Wightlink's Sunset Flyer Extended but Is It better Than Multilink?

Wightlink have extended their 'Sunset Flyer' offer until 31/12/26. It was due to end on 30/06/26 but they're giving it another six months because it's been "well received".

Here's a quick guide to who can and can't use the Sunset Flyer offer - and our thoughts on whether it's a better or worse deal than Wightlink's Multilink deal.

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What is the Sunset Flyer?

The Sunset Flyer is a fixed price ferry ticket from Wightlink that doesn't require you to buy big bundles in advance or to plan weeks in advance. That's exactly what you'll find a lot of people asking for in the often-heated comments section on Facebook posts about Isle of Wight ferry travel.

There are a couple of snags though.

• Firstly, it is only valid for journeys starting on the Isle of Wight. There's no requirement to prove residency, but logically speaking it is only available to residents and it's sold as being an 'Islander Exclusive'. 

• Secondly, it is only valid at the start and end of the day, as the name sort-of suggests. Specifically, you can use it before 0905 or after 1800, when the ferries are usually cheaper and quieter anyway.

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How does it compare to Wightlink's Multilink Deal?

The main competition for the Sunset Flyer is another of Wightlink's own deals - Multilink. Here's a quick table to show they compare:

Ticket type/feature	Sunset Flyer	Multilink
Price	£80 to £98 return per car, depending on the time of year	£67 - £84 return per car, depending on how many journeys you book
Travel limitations	Before 0905 or after 1800 on (almost) any day	Any time, any day, but there are a limited numbers of spaces on each ferry
Upfront payment	No, just pay for the return journey	Pay £420 upfront for 5 return journeys, valid for 12 months. Pay a bigger upfront payment for the lower price per journey.
Available to	Anyone where the journey starts on the Isle of Wight, so it's basically an Islander only offer	Owners of an Island residence, including permanent residents and second home owners. Proof required.
Excluded dates	Isle of Wight Festival weekend and August bank holiday	None, but peak dates sometimes run out of Multilink spaces
Return restrictions	Maximum 30 days (i.e. you have to book a return)	Can book single journeys
Amendments	"All amendments are subject to an amendment fee"	Free amendments, but you can't cancel within 24 hours of sailing
Expiry	31/12/26, though it's already been extended a couple of times	Ongoing offer but voucher books are valid for 12 months from top up

In other words:

• Multilink is better if you tend to travel at peak times and more often and you are organised enough to book early. You can share a pass with someone you live with, so you don't need to travel so often.
• The Sunset Flyer is better if you don't want to cough up £420 in advance and you are flexible enough that you can travel early or late in the day.

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Is the sunset Flyer going to be made available for visitors to the Isle of Wight?

No, not that we are aware of. I remember this being asked for by campaigners and so on, but the deal has been extended a couple of times now without it being changed to include visitors.

I am very much in the camp of hoping it is made available to holidaymakers, as I think a fixed price deal is very appealing to people planning their holidays - even if it is restricted by time of day.

Here's my reasoning:

People who don't know the Isle of Wight often ask me how much the ferry costs and I end up giving a vague answer with a huge variation in figures. They end up hearing the highest figure ("more than £300 return") and decide they'll go to Cornwall.

It would be a much bigger selling point for visiting the Island if people promoting the Island could say - "if you're flexible then it's less than £50 per single journey for a family with a car - or you'll pay more if you want to travel at peak times of day".

I feel like that could be the difference between someone choosing the Isle of Wight over inferior mainland holiday destinations (i.e. all of the mainland). It could also spread demand over the day.

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What if I don't qualify for either Wightlink offer?

Looking for a ferry deal for your holiday? There are quite a few options for those willing to jump through hoops

You may have stumbled across this guide whilst trying to figure out how to book a ferry to the Isle of Wight for a holiday or to visit friends/relatives without spending silly amounts of money. 

We cover the latest deals in our ferry discounts guide, but some of the best ways to save money on the Isle of Wight include:

• Booking via your accommodation provider. Big names such as Away Resorts (four holiday parks on the Island), Parkdean Resorts (four holiday parks on the Island) and Warner Leisure (two hotels on the Island) can often save you more than 50% if you are staying with them.

Visitors to Parkdean Resorts Nodes Point can get a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry

• Use a discount code. These currently include easy 10% discounts off Wightlink and Red Funnel, but with a little effort it's usually possible to save 15-20% off your ferry. 
  
  
• Red Funnel's Big Book of Savings, which are sent to residents but valid for mainlanders. The books are sent out five times a year and typically include 20% - 25% discounts and day return deals for a car and passengers for about £50 - £60. Read the blog about the Big Book of Savings.
  
  
• Red Funnel do something similar to Wightlink's Multilink deal called Frequent Prepay. It's less good in some ways (e.g. bigger upfront payment), but it has the advantage of being available to mainland visitors. It's only worth considering if you are a fairly regular visitor. Read the blog about Frequent Prepay.
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• Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be used with Wightlink. They are worth double with Wightlink compared to just spending them in store.

There are also some good tricks and offers for foot passengers, such as booking the ferry as a train and taking the car ferry instead of a foot passenger ferry. These are also covered in our ferry discounts guide.