[Gocamino] Iberia discounts with a Compostela

[Johnnie Walker]

Hola from Santiago
>From time to time pilgrims ask whether it is possible to get a discount from Iberia for internal flights if you hold a Compostela. Alas the reality is that this discount appears only ever to have been offered on full fare tickets and indeed depended on whether there were surplus seats. Given the practice of airlines nowadays offering low cost tickets and indeed the competition within Spain from the likes of Ryanair which has pushed budget fares lower it would not make economic sense to seek a discount on a full fare flight. Checking on other pilgrim forums it seems that the discounts offered by Iberia dwindled around 7 - 8 years ago and I suspect any uptake by pilgrims also gradually expired as the market in low cost tickets expanded.
However pilgrims can still get free meals in the staff canteen of the Parador for three days on production of the Compostela keeping up the medieval tradition whereby pilgrims could stay for three days when the Hostal Los Reyes Catolicos was a pilgrim hospital. It subsequently became the HQ of the faculty of medicine of the University before becoming a Parador in 1954.
Best wishes
John
 
www.johnniewalker-santiago.blogspot.com
 


> To: saintjames at yahoo.com; GoCamino at oakapple.net
> From: blaroli at aol.com
> Date: Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:21:20 -0500
> Subject: [Gocamino] "The Way" in the air.
> 
> 
> Hello you all,
> On my American Airlines flight to Rio de Janeiro last Thursday evening the movie of choice was "The Way'. When it was over a sizable number of my fellow passengers applauded it.  (I don't remember such a thing happening before in other flights.... the applause, that is). I couldn't resist mentioning to a couple near me that I had made the pilgrimage several times. Somehow this information got around and the people coming over to ask questions not only kept me up a great deal of the night, but even in in the Customs line,  (in Brasil all non-Brasilians entering the country have their pictures taken as well as their fingerprints, from both hands (!), I think that pretty much the same practice is in place in the U.S. for non-citizens entering the country, but I'm not sure) people would come over to ask about the Camino.
> While the recent movie about the Camino made in Brasil, (a comedy) is still playing in the movie houses, I've been told that it will likely be released in DVDs soon, and the good news is that it will have English subtitles.
> Back in New York City, my parish, with a good word from the Santiago Archdiocese,  obtained from Iberia  some very low cost  flight fares from NYC to Pamplona and from Santiago to NYC to be used by high school seniors going to the Camino next summer; they were auctioned off at the Christmas Bazar and were all gone in less than half an hour. From what I've heard, most of the teenagers'  parents also plan to go.
> You might remember that after completing the Camino, Iberia awards reduced fares (50% or so) on flights returning home from Santiago, within the country, to those pilgrims that solicit them Compostela in hand.  But, as it is the case with the free breakfast, or lunch, at the Parador, since only a small number of pilgrims may enjoy these benefits,  one must apply very early to obtain them.
> Ah!... I've also learned here that the Pope has selected Rio de Janeiro as the site for the Youth Congress to be held in 2013; reportedly, the out-of-sequence year for the Congress, which every time that it has been held has attracted more than a million attendees, was selected so as not to conflict with the 2014 World Cup, that will be held in Rio, or with the 2016 Olympics which will also be held in Rio.
> Well..... I guess that when you're hot you're hot. 
> Meanwhile, greetings from this city where the temperature is in the nineties.  If when I go back home next Saturday they are still showing "The Way" on the flight, I'll let you know.
> Hugs!
> Rosina
> 
> 
> 
>  
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