LAST OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE QE2 AND CONCORDE TOGETHER

10th April 2003

Today’s announcement from British Airways about the retirement of Concorde in October means that there are only 12 opportunities left to combine the two great icons of contemporary travel: QE2 and Concorde. For 20 years now at the top of the list of people’s dream holidays has been to cross the Atlantic one way on board QE2, and cross the other way on supersonic Concorde. For those still wanting to make that dream come true, Cunard is offering nine-night holidays with fares from £4,499 per person – that’s less than half the cost of a Concorde ticket.

Cunard’s ‘Grand New York’ package combines a six-day transatlantic voyage on QE2, a three-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria, a half-day sightseeing tour, transfers and a one-way flight on Concorde. Departure dates are 26 May; 19 and 22 June; 16 and 19 July; 11, 14 and 29 August; 22 and 26 September and 1 and 16 October.

For a six-day Atlantic crossing on QE2, with a return on Concorde, fares start from £3,694 per person.

Cunard, which had seen its future as a transatlantic carrier threatened in the early sixties by the advent of cheap aircraft travel, turned adversity to its advantage in 1983 by chartering Concorde – the ultimate in jet aircraft – for the first time as part of a QE2 Concorde package.

Later Concorde was chartered to take passengers to join QE2 during her annual World Cruise; Concorde’s record-breaking flights to Hong Kong, Cape Town and Sydney in 1985 were all when she was chartered by Cunard.

2003 will also see QE2’s farewell season on the Atlantic, her role as Cunard’s transatlantic flag carrier being undertaken by Queen Mary 2 – the largest passenger liner ever – in May 2004. Then, QE2 will assume a new life being deployed on cruises from Southampton

Peter Shanks, Cunard’s Senior Vice President Europe, says:

“This is the last opportunity to cross the Atlantic in this legendary fashion, combining two sixties icons, QE2 and Concorde, both of which fly the flag for Britain in an unsurpassable way”.