Letters: I fear losing my cheap flights in France
Ryanair has already stopped flying from Bordeaux
Helen McGee usually pays little more than €20 each way for flights to the UK
Adam Loader/Shutterstock
To the Editor,
I suspect I speak for most of Ryanair’s customers when I say we will gladly pay air taxes imposed by various European governments (including France’s TSBA) to keep flying from regional airports.
Naive? Perhaps. Desperate, yes.
I am a dual Irish/British citizen living in France, with friends and family in both Ireland and the UK.
I have used the airline with great satisfaction for years to regularly connect with loved ones, including now my young grandchildren.
My nearest airport is Brive (Corrèze). Ryanair has announced it will cease operations there this winter.
In my experience it is a popular route to London – and it is my route to see my grandchildren.
Ryanair has already stopped flying from Bordeaux and it seems it will cease operations from Bergerac too.
There are a lot of expats all over Europe just like me. Most of us are savvy consumers; we know that government taxes can apply when we fly.
We are capable of understanding (and ignoring) that were Ryanair to include the increased French air tax in all of its fares, a super low ticket price of, say, €15 from Bergerac to London must now be advertised at €22.40. But the trade off is worth it.
The alternative is unthinkable.
There are political points to be made and yes, we can make a song and a dance and protest.
But in reality, we know services must be paid for, the climate is changing and there is no such thing as a free lunch (definitely not on low cost airlines), but have we stopped flying?
Please, Ryanair, don’t take your bat, ball and aeroplanes home at our expense. Just carry on doing what you do well - serving regional airports all over Europe at great prices and largely on time.
I usually pay little more than €20 each way for flights to the UK. I would pay double that to retain the convenience of flying from an airport an hour or less away rather than 2.5 hours.
By contrast, the Stansted Express into London is more than €20.
The friends and family connections that will suffer if routes from regional airports are withdrawn far outweigh a few more euros on the ticket price.
We will pay the tax for the trade-off.
And we might still buy a cup of tea on board.
HM, Lot
How have you adapted the way you travel to France due to the uncertainty over Ryanair's plans? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com
