easyJet

[TheLocalYokel]

Almost the end of Feb. Are we likely to see any more routes or frequencies now for the summer or is this likely to be it?

A poster on the Dried Plum asked a similar question yesterday about Stansted where there are apparently gaps in the peak summer schedule. To date no-one has come with an answer there. We're now nearly into March and the longer it goes on with the gaps being left unfilled at BRS (and at STN and possibly at other airports) the less confidence there is amongst us watchers that they will be plugged.

There will still be more flights in summer 2017 than in summer 2016, even in peak summer with the current gaps, because of the additional aircraft (no 14) at BRS this summer.

Having a slight reduction in July, August and September over June does still seem very odd though if that is the final schedule.

 

[Jerry]

Could they be waiting to see if there is demand for the flights? Fill up the ones they have on sale first then release the extra capacity? I know Vueling at Cardiff usually releases any extra frequencies in March. Maybe EZY are planning the same thing?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Could they be waiting to see if there is demand for the flights? Fill up the ones they have on sale first then release the extra capacity? I know Vueling at Cardiff usually releases any extra frequencies in March. Maybe EZY are planning the same thing?

If they are it would be something new so far as BRS is concerned. If they have satisfactory bookings for the flights in June it seems odd that July and August see reductions where bookings on the sun routes (the ones that are mainly but not solely affected) are normally even higher.

If nothing new is added it would appear to be a policy decision as Stansted and I think other airports (BFS for one) are in the same position. I believe that easyJet has used third party carriers in recent summers to help out though not at BRS so far as I'm aware. In other threads we've read that Thomson for instance has been finding it difficult to source such aircraft. If easyJet is in the same boat perhaps the airline is keeping a bit of slack in the peak summer, hence the reductions.

I have no idea really - this is just a guess.

Around 2008 when the airline faced difficulties with pilot hours they cancelled numerous flights in June to have crews available for the peak summer. I know because I had two return flights cancelled and it was widely publicised on aviation web sites at the time - I was given about two weeks notice but it cost me money to get my fares returned as you had to ring a premium line in those days. It put me off the airline for a while (seemingly making money from the punter when reimbursing fare money for flights they had cancelled; I thought it sharp practice) but I slipped back as they are so prolific at BRS. Anyway, by cutting routes in June to make sure that peak summer was fully served they did the opposite to what they seem to be doing now - that is if the gaps aren't replaced.

 

[Marko1]

Personally I think that the recent additional frequencies to places like Palma and faro during June are indicative that there must be something similar to come for July and august too. Surely u don't launch a route in may as nantes does then increase it in June then abruptly end it ?

 

[NOSIGWX]

Personally I think that the recent additional frequencies to places like Palma and faro during June are indicative that there must be something similar to come for July and august too. Surely u don't launch a route in may as nantes does then increase it in June then abruptly end it ?

I have to agree with the above. Easyjet wouldn't have aircraft parked up for any length of time during the day during the summer months. I think we'll see the gaps filled in over the coming weeks & maybe a new destination or two.

 

[Jerry]

Is Easyjets Madrid flight daily?

 

[kraktoa]

If freedom of movement ends and a visa regime is introduced for EU citizens, the effect on EZY and FR will be catastrophic. The messures will be reciprocal i guess so the flight to Majorca with a visa does not look so appealing. Unless it is visa on arrival. Then the queues will be horrendous.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Is Easyjets Madrid flight daily?

Yes, winter and summer.

 

[Jerry]

If freedom of movement ends and a visa regime is introduced for EU citizens, the effect on EZY and FR will be catastrophic. The messures will be reciprocal i guess so the flight to Majorca with a visa does not look so appealing. Unless it is visa on arrival. Then the queues will be horrendous.

My best guess will that it'll be something like an ESTA that you get for the US. You fill it in online pay 12 euro and you have it for 2 years. But personally I'd be surprised if that even happens but it is a case of wait and see.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Turkey requires a visa that has to be paid for. The country became very popular with sunseekers from the UK until the terrorists began to frighten people off, despite having to get a visa. I can't remember having to get a visa to visit countries such as France or Spain before we joined the EU. Countries like Spain rely heavily on their tourist trade and I can't see the government there putting in place restrictions that might seriously reduce visitor numbers from the UK.

 

[Jerry]

The way i could see an effect on EZY and FR is that EZY may have to get an EU AOC to continue basing there and doing internal EU routes and FR may have to do the same but for the UK otherwise i can't see Spain, Italy, Portugal or Greece agreeing to anything that could potentially harm there big tourist industries.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The way i could see an effect on EZY and FR is that EZY may have to get an EU AOC to continue basing there and doing internal EU routes and FR may have to do the same but for the UK otherwise i can't see Spain, Italy, Portugal or Greece agreeing to anything that could potentially harm there big tourist industries.

There is some talk about easyJet applying for an Austrian AOC to enable it to operate in the EU post Brexit without potential problems.

 

[Jerry]

There is some talk about easyJet applying for an Austrian AOC to enable it to operate in the EU post Brexit without potential problems.

That would make sense and then you'd just have the Easyjet group consisting of Easyjet UK, Easyjet Austria and Easyjet Switzerland. Just like many large worldwide corporations have different parts of their companies spread over the world but still with one parent.

 

[Marko1]

Some good news this evening. Extra flights being added frequencies from June including the return of the Wednesday ams flight. !!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Some good news this evening. Extra flights being added frequencies from June including the return of the Wednesday ams flight. !!

Apparently the same has happened at EDI and BFS today. The ways of airlines never ceases to surprise me.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Some good news this evening. Extra flights being added frequencies from June including the return of the Wednesday ams flight. !!

