Late-notice ski flight announced

Monarch has added Gatwick-Lyon to its winter schedule

Skiers who have not yet booked flights to the French Alps, and has seen fares for the winter rise alarmingly, may have a late-booking escape route.

With just 22 days’ notice, Monarch has announced a new route from Gatwick to Lyon, flying every Saturday from 27 December 2014 to 11 April 2015. It is Monarch’s 10th ski destination from the UK.

Lyon-Saint Exupery airport serves many leading French resorts, including Alpe d'Huez, La Plagne, Val d’Isère, Les Deux Alpes (pictured), Tignes and Méribel.

Tickets are promised from £30 one-way, though average fares are likely to be substantially higher. At present easyJet is the only airline on the Gatwick-Lyon route, and over the February half-term holiday its lowest current fare is £429 return. Skiers who book as soon as the flights go on sale (due at noon tomorrow, 5 December) may well be able to grab lower fares. monarch.co.uk