Demand for flights to Russia has sky rocketed as football fans desperately seek ways to get to the World Cup to see England’s quarter final against Sweden on Saturday.
Lastminute.com reported a 256% day-on-day search increase for London to Moscow flights on the day of the last group game.
There was then a 145% day-on-day search rise on the day of the last 16 game won on penalties against Columbia.
By 11am yesterday morning lastminute.com already had 50% of the normal daily searches for London to Moscow flights,
Wednesday was the biggest booking day for the route all year with roughly double the amount of bookings as a normal day.
However, England fans who do make it to Moscow then have to find their way 650 miles to Samara where Saturday’s match is being played.
Internal flights are reported to be extremely limited with an 18-hour bus ride or 13-hour train journey the only other options.
And with no tickets available for the game on the Fifa website, the only remaining option is to pay for a travel or hospitality package reported by The Times today to be selling for £3,800 for flights, transfers and two nights’ accommodation.
Lastminute.com UK and Ireland country manager, Reigo Eljas, said “Winning our first ever penalty shoot out in a World Cup certainly got everyone’s pulses racing and football fans reaching for their phones to see if they can get a last minute flight out to Moscow.
“We’ve seen flight searches on the rise as England have progressed through the rounds. And clearly fans want go and make more memories over in Russia when the team go again against Sweden on Saturday.”