More attractive prices to Paris-Orly

With the winter flight schedule starting on 31 October, a major change is taking place. Transavia, the low-cost subsidiary of the Air France-KLM group, will take over from the French legacy airline to connect Montpellier to Paris-Orly. At the same time, easyJet is setting up on the same route, the bonus being that all passengers, both occasional and regular, will benefit from the competition. "This is a real revolution for the airport, but above all for the passengers. Transavia and easyJet are low-cost airlines that offer extremely attractive prices," says Emmanuel Brehmer, Chairman of the Board of Montpellier-Méditerranée Airport. In concrete terms, Languedoc residents will be able to travel to Paris (and vice versa) by plane from €27 one way, compared to a minimum of €49 up to now, a price reduction of 45% for the most far-sighted passengers who book their tickets several weeks in advance. For example, for a booking on 4 October, the cost of flying between Montpellier and Orly on easyJet on 17 November is €27.55 and €35 with Transavia, compared to a minimum of €41 for an InOui TGV (and €19 for the low-cost OuiGo TGV).

An offer tailored to demand

Air France used to offer up to ten daily rotations between Montpellier and Paris-Orly. Now, Transavia and easyJet will operate up to six flights a day together: four for Transavia (landing at Orly terminal 3) and two for easyJet (terminal 1). Both terminals provide quick access to the Orlyval automatic metro, which connects to the heart of Paris. With flights operating mainly in the morning and evening, when demand is highest, it will still be easy to do the round trip in the day. And you can mix and match between airlines, flying on one on the outward journey and the other for the return. "Of course, we are offering slightly fewer flights, but the reduction in the number of seats is limited because the planes have a larger capacity," adds Emmanuel Brehmer. For example, Transavia only uses Boeing 737s with 189 seats, while easyJet flies Airbus A320s with 156 to 186 seats. On board, services will be charged, whereas Air France used to serve a free drink and snack. But the  prices are light: from €2.5 for a coffee or a cold drink on Transavia.

Business travellers haven’t been overlooked

With the historic arrival of Transavia on the Montpellier-Orly route, passengers affiliated to Air France's Flying Blue frequent flyer programme (notably those with Silver, Gold and Platinum status) will no longer be able to benefit from priority services. The same applies to passengers from companies that are members of the Blue Biz programme. While priority boarding and security lines will remain, they will now be optional or included, depending on the fare paid by passengers. Only Transavia's Max fare and easyJet's Flexi fare include these benefits. Passengers travelling on Transavia will still be able to earn air miles and XP points under the Flying Blue frequent flyer programme, with a variable scale (from 250 to 1000 miles per flight) depending on the fare paid (Plus or Max) and the traveller's status. The cheapest tickets (Basic fare) do not earn miles. For its part, easyJet offers the easyJet Plus frequent flyer programme (for a fee), which gives access to additional services. As for access to the Salon by Promeo at Montpellier-Méditerranée airport, this will not be offered directly by Transavia and easyJet. "We are finalising the offer that will be best suited to frequent flyers, travelling to Orly but also to other destinations. In the end, the passenger experience will retain the same quality, but the overall service will be less expensive," says Emmanuel Brehmer. See you in a few days to find out more...

Air France reigns supreme at Roissy

Air France fans can rest assured that the national airline is not abandoning Montpellier! It continues to fly to Paris/Roissy, with up to four rotations per day, economy and business classes on board, and prices that remain very attractive, starting at €51 one way. All passengers benefit from a drink and a snack, as well as digital press with the Air France Play application. And although Roissy airport is a little further from the capital than Orly, it is still very convenient: the heart of Paris is only 30 to 40 minutes away by RER, i.e. barely more than Orly (via the RER and Orlyval), its wide range of shops and restaurants caters for all tastes, and connections with Air France's medium- and long-haul network are facilitated. Finally, for eligible passengers, Air France continues to offer access to the Salon by Promeo at Montpellier-Méditerranée airport. All these advantages will appeal to demanding business travellers and passengers seeking greater comfort.

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