WOW Air

[TheLocalYokel]

Saw this article about WOW on routes online. Apparently they don't start thinking of new routes until they know the aircraft is on the way and don't plan longer than 18 months in advance. Which i think in airline terms might be considered last minute?
http://www.routesonline.com/news/29.../wow-air-targets-10-of-trans-atlantic-travel/

The comment I noted was the WOW spokesman saying: "The UK has not done itself a favour by voting for Brexit - it's not as hot as it used to be. I'd say the US is the most attractive market at the moment, then Canada, then the European countries."

Doesn't sound too promising for BRS which had the lowest frequency of the three WOW UK airports (BRS, LGW and EDI, with the other two already bookable for next winter).

 

[Jerry]

The comment I noted was the WOW spokesman saying: "The UK has not done itself a favour by voting for Brexit - it's not as hot as it used to be. I'd say the US is the most attractive market at the moment, then Canada, then the European countries."

Doesn't sound too promising for BRS which had the lowest frequency of the three WOW UK airports (BRS, LGW and EDI, with the other two already bookable for next winter).

It sounds like they could leave the BRS decision to the last minute again especially if they have another European route in mind. But the article does say they will have 4 new A330s so depending where they send them it could release aircraft for BRS.

 

[superking]

wow flights in evening post to Chicago from brs is £139 and due to start shortly via Iceland. has wow confirmed they will continue operations from brs.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

wow flights in evening post to Chicago from brs is £139 and due to start shortly via Iceland. has wow confirmed they will continue operations from brs.

WOW is taking a break at BRS from the end of March until early June when they resume. Still nothing bookable from November though.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

BRS still not bookable for the coming winter. Cork is in the same position. Other UK and Ireland airports have been bookable for a long time.

Today's incoming flight from Keflavik due BRS at 1015 is showing an eta of 1900 on the BRS website arrivals page. I remember similar lengthy BRS delays on occasions last summer.

 

[superking]

This airline is looking like a disasterin will they operate or wont they. It gives pax no confidence to book the route.If they do operate the route then its in the airlines team to get the route on sale as early as poss.They must be missing a lot of trade in doing what they are.
So if they are to operate the route get it out on sale early.

 

[Marko1]

Today's flight is now cancelled as is corks. To be honest not a great start is it. 2nd flight of the season massive delay then cancelled. Cannot see wow lasting at brs long with that reliability and they won't be on cork for long once Norwegian starts their transatlantic services . Their persistent delays in releasing brs schedules cannot help either. Poor show I say

 

[Jerry]

It is a strange one as from what i've read on here they do seem to get really good loads. Could it be because the type of passenger they target don't book up early they can leave it later than other airlines? They must lose a lot of potential bookings because of it.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

WOW consistently gets dreadful reports on Skytrax although, in fairness, many relate to having to pay for everything on board which the moaning passengers should have discovered before they booked. If they didn't bother to check terms and conditions then more fool them.

However, reliability is another regular grievance with severely delayed and sometimes cancelled flights particular issues. BRS has seen its share of these.

Although I never like to see any airline disappear from an airport I'm not sure that I'd shed too many tears over WOW if they've decided to leave BRS. Again to balance things, we've been told by some users out of BRS that they provide a very good service.

 

[andrewgreen]

I see wow are back and only half an hour late arriving ! Pretty good for them !

 

[Marko1]

Wiki reporting wow service ends in October . I know it's not a reliable source but can anyone confirm either way ?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Wiki reporting wow service ends in October . I know it's not a reliable source but can anyone confirm either way ?

I've been checking the Net with key words for a while now - have done so again this evening - but can find nothing that says WOW is staying or going.

The fact that BRS (and Cork) are the routes still showing no booking availability from November onwards leads to a reasonable assumption that it won't operate beyond that date. I'm also assuming that the transatlantic business is less in the winter.

With easyJet returning to the Keflavik route next winter (2 x weekly November, December, January and 3 x weekly Christmas/New Year, February and March) WOW might have decided there's not enough point to point traffic on BRS-KEF for two airlines and that the transatlantic business is lacking in winter from BRS.

Next summer will be interesting. easyJet no longer seems to operate then but WOW does or has been doing anyway. We'll have to wait to see if they return in summer 2018 (assuming that they have pulled out for the coming winter) if there is no easyJet to share the point to point route and when transatlantic passengers might be far more numerous.

Incidentally, although Cork-Keflavik still shows no booking availability from November onwards Wiki is not showing the route as ceasing then on their Cork Airport page.

 

[Marko1]

Thought I try asking wow about this winter. Translate as you wish.



Hi there

The schedule for Bristol has only been published throughout October this year.

Unfortunately there is no specific information that we can give on individual destinations that are currently not on sale. Decisions to operate to a particular destination will be made as soon as possible based on capacity at Keflavik Airport, the performance this year and when we know more about when new aircraft join our fleet.

Please stay tuned on http://wowair.com and you can also join the WOW club to be among the first to get our latest news and offers each time See more here → https://wowair.us/customer-service/keep-touch/wow-air-club/

Kind regards,
WOW air
KJHJ

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for that, Marko. Almost sounds the sort of reply one would expect of a politician. The most positive slant I can put on it is that they haven't made up their minds, but it takes a leap of faith to arrive at that conclusion.

 

[superking]

WILL THEY OR WONT THEY is the question. A case of here we go again. Perhaps they should not bother to operate into brs and leave the route to EasyJet to operate year round if the pax are there to do this with point to point. A long shot EasyJet to operate a code share for wow.

 

[Marko1]

It certainly sounds like brs is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to slots with wow. To me it sounds like if they have a spare aircraft they may choose to operate. Personally I just wish they just say they are not going to operate and leave easyJet on the route. Not a wholly convincing way to run a route is it ?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It certainly sounds like brs is at the bottom of the pile when it comes to slots with wow. To me it sounds like if they have a spare aircraft they may choose to operate. Personally I just wish they just say they are not going to operate and leave easyJet on the route. Not a wholly convincing way to run a route is it ?

Cork seems to be in the same boat.

 

[Jerry]

Cork seems to be in the same boat.

I did see a post on another forum saying they were struggling to fill the Cork flights and that some were even under 50%. Yet they don't seem to have that problem at BRS though. I'm wondering if they don't see BRS as a priority route in their network so it will be down the bottom when it comes to slots and aircraft allocation so all that will be done at the last moment.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

That appears to be the case and Marko seems to agree too.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

That appears to be what happened before. WOW are in a stage of fast growth and holding onto potentially under performing routes is only going to hold them back. I think this one will be a case of wait and see how the rest of the summer