Bilbo

i guess their online advertising on this site is pretty useless if you havent noticed the banner at the top of the page but there does seem to be a better offering than brittany 'we charge what we like - you'll pay it' ferries with Condor Ferries. although i keep harping on about them, they are a good outfit with a cracking service and some fantastic fares. frequent traveller club membership has saved me a fortune compared to brittany make it up as we go ferries!!!

they would have a job keeping the price that low on the western channel especially with the extra fuel costs. it would also seem now that all the operators have changed the way they present their pricing to reflect airline single fares as well. just saw in the mail at the weekend that condor ferries, the last to change, have now gone to this model also. Leading in at £29.25 per person per single journey for a car + 2 adults + 2 kids down to St Malo for easter!!!  Not sure speedferries would be capable of topping that on the western channel....

chap down the pub keeps telling me the best way to get round Brittany Ferries fluid pricing model is to book with Condor Ferries. Their brochure shows all their pricing for the year and they have special offers to boot. I always thought brittany owned condor, but in fact they borrow the fast one off condor for the summer. so maybe st.malo by fast craft is the way forward.

i suppose once you get passed the mis-management by the head honcho's at P&O and the fact they are now just going to cause as much disruption on the western channel regarding pricing etc... Good for us for the time being. I see the OFT as only being interested in the assurances from Brittany Ferries that they wont gain a monopoly on the western channel routes by offering their own tour operating arm better rates than any other company wishing to offer packages. they wouldnt do that though would they?Apart from that i cant see the dilema....

mind the sea wall on the way in though

support them because they offer free refreshments when they break down or support them because they are late and we should accept it? not sure that would wash with many consumers who may have taken the hit on the drive to dover for the cheap rate only to be held in the uk whilst everyone else gets over to their destination. all other ferry companies also have interline agreements with each other. so if they break down you get on one of their other vessels or get on another ferry companies vessel.  

p&o and brittany seem both to be having issues not only with ships working but also the silly prices they are charging. Especially when you see on the same channel condor offering car + silly for £159. i love the little fish battling the big fish and winning. they even lend brittany their boat because they havent got a fast one. i love the irony.

there doesnt seem to be too much of a change in the pricing trends of ferry companies. You can, if you have the flexibility, as with all industries enjoy an extremely good fare from most if you can be maluable enough to suit their space needs. last year we got a great deal last minute from condor, again i see them offering another one under their ferrydeal banner this year. this seems to have been again matched by the tunnel who may well have started the distress selling early this year. £100 return car and two seems to have set the benchmark for the eastern channel price changes. the airline fares are a prime example of the offerings in reverse. if you know the dates you want to travel its often very cheap in advance of the dates of travel, but the closer you get to your prefered dates of travel the higher the price gets. Its like two seats for £50, four seats then at £55, six seats then at £75 and so on and so on. Fluid pricing seems to be the norm in the ferry industry, except condor who print prices in full, so the model of the airlines above applies some what to the industry until the end of season price slashing begins. one thing is sure i wouldnt have liked to be someone who booked the ferry aspect of their July holiday say in January, as the price they paid then can quit easily be halved by waiting till a couple of weeks before. i guess we are all becoming a little bit last minute these dates and are no longer dictated to on price, its great to have choice but how many companies will survive waiting for us to make our minds up. thats when we go back to square one.