FURY AS WIGHTLINK RETURN FARE ‘NEARS £500’ FOR ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL
There has been anger on social media this week with Wightlink blasted for charging almost £500 for a return ferry ticket – but the cross-Solent operator says all is not as it seems and they’ve now reached out to the customer.
Ann Pearson took to Facebook earlier in the week to show a receipt for her trip, which came in at a staggering £243 each way – a total of £486.
Ann is set to leave Portsmouth on Thursday 19th June at 07:20 and return from Fishbourne just 5 days later on Monday 23rd June at 15:00.
Dozens of Islanders and festival-goers have reacted in outrage, describing the prices as ‘disgusting’, ‘daylight robbery’ and ‘utterly indefensible’.
But the truth of the matter has now emerged, with Wightlink confirming that the price of £486 reflects an amendment to an original booking and is not a fare that can be booked online.
A spokesperson for Wightlink has said:
“We understand the customer’s concern. We have been in contact with the customer and have found a lower-priced fare, which meets their needs.
“The journeys referenced are peak time, during Isle of Wight Festival; the two busiest days of the year for cross-Solent travel.
“For residents leaving the Island during the Festival, off peak car crossings are available through Multilink (from £31.35 per sailing), with single tickets from £68.75 each way.
“For travel during Festival, we always recommend booking as far in advance as possible to secure the best value. After Festival tickets were released on 25 September 2024, many music fans took advantage of Wightlink’s Festival Early Bird offer during October, where a return car journey was available for under £100.
“Anyone planning to travel to and from the Festival at this late stage can use Wightlink’s Best Fare Finder to understand the options available to them. Fixed-price foot passenger travel is available for £20.70 each way to Ryde Pier, connecting with the bus service to and from the Festival site”.
This fresh wave of frustration comes just days after protesters gathered in Cowes, chanting ‘robbing our Island’ outside a key meeting between ferry bosses and Transport Minister Mike Kane MP. The roundtable followed months of growing pressure over ferry affordability, reliability and transparency.
The Department for Transport has now agreed to review pricing and reliability across all Isle of Wight ferry routes.
