nothing to do with direct flights!!!!!

They, the UK TOUR COMPANIES, did the same to Ayna Napa, Magaluf, Benidorm and many other places, you reap the problems caused by people, not direct flights.

Have you seen the havoc caused by Stag and Hen parties is some places in the UK and other parts of Europe.

Direct flights could bring to the North many "affluent" tourists who currently go to other places.
If you can pitch the product, if there is one here to be had, to the types of people who you want to come here and it may help the whole place flourish and prosper.

At some time the North has to join the real world as other destinations in Turkey have done, Kalcan, Side, Kumlubuk, etc, sorry about spellings but it can be done.

Property values in places like these reflect the Value of the place. Much higher than here.

No drunken Rif Raf to be seen only people with disposable income and 1 million pound yachts!!!!

[woodspeckie]

I go to Turkey twice a year for holidays, just keep away from Marmaris and. Bodrum where the Bar Streets are, beautiful areas all around, Cesme, Akyaka (20 mins from Marmaris) Dalyan, Yalikavak(20 mins from Bodrum) are among my favourites.

[PoshinDevon]

Unfortunately as with a lot of foreign holiday destinations there will always be those people who will want to make a quick buck and not worry about the consequences - I have been to Benidorm (Once) - sorry to say my memory was of lots of pubs/bars vying for trade by advertising cheap booze and good old english breakfast - each trying to under cut the other. If it is as cheap as chips the tour companies will latch on and if there are direct flights then that makes it all the easier for them. Lack of direct flights IMO proves a challenge for tour operators in drilling down costs and selling the package, they have to much explaining to do to the punters looking to pay not a lot - "how much for a flight? wot do we have to change planes.....fly via Turkey....it takes how long to get there?....." . it is also an even bigger challenge to those looking to book a flight and do everything on the cheap - it is all to much hassle.

Agree if its marketed right then we may attract the right kind of tourist - but I don't think it will work like that - Turkey was fantastic in the early 90's, we went to Hisaronu near Olu Deniz - bliss. Now it is terrrible. We moved on to Cavus 2.5hrs from Antalya in 97 and it was fantastic, returned in 2010 and pleased to say it was just as good - the main reason is that its just a little more difficult to get to. No airport on the doorstep, smaller number of flights costing that little bit more and not from every airport in the UK and a long transfer. The trickier a place is to get to the less chance the unwelcome hordes will be bothered to find it.

Just my opinion.

[Philoz]

Posh- I Couldn't have put it better.
It's the combination of cheap direct flights,reasonable transfer times,and most of all cheap liquor that attracts the hoards.
TRNC has currently 2 out of the 3 ,I just hope it doesn't get the 3rd!

[kiplet]

Bang on the button Philoz I could not agree more.

[Sandman]

Anyone remember how pleasant Kyrenia was before the influx of ex pats?

[£eagle]

I think that there are no legal restrictions on direct charter fights to the TRNC. So, in principle there is nothing to stop the tour companies filling the beaches and bars. That they don't is largely down to the GCs. Perhaps that is one thing we should thank them for.

[smithscorner]

As I understand it you cannot file a flight plan with the civil aviation authorities for a direct flight to the TRNC.

[cyprusishome]

Correct. There are charter flights coming from all over Europe at present and the all have to touch down in Turkey.

[How188]

Not always true, came in DIRECT once on a CTA flight from Heathrow to Ercan!!!!
Can be done if they want to flout the rules about filing a flight plan.

[lizzie]

Message 10.

Yes oh joy

[jllvehdist]

As a holder of an ATOL & IATA licence for many years I find message 14 utter rubbish. You have no idea obviously how Charter or schedule flights are planned or run.

[cyprusishome]

Unfortunately jllvehdst you are wrong and apology to how188 is required!

When CTA were operating they got around the no direct flight rule on a number of occasions. They used to have 2 flights leaving Stansted within a short time of each other and when they wanted to they consolidated the passengers for Turkey onto one of the flights and ensured all passengers on other flight were all going to Ercan. Totally against the rules but they did it.

I do not think the likes of Pegasus or Turkish Airlines would be so blatant as they have too much to loose. There were usually loud noises made from Greek side when a non stop flight was discovered but by then it was too late.

[jllvehdist]

You answered the question yourself "Totaly against the rules" against IATA rules if running ts as scheduled route and they would have not been able to sell this as a charter flight under ATOL rules.

Perhaps thats why they went bump !!!

[cyprusishome]

But that is what how188 said, flouting the rules and you said rubbish!!!!

If you know the history of CTA you will know why they went bust and nothing to do with flight issues.

Back to the thread. I do not think there would be many Non stop (lets get the thing correct) even if rules are relaxed. I do not believe there are enough passengers to fill daily flights to UK, you just have to look at Pegasus and half the flight from Ercan to Turkey often disembarks in Turkey and then fills again with passengers on going to UK.

Now there are charter flights from places as far afield as Tehran and Scandinavia all touching down (usually) in Turkey. The Tehran flight has been known to miss out that step. As far as I am aware there are no problems with the customers. However I agree with the comments above, get "brits on tour" and that will change.

So no hurry for me to change to non stop flights, changing in Istanbul is no problem.

[harita]

Not always true, came in DIRECT once on a CTA flight from Heathrow to Ercan!!!!
Can be done if they want to flout the rules about filing a flight plan.

All CTA flights were 2 separate flights ..
For example .. Heathrow - Izmir Izmir - Ercan .. Heathrow - Dalaman Dalaman - Ercan ..
If no-one was booked to get off on the 1st flight & no-one was booked to get on to go to Ercan ..
Only then could could it be a direct flight ..
One person either flight & it would have to touch down ..

[BLUE BUTTERFLY]

Anyone remember how pleasant Kyrenia was before the influx of ex pats?

Yes.

[belle]

How many of you are TC's, what expats want is not important.

[Maisiemoo]

Hear hear Belle. I've been coming out to NC for almost 20 years now. I remember the days of little traffic on the roads, no supermarkets, little family run restaurants charging peanuts for meals and having difficulty spending more than a £100 for a 2 week holiday as there was so little to buy. Yes, I look back to those days with fond nostalgia but times move on and you can't expect the TC's to live in the past for our benefit. I do hope they don't go down the road of pile it high sell it cheap road, but it's their choice!