Airline ticket

[WHL]

Any one remember the good old days, when you payed one price for an airline ticket, which included, your seat, baggage, meal, drink etc?

[Yioula]

WHL sometime in the 90s before budget airlines

[Sadie]

WHL sometime in the 90s before budget airlines

I remember travelling manchester to paphos on BA included luggage meal and drinks on board well into the early naughties

[sued51]

Yes I remember paying £250 return in the late 80’s early 90’s and thinking that was a bargain with Cyprus Airways Manchester Paphos, whilst I would love to go back to the old days in terms of service and being able to carry whatever I wantedin hand luggage, those days are unfortunately over - being able to fly from Paphos to various airports in the UK for €19.99 even if you do have to jump through hoops to negotiate all the add-ons has to be progress?

[WHL]

Yes I remember paying £250 return in the late 80’s early 90’s and thinking that was a bargain with Cyprus Airways Manchester Paphos, whilst I would love to go back to the old days in terms of service and being able to carry whatever I wantedin hand luggage, those days are unfortunately over - being able to fly from Paphos to various airports in the UK for €19.99 even if you do have to jump through hoops to negotiate all the add-ons has to be progress?

Just my opinion, but I would still go back to the old days, ive have all seen flights advertised for 19e, but how many people travel with no luggage? Even cabin luggage needs to be paid for now days, and God forbid if your cabin luggage is over size, airlines like wizzair will clobber you, I have witnessed it many time while waiting in line.
So that 19euro flight soon adds up with most budget airlines charging a minimum 60e for a suitcase each way, plus the cost of a seat etc etc.
Not to mention being herded like cattle in waiting pens,

[The Aquila]

It’s all about choice now though WHL. Back then, although there were less people travelling on business, they thought it unfair to have to pay the same as those who had all their luggage etc.

Wizzair and others only clobber people that have broken the rules clearly set out on their website and the hand luggage can be checked prior to boarding in several places. I wish more airlines would be as robust with their rules. I remember once when flying out of Paphos a couple trying to stretch an airport shop carrier bag over a near full sized suitcase to avoid having to pay for it! Thankfully they got charged.

[PhotoLady]

I started working at First Choice Holidays in July 1995.

Meals were included but not drinks on charter flights.

BA were still including meals and drinks on the flights I had to take from Manchester to visit the financial department at the head office at Crawley, at least 2yrs after I started there as my role changed following a promotion.

I left the Manchester office in 2004 to move to Cyprus and by then, it was all add-ons. A flight became just that...

And all of our flight only bookings to Egypt and Malta whilst we were still in Cyprus up to the last holiday we took from there in 2014, included food and drinks onboard.

Since Covid, we've only booked package holidays as they've been offering better options to make changes. But the niggle I really have is pre-booked seats

[PhotoLady]

Yes I remember paying £250 return in the late 80’s early 90’s and thinking that was a bargain with Cyprus Airways Manchester Paphos, whilst I would love to go back to the old days in terms of service and being able to carry whatever I wantedin hand luggage, those days are unfortunately over - being able to fly from Paphos to various airports in the UK for €19.99 even if you do have to jump through hoops to negotiate all the add-ons has to be progress?

Our first holiday to Cyprus was on Cyprus Airways in 1985. We had 3 weeks in an apartment in Limassol, behind the ETKO factory and Woolworths.

We paid £189 per person for the whole package from Manchester, booked through Stuart Hall travel...

[WHL]

It’s all about choice now though WHL. Back then, although there were less people travelling on business, they thought it unfair to have to pay the same as those who had all their luggage etc.

Wizzair and others only clobber people that have broken the rules clearly set out on their website and the hand luggage can be checked prior to boarding in several places. I wish more airlines would be as robust with their rules. I remember once when flying out of Paphos a couple trying to stretch an airport shop carrier bag over a near full sized suitcase to avoid having to pay for it! Thankfully they got charged.

What choice? Whether you Fly wizz air or BA you still have to pay for ticket, seat, baggage, food etc, your example of the couple trying to put a suitcase in a shopping bag is a bit extreme, wizzair and others hope people are a kilo over so they can whack them

[The Aquila]

your example of the couple trying to put a suitcase in a shopping bag is a bit extreme

No, it’s not extreme, I saw it happen at Paphos airport!

My comment about choice is just that, if you want to fly on a scheduled flight, you choose which option you want. 23 kgs, large hand luggage, small cabin bag etc and you pay for what you want. If you want to make your food and take it on you can, if not buy it. You can take your own drinks but if you don’t want to then buy them!

Attitudes and flight availability has changed considerably in later years….can you imagine the carnage now if someone was flying from the UK to Cyprus with free booze available to them?!

[WHL]

your example of the couple trying to put a suitcase in a shopping bag is a bit extreme

No, it’s not extreme, I saw it happen at Paphos airport!

My comment about choice is just that, if you want to fly on a scheduled flight, you choose which option you want. 23 kgs, large hand luggage, small cabin bag etc and you pay for what you want. If you want to make your food and take it on you can, if not buy it. You can take your own drinks but if you don’t want to then buy them!

Attitudes and flight availability has changed considerably in later years….can you imagine the carnage now if someone was flying from the UK to Cyprus with free booze available to them?!

I wasn't disputing the fact you saw it, On the whole most people try to keep near the limits

[PhotoLady]

We don't even need to try to keep within the limits.

Just had 10 nights away with 23kg of hold baggage and 10kg carry on.

Our hold baggage totalled 25kgs over 2 suitcases and carry on were the essentials of medication, passports and the electronic items we must take with us to get through the necessary for travel these days.

Absolutely no need to be weighed down with stuff that will never get worn. I came back with three t-shirts that never saw daylight during the overseas trip.

They're back in the packing cubes and in the case, ready for the next one in a few weeks time.

[Kili01]

Yes, like WHL I remember the good? old days. It was when BA and Cyprus Airways seemed to have a monopoly over the flights from LHR to Paphos. We arrived in Paphos in Sep 1999 and we flew with BA. As we were coming out to live, we had about 4 reasonable sized suitcases between the 2 of us. + hand baggage. We needed to manage in rented accommodation pending the arrival of our container. We explained at check in why we had so much luggage. Where the check in lady said she quite understood with a smile. All our bags were included with no extra charge. We were provided with reasonable hot meals and free drinks en route.
What a far cry from the hassle and bustle of todays low cost airline flights and being herded into the 'cattle pens' used by budget airlines at Paphos!

[LouiseCastricum]

Oh How I would love for the Cyprus Airways flights from and to Amsterdam to be available again, you booked your flight and luggage no problem at all. Food and drinks provided. Although the Transavia flights are not bad at all.

[WHL]

Oh How I would love for the Cyprus Airways flights from and to Amsterdam to be available again, you booked your flight and luggage no problem at all. Food and drinks provided. Although the Transavia flights are not bad at all.

I have family in Amsterdam , and have used transavia, many times also