Arsenal fans face astronomical travel costs for UCL final as airline issues shocking statement

Arsenal fans have been dealt a harsh reality merely hours after watching their side qualify for the Champions League final for the first time in two decades.

According to The Standard, Arsenal fans looking to book hotel rooms for the final in Budapest may be forced to pay a staggering 18 times the normal price.

The Gunners punched their ticket to the final after seeing off Atletico Madrid with a narrow 1-0 victory in their semi final second leg encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

That slender win was enough to get Mikel Arteta’s side over the line following a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in the first leg.

While the historic feat has reignited belief that Arsenal could finally lift the elusive Champions League title for the first time, fans are having to deal with exorbitant hotel and flight fees.

Many of the hotels in Budapest are already fully booked and those that are available are taking advantage of the surge in demand to dramatically increase prices.

According to analysis from the Press Association, a standard twin or double room for two people at the Expo Tower Hotel on the night of the final now costs more than €1,400.

That accounts for an outrageous 18 times increase from the standard price at €73. 

To make matters worse, this hike is expected to last only for the day of the Champions League final, with normalcy expected to return the day after.

The same applies to other popular venues such as Bohem Art Hotel and Hotel President.

Arsenal supporters booking flights to Budapest are also facing a similar issue. The cheapest easyJet flight from Gatwick to the city costs £519 on the day of the match, but will drop to £58 the next day.

Similar hikes apply across other options such as Wizz Air and even British Airways.

EasyJet said in a statement: “This fare is for the last few seats left on this flight.

“Like other airlines, easyJet’s pricing is demand-led which means that our fares start low and increase as fewer seats are available.

“Many fans will have been able to book earlier when there were more seats available and therefore fares were lower from around £45 when they first went on sale.

“To cater for more demand for flights to Hungary, we have also added over 750 additional seats each way between the UK and Budapest to provide more choice for fans travelling to support their team.”

Arsenal fans are now looking for ways to cut travel costs by breaking their journey and completing the final stretch to Budapest via train.

The post Arsenal fans face astronomical travel costs for UCL final as airline issues shocking statement first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.