Fastest ways to fly to home in the sun

This year, for the many thousands of Irish people who have bought holiday homes in Spain, the prime concern has been getting to their properties. In the autumn, CityJet suspended the only scheduled service to Malaga, much to the consternation of many passengers, following its purchase by Air France.

However the news is not all bleak for holiday home owners. Michael Stein Travel has continued to increase charter flights to both Alicante and Malaga. Alicante will operate all winter with flights on Wednesday and Sunday. However Michael Stein expects that next winter Alicante will operate on a weekly basis only. During the summer there will be additional flights from Shannon and Cork to Alicante. Flights from Dublin will operate on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Malaga is expected to be more buoyant over the winter with flights operating on Saturday and Sunday. From February there will be 14 flights per week from Ireland to Malaga, including from Shannon and Cork. Prices are expected to be in the same range as this year, £199-£299, for high season.

Jack Hamilton, of Parador Properties, which mostly concentrates on the Alicante area, has begun to see a slowing down in the Spanish property market. Like the Irish market, prices have started to rise and he put the rise this year at 17.5 per cent.

He still has confidence in the market and says "Two years ago there were no flights to Alicante, now there are two a week."

Aer Rianta Cork reports huge interest in the Munster area for properties in the Alicante region and will have direct flights from May 2nd.

Jill Kennedy, who has been selling property in Spain for the past 15 years, has not found great difficulties in getting clients to the Costa del Sol. In her experience, the CityJet service was always busy and unless you booked it well in advance, it was full. Clients who are not taking charter flights usually fly with Iberia via Barcelona, through Liverpool and Luton with Ryanair and EasyJet or through Stansted with Ryanair and Go.

Since CityJet has pulled out of Malaga there has been speculation that another airline would consider the route. To date no one has indicated an interest. Landing fees at Spanish airports are off-putting to low-cost carriers like Ryanair. Travellers from the mid-west will be able to use a service from Virgin Express via Brussels that begins on 12th December and flies three times a week.