Ryanair to cancel Prague flights in fee dispute
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36802877
Ryanair said Tuesday it will cancel all flights to and from Prague, including to Stockholm; Dublin; Birmingham, England; and Hahn near Frankfurt in Germany by October because the airport is too expensive to use.
Do you think it will significantly affect hostels in Prague?
14 years
Yes, it will.
We had a cheapo carrier in Vienna going bancrupt last year (SkyEurope) and we did notice that. I guess Ryanair brings more passengers to Prague than SkyEurope brought to Vienna. That´s bad news for the hostels in Prague, but then it´s probably right that airports stop to give special deals to Ryanair, helping them to ruin other airlines.
14 years
I certainly think it'll have an effect on traffic from the UK at least. So much of the budget tourism that has developed over the last 5 years depends on very cheap flights. Even if other budget carriers operate to prague the absence of Ryanair will push prices up. So many of the British short break market will only go to a city within easy reach of the airport. I doubt a lot of them will fly to another airport and make their way to Prague, unless it's organised for them. Ryanair has a lot of airports over a barrel, they need the flights to make money off passengers, but they are really operating on thin or non-existant margins with Ryanair.
14 years
Hostels are definitely going to feel it, but it may not be as bad as it seems. If it reduces the number of 'stag' style weekenders there, then the city may regain some of its charm and actually improve in terms of a more balanced tourism destination.
Ok, so any improvements in that regard arent going to make up for the loss - not everyone on those flights was a drunken lout - but theres always a silver lining to every cloud.
14 years
I think places that get these stag parties have a love hate relationship with them, they love the money that they bring, but hate the groups of people and disrutpion they cause. I was reading an article a while back that was saying that a few years ago Riga was actively trying to discourage British Stag parties so as to improve their image keep the drunken elements away. According to what I read now they are trying to encourage them again, in order to bring money into the country, as they need money to come into the country, however it comes.
Not sure if this is true or not, was just something I read. I'm sure lots of people who read this forum who are in Latvia would be able to put me straight.
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