Cheaper travel for all residents

Up until now only citizens from European Union countries were allowed to take advantage of the scheme which reduces the price of an airline or boat ticket to the mainland or the other Balearic Islands by fifty percent.

The new legislation came into force on April 1. To be able to receive the discount travellers must show a valid residence permit and also a certificate from the council where they reside.

The move has taken some people by surprise because initially it had appeared that the government was planning to scrap the scheme because of the cost. Balearic President Jose Ramon Bauza had to fight a battle with Madrid to keep it.

In the end, rather than scrapping the travel scheme, the government has decided to enlarge it to include all foreign residents.
The old system, whereby only citizens from the European Union, were able to travel for 50 percent less, was slammed by some because it discriminated against thousands of foreign residents.

The government said that up to 70'000 foreign residents were entitled to cheaper travel, the majority of whom live in the Balearics (60'000).
The move has been welcomed by the airlines and ferry companies who claim that the recession has hit ticket sales dramatically.
Over recent months the Bulletin has been contacted by readers who have claimed that they were not given the discount because they failed to have the right paperwork.

In the case of British residents you must take along both to your travel agent and for airport check-in your passport for identification, your green certificate to show that you are a resident and also a certificate from your council to show that you are registered.

Obviously, the scheme is not valid for tourists or non-residents.