NEWS FLASH
Low cost carrier Wizz Air will introduce new seasonal summer flights from Belgrade to Heraklion and Santorini. Flights to Heraklion will commence on June 12, while services to the island of Santorini the following day. Both will operate twice per week until the end of September. Serbian nationals vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to enter Greece without restrictions from May 14. Those that have not received the jab will have to take a PCR or antigen test prior to arrival. Further flight details for the Heraklion service can be found here, while additional information for the Santorini route can be viewed here.
Personally I'm surprised they ignored BEG-ATH for so long. Interesting choice of Santorini though, they are finally thinking outside the box.
ReplyDeleteThere is no strategy in what they are doing. Wizz seems desperate to get any passengers to anywhere.
DeleteThey might stimulate some passengers who would have gone to Spain or Italy for holidays to visit Santorini or Heraklion.
DeleteWizz is a wrong match for this destination. Santorini hotels and apartments were already expensive before covid. With pent-up demand it is going to be very expensive this summer. If you can afford 2 weeks at a Santorini villa you won't be shopping around for 30 euro ULCC ticket deal!
DeleteYeah Wizz Air opened map of Greece and chose randomly two airports.
DeleteNo one said they randomly chose two airports.
Delete@Anonymous14:34
Deletethat's a bit shortsighted thinking? There's some misconception that only poor people are flying with LCCs. What would be the difference between Aegean, Lufthansa, Air Serbia or WizzAir on this route? Percentage of people who would fly business class for a summer vacation in Greece is negligible, regardless is destination is expensive or not.
Probably said by the same people who don't want LCCs in ZAG because it's a ''prestige'' airport.
DeleteI think this is a brilliant move by Wizz.
DeleteI fly with WIzz air and will continue to, but I agree with anon 14:34. Santorini is on the upper price level for holiday destinations, meaning most people who can and want to afford it would prefer a legacy or charter, where you pay your price and you have a bag, better seat distance and other perks such a lounge access etc... whereas with Wizz you start with your 30 euros and then keep on adding money for everything and have worse if at all any ground and board service. It kind of ruins the entire vacation feeling.
DeleteBut have you ever checked the arrivals/departures board at Santorini? Who is then flying all those (U)LCCs?
DeleteOnly two destinations were launched to Santorini today, Belgrade and Riga. I am sure Wizz has its reasons guys.
DeleteOf all the islands in Greece Mikonos and Santorini stood out as more expensive for a number of years. This is not breaking news to anyone.
DeleteSome tourists from Belgrade can afford to fly to Maldives or Tahiti, so no doubt there will be some interest for Santorini but certainly less than togreek islands with lower cost of accommodation.
While Santorini's average is definitely higher than e.g. Skiathos' the reason other islands are "cheaper" is because tour operators organize full tour packages by contracting Air Serbia's charters. That doesn't mean Skiathos is cheap - but the full service package makes the total cost enticing.
DeleteHmm looking at how many Serbs went to the Dominican Republic, Zanzibar, Thailand and God knows where else, I am sure Wizz Air will find enough passengers for a two weekly flight to Santorini.
DeleteWell this came from nowhere, and I am plesent surprised. Santorini good time table, but for HER not so good.
ReplyDeleteAre they bringing back the third A320?
ReplyDeleteThey can't bring it back because there never was one in the first place. There is enough space in the timetable to accommodate these relatively flights.
Delete*relatively short
DeleteTheir schedule was maxed out so where did they find the room for it?
DeleteIt was not maxed out. Last year something called the coronavirus pandemic occurred, with many airlines reducing frequencies to what they originally planned before the coronavirus pandemic occurred. Do you understand now?
DeleteThey wanted to start with 3rd plane at wrong time.
DeleteDoing it this year would be much better option
I think they will be "rotating" the planes because they launched Greek routes to many other neighbouring cities so I guess the planes will be combined with BEG and other cities.
DeleteThey are using BEG planes for some VNO rotations
DeleteI wish to see their 3rd plane in BEG as planned for last year.
ReplyDeleteI wish to see one more Air Serbia A319 in BEG.
DeleteOr two.
DeleteAir Serbia does not intend to fly to LIS
DeleteNor does Air Serbia intend to fly to JNB.
DeleteNor to KTM.
DeleteSo what's the point of @18:52's comment?
DeleteWizz opened LIS with their third plane in BEG, JU never did it no matter how many planes they have in their fleet.
DeleteSimple as that.
Because they determined that it would be unprofitable.
DeleteWhy doesn't Wizz fly to Krakow from BEG?
Or Alesund? It's silly to just attack JU like that especially since they have so many other destinations Wizz Air simply doesn't have.
DeleteThis will be popular for many not just in Serbia but also in Hungary, Romania, Croatia and so on.
ReplyDeleteBulgaria, Bosnia, Montenegro i might add
DeleteMuch cheaper than to connect in Athens for €500
DeleteFantastic news! I managed to book two return tickets BEG-HER without luggage for less than 100 EUR p.p. in the middle of August. Always wanted to visit Crete, but it was always too expensive to fly there in high season.
ReplyDeleteAdd hotel, transfers, luggage to your deal and then compare if to charter packages to HER. For identical hotels and dates charters are probably the same price or cheaper.
DeleteYeah but there are no charter flights to Santorini so I think Wizz found an opening.
DeleteIf you go for a week or less you don't need luggage, hand-laggage is more then enough. For transfer you just rent a car, on div. websites the price per day is in the summer-season between 20-30 euro/day. On booking or airbnb you can find a fine place to stay for very little money.
DeleteGuys, Santorini will operate twice per week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. Return flight on Sunday is at 21.45 so perfect since you have the whole day.
DeleteAir Serbia / Aviolet was flying charters to Santorini before Covid.
Delete"Add hotel, transfers, luggage to your deal and then compare if to charter packages to HER. For identical hotels and dates charters are probably the same price or cheaper."
DeleteWe're renting a car and doing a tour of the island, so a charter package doesn't work for us.
You can still do that when you buy a charter package from a tour operator. Heck, you can even get some 10-20e discount if you say you don't want their bus transfer and that you'll rent at the airport.
DeleteBelgrade keeps on thriving
ReplyDeleteThriving!?
DeleteC'mon bro, I'm a fan boy and I wouldn't say that during these most difficult times.
BEG is doing relatively well given the circumstances. But thriving, I think not.
Thriving relative to the current situation. Look at BUD and how bad things are.
Delete