Ryanair, which incidentally serves its gin in plastic bags, has cancelled all flights to Fuerteventura after deciding that the local tourism department was not promoting its flights heavily enough. (According to The Times).

This means that anybody who has booked a flight to Fuerteventura through Ryanair for next year is, in a word, stuffed. They will get their flights refunded, but hotels or cars they’ve booked are up to them.

This follows on only a few months after Ryanair did the same to Valencia. Ryanair is famous for forcing smaller airports to pay for cheap landing slots and lots of advertising in exchange for guaranteeing a certain number of passengers (a practice which is under study by the EU, by the way). If the local airport doesn’t play ball, or gets uppity, then they just pull out leaving behind a slightly unpleasant smell. Symptomatic of their arrogant, bullying, “people are cattle” attitude. Makes the Euesdens look like amateurs.

I’ve only ever flown Ryanair once, about 8 years ago, and it was such an unpleasent experience that I will pay up to €150 more to go with other airlines. Not easyjet. Monarch is the current flavour of the month, although their policy of charging for bags annoyed me. But I do enjoy their Gold service.