Booking for Pilgrimage 2024
Bookings are now open either online (preferable) via the Tangney Tours website https://www.tangney-tours.com/pilgrimages/lourdes/leeds-lourdes or by phone, directly with Tangney Tours – 01732 886666.
If you prefer a paper booking form please contact Tangney Tours and they will post one to you. They can also send you a medical form to complete, should you need one.
Assisted pilgrims who need support from the nursing/clinical team are asked to complete a medical form – click on the link below or request a paper copy from Tangney Tours.
Wheelchair only pilgrims (those who do not require support from the nursing/clinical team) please make sure you complete the booking form including your wheelchair needs.
Volunteers MUST register online and complete the safe recruiting process – deadline Friday 1 March.
After registering you will be sent a code to include in your online/phone booking.
Please do not book with the tour operator until you have been sent the code.
Please note the single room supplement payable – this is set by the hotels and is non-negotiable.
Costs
As expected in 2024, the costs have risen as a result of many factors: staffing; catering; general running costs of hotels and airline increases.
We have negotiated the best price we can, which includes all taxes and the Lourdes ‘levy’ of £10 per person, which is payable by all pilgrimage groups to support the financial costs of maintaining the Sanctuary of Notre Dame de Lourdes.
New Booking Process for 2024
The processes for booking and joining the Leeds Diocesan Pilgrimage to Lourdes are changing this coming year, due to circumstances beyond our control.
Following this year’s many disruptions to air travel, resulting in delays and cancellations, airlines are reviewing their own procedures, particularly in view of health & safety, and the availability of charter flights is severely affected.
As a result of the above, chartered airlines offering pilgrimage travel have decided to reduce the capacity for passengers with mobility needs, to bring them more in line with scheduled flights, speeding up boarding and disembarking processes and effectively improving evacuation times in the event of emergency situations.
The tour operators are currently in negotiation with airlines to come to an agreement regarding the number of passengers with mobility issues, that they will take on a chartered flight to Lourdes.
This will affect all pilgrimage groups, not just in the UK but around Europe.
As a result, we may have to reduce the number of pilgrims requiring wheelchairs to the aircraft, although we can continue to use airport wheelchairs up to the departure gate, assisting pilgrims with walking from the gate to the aircraft and their seat.
We have therefore reviewed our own booking procedures for assisted pilgrims and will bring them in line with other UK diocesan pilgrimages, whereby assisted pilgrims apply for a place directly with the clinical team and following medical/nurse assessment, booking will be confirmed based on the number of assisted places available and our ability to deliver the safe care needed on an individual basis.
We must comply with the rules set by the airline regarding numbers of wheelchairs. We have to submit mobility information to the airline before departure.
On arrival at the aircraft, the airline can deny access to the flight to any passenger who needs assistance, who has not previously registered (via the booking process) as needing assistance. The airline can enforce this as it relates to health & safety for all passengers and crew.
Chartered flights – privately hired by a tour operator on behalf of a group, allowing the group to determine departure and arrival locations. Seats are only available to members of the group through the appointed tour operator.
Chartered flights are considerably more expensive than scheduled flights as the plane is privately rented by a group and seat prices are determined by the cost of hiring a plane divided by the number of seats sold.
Scheduled flights – tickets are sold individually via various sales channels around the world. The airline determines departure and arrival locations. Most scheduled airlines restrict numbers of passengers with wheelchairs – many to as low as 4 per flight.
Pilgrims will be able to book online or by telephone, directly with the tour operator (information will be posted on the diocesan website and Tangney Tours website in due course and in parishes, although this may be after Christmas).
Online/Telephone booking – not yet available
https://www.tangney-tours.com/pilgrimages/lourdes/leeds-lourdes
There will be 3 options:
Option 1 – Independent pilgrims
For those who have no mobility issues and do not require any assistance from the clinical team in Lourdes.
You can access booking immediately and on completion of booking form, can pay a deposit and your place will be confirmed.
Independent pilgrims who only require use of a wheelchair at the airport and/or in Lourdes (but have no other assistance needs) must indicate this on the booking form
Option 2 – Adult Volunteers Registration
For those who wish to volunteer to assist on pilgrimage – doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and all other volunteers.
You will be directed to the registration site for volunteers and must complete the registration form. You will then be contacted by the recruitment officer. Once the recruitment process has been completed your place will be confirmed and you can book directly with the tour operator
Option 3 – Assisted Pilgrims
For those who require support from the clinical team (assistance getting into and out of bed, assistance with washing and/or dressing, and/or assistance with personal care, medications, dressings etc.)
You will be directed to the Assisted Pilgrim medical form and a member of the clinical team (a nurse) will contact you and arrange an assessment. Once the assessment has been completed the nurse will let you know if we are able to offer you a place. You can then book directly with the tour operator
We will reserve a number of places in the Padoue Hotel for assisted pilgrims.
Please be assured that we will do our best to accommodate all pilgrims who wish to travel with us.
It is vital that we can correctly identify all pilgrims with mobility or personal care needs.
Please do not withhold information as there is a possibility that the airline can deny you access to the flight.
New Information for 2024
Cost
Hotels
All pilgrimage directors received a letter from the Lourdes hoteliers recently, explaining their struggles since covid – increased costs (fuel, catering, wages etc.); reduced staff numbers; loss of income during covid. For these reasons the hoteliers have increased their charges for 2024.
Air travel
The air travel industry has faced many difficulties, some airlines have withdrawn support for pilgrimage flights due to the longer boarding/disembarkation processes, fuel costs have risen substantially.
Many people are working in the background to ensure that the pilgrimage is a success, to ensure that we can accommodate all those who hope to join us and to negotiate the best price we can on behalf of all pilgrims.
