How long is the Sunday Pilgrim Mass?

[John Faulkner]

We will be doing the Camino in May/June 2015 and trying to plan transportation home to the USA. We finish the walk on Saturday June 6, but are not likely to arrive early enough to attend the Saturday Pilgrim Mass. We could conceivably get on a flight from the Santiago airport at 2:55PM on Sunday, but does that give us enough time to attend the noon mass? I have no idea how busy the Santiago airport is, and how long the security checks are, or even how long it will take to get there from the Cathedral. We could attend a "regular" mass, and it doesn't appear likely that we will get to see the botafumeiro anyway. Also we are not Catholic so we will go to the mass more for a sense of completion than for any specific religious meanings.
Any advice? My wife would love to get home on Monday, but we may just take a late flight to Madrid or Barcelona on Sunday. On a related matter (flights) how reliable is Ryan Air? I would hate to have a late Sunday night flight overbooked or cancelled and miss our flight home early the next morning.
Thanks
John and Mary

 

[anniethenurse]

Very stressful if you try to catch a flight at 0255 pm after attending the pilgrims mass at noon. The mass will take about 45 min. A cap (about €25) to the airport takes maybe 20 min. You can maybe make it but is it worth it. What about if you miss your flight.
Happy planning and Buen Camino.

 

[madame_shepard]

We took the Ryan air flight from Santiago to Madrid last Friday.It was easy to do, but be forewarned that Ryan air is very strict about baggage. It cost more to fly my husband's backpack than it did to fly him!

 

[tictoc]

The mass is about an hour long 12 noon till 1.00, but they only swing the botafumeiro Fridays. A bus goes from the Praza Galicia every half hour to the airport 5 mins walk from centre, takes about 30 to forty minutes depending on trafic.Costs 3 euros. Found Ryan air pretty good if not a bit spartan, you can have one of those carry on suit cases for free but make sure you go for priority booking even if you book you seat because they only allow the first 90 such cases on board all the rest go in the hold

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The mass is about an hour long 12 noon till 1.00, but they only swing the botafumeiro Fridays.

The botafumeiro may swing at any mass. The only scheduled swinging is at the 1930 Friday mass, which is not a "pilgrim mass," and about a dozen Pilgrim masses on holy days during the year.

 

[Metropolly]

how reliable is Ryanair?

It's difficult to reply to this honestly without incurring potential legal issues, but... there are alternatives. Ryanair is cheap for a reason, as its charming boss is often at pains to point out

 

[mxb]

The butofumero swung all three times I was in the cathedral in June this year.

 

[Angelo]

My understanding is that the Butafumeiro will be swung after a mass at any other time as long as people pay for it. I read of a group of pilgrims contributing some Euros to come up with the required amount only to have a full congregation witness the remarkable scene gratis.

 

[mxb]

Everyone I spoke to saw it swing every time this June. They may have changed their policy.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

My understanding is that the Butafumeiro will be swung after a mass at any other time as long as people pay for it.

That is correct. A lot of groups pay for it during the summer. The treat is on them!

 

[tictoc]

My understanding is that the Butafumeiro will be swung after a mass at any other time as long as people pay for it. I read of a group of pilgrims contributing some Euros to come up with the required amount only to have a full congregation witness the remarkable scene gratis.

Yes the price is 300 euros