L D Lines

[curatokid]

Sadly the ferry service from Santander and Gijon to Poole is ceasing and not intended to resume, only leaves Brittany with monopoly, shame....

[Enrique]

The link................

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/1 ... ?ref=var_0

[kerbut]

And the word is that BF are having LD,s boats to increase their economie service.

[ashtondav]

As long as the economie service keeps going and the cost isn't more than £400 - £430 return i'll be happy. For an 8 week trip it then beats airfares and car hire. I think this service must have opened a whole new market.

My concern is if we go back to the £700 return days. Of course they'll still be able to get away with that because animal lovers are so price insensitive - or do they allow animals on the economie service, unlike LDL?

[Enrique]

Hi,

"or do they allow animals on the economie service".........yes

Information about the Etretat's on board services.............

" Pet owners will welcome the thirteen pet-friendly cabins to France & Spain"

The full info can be viewed on .................

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/economie

The big problem is getting a booking at short notice...........ok if you want to book next year, tried to book for early September ie four weeks away.........Fully booked.........

Can get a booking on the other two routes to Spain for September.........at a cost.

[zanuck]

ashtondav wrote

My concern is if we go back to the £700 return days. Of course they'll still be able to get away with that because animal lovers are so price insensitive

I for one am price sensitive and my concern is that if there is again no or very limited competition, then BF will go back to the £700 return days, which is what put us off coming by ferry for some years.

It was bad enough that this year when we ferried for the first time, booking in mid-March 2014 for a trip out from UK on 25 June that BF didn't have schedules available for our desired return date at the end of Nov 2014, (just booked Etretat last week) so we have had to book two single trips - which undoubtedly has cost more than if we had been able to book a return trip from the start.

Beats me how an organisation like theirs doesn't know when ships will be taken out of service for maintenance - as surely that must be the major factor when compiling sailing schedules?

BF's dilemma must be that their economie service is so popular that people won't want to book their regular "cruise" ferries at the regular high prices, so what will they do with their regular ships?

Of course the reality is that there are still only a limited number of places on whichever ship is used and BF has the monopoly so they can charge what they like to passengers with or without pets.

[kerbut]

We are booked for January with an outside pet friendly cabin ,luckily I was able to pre-book as I said before.

[kerbut]

Beats me how an organisation like theirs doesn't know when ships will be taken out of service for maintenance - as surely that must be the major factor when compiling sailing schedules?




By looking at the Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts forum the reason about the uncertainty earlier on was that a lot of the ferries are going in to have new engines or having scrubbers fitted to comply with new emission laws.

[peteroldracer]

If I was running a service - any service - which was getting booked up a year ahead, I would be putting my prices up, possibly a lot!

[masterob]

Indeed. Unfortunately the consequence of the monopoly BF now have on the UK-Spain sailings.

[peteroldracer]

I suffered from this sort of monopoly for years in my youth, with the notorious Isle of Man Steam Packet ferries t' Mona's Isle
There were a few attempts at competing, none of which came to anything.
Why is there no Virgin Ferries

[kerbut]

There is another service starting soon from Vigo to St Nazaire . I think LD are finishing the service as the subsidy ( Motorway of the sea ) finishes at the end of September.

[masterob]

Not much use to those travelling to the UK though!

[kerbut]

St Nazaire to Gijon finishes on 17 September.