After the pandemic, now, to threaten the tourist season, are the fares of air tickets, now out of control. From the Easter weekend to the August holidays, the prices dedicated to non-resident passengers on the island reach peaks never seen before.
Over 600 euros for a trip on the routes of territorial continuity - that is, the connections between the Sardinian airports and those of Fiumicino and Linate - in the long weekend that begins today. And almost 500 euros in the heart of summer.
For a few weeks, the companies have changed their strategy to increase profits, after endless months of semi-empty planes due to Covid-19.
Volotea, which until May 14 will have the exclusivity on the connections between the island and the airports of Rome and Milan (pending the arrival of Ita), has revised the price lists for tourists and all non-resident passengers: in the days most requested must pay the maximum rate. That is, up to 338 euros each way. The increases overwhelm commuters, emigrants, those forced to move for work reasons. And they discourage tourists.
THE HOLIDAYS - Between prohibitive prices and unobtainable tickets, there are many Sardinian emigrants who will not spend Easter and the bridges of April 25 and May 1 in Sardinia. "It is the first time that I have not returned to my country, Esterzili", says Lucia Moi, a Sardinian teacher who lives in Rome, "I am 60 years old and, except for the lockdown period, I have always returned to the island during the holidays. . This year for various reasons we decided at the last moment to leave, last Sunday I started looking for flights: on the plane it is a drain, huge figures, while for the ship there are no tickets now ”.
Getting to Sardinia is increasingly difficult, especially if you rely on last minute decisions around the holidays. For non-residents, the fares offered by airlines often become prohibitive: a family of four spends more than two thousand euros.
"In the end we gave up the trip. Reaching the island has been a problem for a long time, but now it is becoming more and more difficult - explains Lucia Moi - the costs have always been high compared to other destinations: once I remember spending in two over a thousand euros for the plane, now we are on those figures, certain that, if tickets were found, a good alternative would be the ship ”.
(Unioneonline)
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