Your views

“It is very unusual to see empty seats”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
Further to recent articles and letters on this subject I would like to add my twopennyworth as requested in Friday’s Viewpoint.  I am currently enjoying my 3rd of 4 trips this winter all of which have been taken using either Ryanair or Easyjet from Edinburgh with a transfer at London Stansted or Gatwick.
 One problem with this is that when using Stansted Immigration can be very busy and slow and as there is not a long time for transfer, flights can at times  pose a real risk of missing the domestic flight which results in a rather uncomfortable night on an airport chair.
Until December 2013 Easyjet had flights direct from Glasgow on a Tuesday and I think Saturday (not quite so handy for me) and though these were scheduled all winter were withdrawn at short notice forcing me to travel through London the following February.
Easyjet insisting that they were only liable to fly me back to Gatwick and not Glasgow which I disputed vigorously.
In spite of that I still use Easyjet all year round and it is very unusual to see empty seats on either their or Ryanair flights.
 Unfortunately for Scotland Globespan is no longer but as they had daily flights from both Edinburgh and Glasgow they were truthfully unsustainable and often combined both destinations for a handful of clients. I am confident that one flight a week would be used fully and therefore wish success with your campaign.

“Direct winter flights would lead us to visit for longer periods”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
We appreciate your campaign to get the return of winter flights . We are long standing owners of an apartment in Portals . This year in January and at this moment we have visited the island , two Easyjet flights via Bristol to get here. So two visits already in 2015. However we are finding the journey increasingly wearying , and a return of direct winter flights would lead us and my family to visit for longer periods in the winter. It would be great to have the direct link to Scotland resumed.

“Realise the massive economy boost”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
I have written on this subject several times over past few years, trying to argue the case for more flights.
We live in Northern Ireland and have a second home near Pollensa. We know dozens of second homeowners, cyclists, walkers, city breakers from all over Ireland who suffer from end Oct to start of April each year with NO flight from anywhere in Ireland! The airports of Stansted and Bristol when we travel in Jan or Feb for example always have Irish accents  of through travellers to Palma, joined with the Welsh, North of England and the Scots, all forced to either double fly or travel miles and miles just to get to their special island. The flights which do fly in the winter mostly leave too early in the morning to allow same day travel from elsewhere in the UK, adding to the problem! Not enough hotels open in the winter, Palma does not promote itself as a city break, Majorca does not promote its winter, spring tourism bonanza of fiestas in Jan, almond blossom in Feb etc etc! Airport landing fees are too high, Hoteliers have scant incentive to open whilst the Government pays their workers for the months they are laid off. Some group must break the cycle, Majorca is not just a summer sun sand and ***  er sea destination! Come on airlines, try one flight a week from Ireland, Wales and Scotland in the winter and see how full your flights are! Come on hoteliers, press the airport to reduce landing fees and start to open for a longer season, come on the Balearics Government realise the massive boost to the economy these winter visitors will bring and start working realistically to sort this out. We won’t stop visiting, but it’s getting harder and harder to get there in one day! This is 21st century not 19th!

“Tourists want to go somewhere warm!”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
I am always amused to read your comments about winter tourism in Majorca and how, if there were just more flights people would be coming here in droves!  As a professional in tourism, I can only say that Majorca is only appealing to tourists from April to October, period!  Why don’t tourists go to Greece in winter??  Because it is too cold.  Right now, the weather is exceptionally cold, and I for one would not want to be a tourist here now; do what?  I would much prefer to go to Madrid or Barcelona where everything is open and there is a HUGE choice of cultural activities, shopping and restaurants to choose from. The Brits are smart enough to go to warm places like Florida and the Caribbean for an even lower cost, so why in the world would they come here?  You mentioned that there are some German tourists here, and while that may be true, besides a bit of hiking and biking, what do they do?  You have never really mentioned exactly what tourists can do here in the winter.....Let’s face it, the great majority of tourists in Europe want to go somewhere WARM.

“A winter programme is very different”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
Having been a regular visitor to Majorca since 1972 and I used to come in the winter sometimes. There are several reasons maybe why British or Scottish people do not come in the winter. The majority of people want sun , warmth, and the places fully open, this is not the case certainly in the North of the Island.  Years ago there were more companies who sold winter sun e.g. Travel Club Upminster and Thomson’s to name but 2 , activities such as bird watching, walking, concerts and other activities were available.    Over on the east of the Island where there are more Germans who come for the winter, the Hotels are equipped with indoor pools etc. Cycling is big in Majorca and we know Sky  Cycling Team train every year in Majorca . Many  self catering  apartments are only equipped for the summer. Also many people go to Egypt, Morroco , Florida and the Carribean. A Winter Programme is very different to a  summer one in Majorca, having said that its not just the north of England and beyond that would like flights but the south as well.

“Flights would be well supported in Scotland”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
 I have owned an apartment in Santa Ponsa for nearly 30 years, I remember Thomsons flying Fridays and Mondays in the winter from Glasgow a 767 aircraft, hardly ever an empty seat, I have also flown with Globespan and Ryanair from Glasgow Prestwick in the winter months again,not many spare seats on the plane. The hassle and time of flying via London justs puts me off, I would love to be able to go back to Majorca in the winter time,surely a Friday  and Monday flight from Glasgow to Majorca would be very well supported by all in Scotland. I am flying back to Majorca on 30 March the first day Ryanair are flying from Glasgow Prestwick this year. I hope your campaign is a success and that we can look forward to some flights later this year.

“We would welcome the opportunity”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
     We would welcome the opportunity to get from Birmingham to PMI out of season. We have a property that mainly is unused during this period!

“It seemed to work well  with Globespan”
Dear Daily Bulletin,
Yes well done Ian(who wrote to the Ministry of Tourism),we are travelling to Majorca at the beginning of March from GLASGOW,alarm set for 04.00a.m! arrive at Costa de la Calma(all being well) late afternoon!  Why doesn’t the Tourist Board not just concentrate on Palma as a winter destination to start with and the planes will soon fill with a mixture of city  tourists,property owners and foodies? It seemed to work very well a few years ago with Globespan.