ULSTER AND Leinster rugby fans have already begun making travel arrangements for their all-Ireland Heineken Cup showdown at Twickenham on May 19th.
Fans from the Northern province got a day’s headstart on planning, and according to travel agents had already started snapping up charter flights, coach packages and hotel rooms over the weekend.
Peter McMinn, who runs sports tour operators Travel Solutions in Belfast, said he was getting bookings yesterday for his one-day return charter flight to London on match day, including coach transfers to Twickenham.
The cost of a seat is £279, with an extra £50 for a match ticket.
“I’ve had a look today at the main airlines, and their prices have already shot up over £300,” he said.
“There is likely to be quite a scramble for places, as this is such a big deal for Ulster.
“I brought 250 people down by coach down to the Aviva stadium and the atmosphere was super, so we’re not going to desert the team now. Everyone who was at the Aviva will want to be at Twickenham.”
Package trips are also selling from the Ulster Rugby Club website, with a day return flight, including transfers, costing £275, with a match ticket costing between £65-£80.
Aer Lingus, which has 13 flights a day from Dublin to London, was yesterday offering fares from €87.99 on the day of the game. Flights with Ryanair yesterday evening started at €92.99 to both London Stansted and London Gatwick. Prices are expected to rise in the coming days. There are also several ferry options to choose from.
The pressure on match tickets is relieved by the fact that Twickenham boasts a capacity of 80,000 for the final.
Around 40,000 Ulster fans travelled from the North to the Aviva Stadium for Saturday evening’s clash.
Not all of them were happy on leaving Dublin as dozens of cars parked by travelling fans on Grand Canal Street were clamped during the game.
There were angry scenes, as many motorists claimed they had fed the meters but the time had just run out on them.
Stephen Devine from Strabane, in Co Tyrone, said the rows of clamped vehicles, almost all from the North, was a bad advertisement for Dublin tourism.