I've had a more detailed look at the increases and those routes that originally had fewer weekly rotations in July and August than in May/June, or in the case of Amsterdam no Wednesday flights, have been amended as below:

Amsterdam Wednesday flight has been restored in May, July and August giving 11 x weekly rotations. June, September and October currently have no Wednesday flight giving 10 x weekly rotations

Alicante now double daily every day throughout summer giving 14 x weekly rotations (up from 13 in original list and now as early summer)

Barcelona now double daily every day throughout summer giving 14 x weekly rotations (up from 12 in original list and now as early summer)

Berlin SXF still 6 x weekly rotations in early summer reducing to 5 x weekly in peak summer (no change from original list)

Dalaman now 3 x weekly rotations throughout summer (up from 2 in original list and now as early summer)

Edinburgh still 25 x weekly rotations in early summer reducing to 24 x weekly in peak summer (no change from original list, although September and October return to 25 x weekly rotations - EDI and GLA reductions have occurred in peak summer in recent years)

Glasgow still 21 x weekly rotations in early summer reducing to 19 x weekly in peak summer (no change from original list, although September and October return to 21 x weekly rotations - EDI and GLA reductions have occurred in peak summer in recent years)

Ibiza now 3 x weekly rotations throughout summer (up from 2 in original list and now as early summer)

Malaga now double daily every day throughout summer giving 14 x weekly rotations (up from 13 in original list and now as early summer)

Nantes now 3 x weekly rotations throughout summer (in original list was only operating for two months - May at 2 x weekly and June at 3 x weekly)

Pisa now 6 x weekly rotations throughout summer (up from 5 in original list and now as early summer)

Tenerife South still 4 x weekly rotations in early summer reducing to 2 x weekly in peak summer (no change from original list, although September and October are 3 x weekly rotations)

Venice MP still 6 x weekly rotations in early summer reducing to 4 x weekly in peak summer (no change from original list, although September and October return to 6 x weekly)

In addition to the above, Palma that was shown as 13 x weekly throughout summer in original list has been increased to 14 x weekly throughout the summer except June when it's 15 x weekly

 

[Marko1]

I wonder whether the schedule is still not complete. I can't believe Tenerife remains at 2 weekly and marrakech at 1x weekly for example. I still believe we may have no15 somewhere

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I wonder whether the schedule is still not complete. I can't believe Tenerife remains at 2 weekly and marrakech at 1x weekly for example. I still believe we may have no15 somewhere

I wonder why they leave it this late when the bulk of the schedule was announced months ago.

Did we mention previously that easyJet returns to Keflavik from 8 October? It's at 2 x weekly, initially anyway. The January 2017 figures for Keflavik showed a 113% rise in passenger numbers from 3,080 to 6,549 the result of WOW competing with easyJet in winter for the first time. December 2016 was up 82% to 6,044 and November 2017 up 75% to 5,791 - I think easyJet flew one fewer weekly rotation last November compared with November 2015.

 

[BRSregular]

Interesting little press release from the airport tonight:

easyJet celebrates record 2016 with more expansion to come at Bristol Airport in 2017

easyJet, Bristol’s largest airline and the largest UK base outside of London, flew more than four million passengers during the course of 2016 - an 11% increase on the previous year, up a third on five years ago.

• Largest airline in Bristol Airport and the number of seats available up 39% over past five years
• More than 4.2m passengers carried in 2016, an increase of over 400,000 passengers from 2015.
• Airline carries over two-million business passengers in the southwest

Two million of easyJet's passengers were travelling for business. Since easyJet’s operations began out of Bristol in 2002, a massive 45 million passengers have travelled to and from the airport with easyJet.

In 2017 the number of seats on sale will increase by around 6.7% to over 4.86 million with more seats to the most popular destinations in Spain and Portugal than any other airline, and an ever expanding number of destinations available from the airport.
In 2016 the airline launched new routes to Vienna, Basel, Venice, Nantes, Dubrovnik, Gran Canaria and Turin and, this summer, will launch flights to Kefalonia and Pula. Additionally, due to an uplift in demand, it has also increased the frequency of flights to Palma to 15 times a week, flights to Pisa will increase to six times a week and Ibiza to three times a week. easyJet also connects the South West with the rest of the UK with daily multi-frequency flights. It also offers up to 20 flights a day to and from Scotland.
Additionally, from the summer of 2017, the airline will position a further aircraft in Bristol, creating new jobs locally.

As well as adding new routes, easyJet now offers direct flights to all the main Canary Islands during winter and keeps the south west well connected to Europe’s key cities like Bilbao, Pisa, Barcelona and Bordeaux which now operate all year-round.

Ali Gayward, Commercial Manager for easyJet, commented:
“We have seen increasing demand year on year at Bristol airport and, as the Airport’s largest airline, we fly more than 4.2m passengers annually and offer an unrivalled network of over 62 routes.
“In FY17 we will offer over 4.86 million seats – a 6.7% increase over 2016 and remain committed to growing in Bristol. easyJet will continue to ensure it is easy and affordable for people, flying to and from Bristol to have direct air links to as many European destinations as possible.”

Pete Downes, Head of Aviation at Bristol Airport said:
“We are delighted with the continued growth of easyJet at Bristol Airport. During a three year timescale, easyJet have launched sixteen new routes from Bristol Airport offering passengers choice and flexibility of an enhanced route network plus a wider range of leisure destinations. The on-going route development demonstrates the strong partnership between easyJet and Bristol Airport which reduces the need for passengers from the South West and Wales region to travel further afield, whether for business, leisure or inbound tourism.”

easyJet operates up to 638 flights in and out of Bristol Airport per week and now flies over four million passengers to 62 airports in 18 countries from Bristol.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for that BRS regular. It seems that there will be no more new routes from easyJet for summer 2017.