Route Development & Rumours

[Ray Finkle]

Comments such as that usually seem to be marketing spin to try and make the most of the situation. What I noticed on this occasion is the wording 'fill the gap shortly', which is rather more specific than the usual we are working hard etc.

Only time will tell if there is actually something on the horizon. If there is then Delta or NAX would be most welcome, lets just hope that it doesn't end up being someone like Uzbekistan transiting through

 

[User001]

Or could Biman finally be pulling their finger out?

 

[Jerry]

If there is then Delta or NAX would be most welcome

Delta would be much better for BHX because apart from point to point i would fail to see what Norwegian would offer as they have no US partners so you can't get connections to other airports with them. If Norwegian were to setup at BHX then doing flights to Las Vegas or Orlando in the holiday season would be better for the airport and maybe even Bangkok. More touristy destinations.

 

[TM3]

Jerry - totally agree.

A daily Delta flight to ATL would be the most useful connection IMO, lots of connections, not just to the US also to the Caribbean and Latin America, really easy airport to transit through.

I can't really see Norwegian attracting many business PAX, it's O&D holiday routes only.

 

[Jerry]

A daily Delta flight to ATL

An Atlanta Delta would probably actually be more useful than a JFK flight. I think airports like BHX have to be careful in not having to many long haul airlines serving the same city. Leave United with EWR to serve New York and have Delta do Atlanta. Apart from the odd holiday flight I can't see much a else working from BHX.

 

[Brum X]

Comments such as that usually seem to be marketing spin to try and make the most of the situation. What I noticed on this occasion is the wording 'fill the gap shortly', which is rather more specific than the usual we are working hard etc.

Only time will tell if there is actually something on the horizon. If there is then Delta or NAX would be most welcome, lets just hope that it doesn't end up being someone like Uzbekistan transiting through

What about Air India ??

 

[Ray Finkle]

What about Air India ??

Not sure that they'd do New York, they already have flights from Delhi and Mumbai and an Ahmedabad stopping at LHR. Their next US destination is to be IAD but I'd imagine that will go direct.

I'd take them over Biman though.

I know beggars can't be choosers but I'd rather it not be a transit stop at all (unless Emirates fancy it ). As said Delta to ATL would be the most preferred option but after their 'post Brexit rethink' it's looking unlikely.

 

[DaveBham]

A good shout would be Air New Zealand, flying to New Zealand via LAX. In one swoop, you'd be covering the West Coast of the US, while offering competition to Emirates and Qatar on their eastward connections to NZ.
I am of course in dreamland, but remember what they said when Emirates first came to BHX?

 

[Jerry]

Could BHX sustain an LAX flight? Surely it'd have to be at least 4 weekly to make it worthwhile for Air New Zealand?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Warsaw is another interesting one with Ryanair coming in to Modlin from Oct 31st. Their service will be 3x weekly on Mon, Wed and Fri. Wizz are also 3x weekly to Chopin but on Tue, Thur and Sat which makes a nice 6x weekly schedule.

Ryanair will move their Warsaw flight to Tue, Thur and Sun from the end of March so two of the three days now competing directly with Wizz.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there ray and all, now that we know that American Airlines is leaving, wouldn't that suggest now that the airport management and the route development team now tries to persuade United Airlines to start expanding to other destinations apart from Newark, New Jersey, but other American cities that it flies to in the United States, because this will then hopefully further boost there position and their commitment at Birmingham, then need to do what jet2 have done to advertise and promote that they now fly out from Birmingham from March, April 2017, by doing this as well as using social media sites will then hopefully inform people that this service is now ready and available to use, so when booking it through a travel agent, they insist on Birmingham and not Manchester or Heathrow or Gatwick, because this is the only way that every one will then know where Birmingham flies to... Andyc

 

[DaveBham]

Jet2 have done a brilliant job of advertising - I hear it mentioned in everyday conversations even by non-airline fanatics.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there all again, as per my previous post, if American Airlines had done the same amount of advertising as jet2 have done, then maybe, we wouldn't be having American Airlines pulling out, but probably increasing flights per week or even bring in new destinations... Andyc

 

[Barry Beeth]

I think Andrew has a valid point here; although I agree that the product is inferior to what's offered elsewhere (in terms of age/size/config of a/c) as well as price and lack of onward AA connections through JFK compared with other carriers and/or other hubs - even taking all of these negatives into account, a conurbation the size of "The Greater West Midlands" (whatever that acutally means) should be able to support a couple of daily 180-ish seaters into one of the great cities of the world.

So why doesn't it?
Part of this has to come down to advertising/knowledge - you can't move for Jet 2 adverts at the minute, and why I appreciate that AA aren't exactly after the same kind of punters as Jet 2, touristy-types will fill a 757 going to New York - TCX pseudo-charters ex-MAN are proof of this, if any was needed. I don't recall seeing an advert for AA anywhere - the rest is history. If somebody else starts this route and makes a song and dance about it (especially if they are able to offer a modern well-equppied widebody at an affordable price), even without onward connections, they will clean up.

 

[Daza]

It's been reported elsewhere that Monarch are to start ARN ex BHX 3x weekly from Summer 2017. Not on website yet
Daza

 

[Ray Finkle]

I'm not sure that advertising alone would have kept American going.

There has been a lot of comments over the last few days from people who used their service and vowed never to again. These aren't the once in a lifetime trip to New York passengers, these are people who travel several times each year to the USA using the premium cabin, their repeat custom is vital for a route such as this. If business class passengers went straight back to LHR after one flight then it was never going to last.

For American I can't help thinking that JFK was a mistake. ORD offers so many more connections and a wide body would offer a better experience for the premium pax. With LHR so close and easy to get to for a large chunk of our region we need a product that can at least compete. Delta seems to be the one that people want, whether BHX can get them in is a different story.

 

[Barry Beeth]

Yes, repeat custom (or lack thereof) is the key here, just look at the CAA stats for June, 17 fewer pax per rotation than the same period last year - over 1000 for the month as a whole. Unsustainable, J-class pax want value for their not-insignificant spend; 8 hours in a 757 will not satisfy many.

I do maintain that a twin-aisle bucket-n-spader from an area the size of "us" should still be viable if enough folk are aware of it though - just look at all the ex-MAN TCX A332 traffic going west every morning...

 

[JENNYJET]

Yes.......Advertising helps but what of those blooming TRAVEL AGENCIES!!!!!!!

I enquired yesterday ( Sunday ) at my local travel business, she is always accessible even if not at the office, about a flight to Nairobi.

She came with the expected, Kenya Airways ex LHR.
I then asked if anything from BHX. She patronizingly suggested I stick to Law as she knows more about the travel business.

I know of at least four routes to Nairobi from BHX namely Air France, Lufthansa, Turkish and Emirates. There may be more if one includes Brussels Airlines and others that escape my mind but did the agency think of this possibility? NO CHANCE!!!!

If an independent cannot manage to support the airport just 15 miles North east of our location, then what hope is there?

 

[JENNYJET]

This, in my humble opinion is where BHX can do well above and beyond the London Cartel. Forget the Mediterranean routes, they are satisfied. BHX should concentrate upon the business and city routes that seemingly only London can provide.

WASHINGTON, MOSCOW, ATLANTA, SEATTLE, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, BANGKOK, COLOMBO, CAPE TOWN, NAIROBI and the listings can be endless.

I respect the Airport management but I suspect that corporate protocols are putting a brake upon aggressive expansion and improvement of ground facilities in order to handle a surge of morning Widebody arrivals from east and west then the mid morning departures.

Are the shareholders suffering from investment phobia due the false Brexit panic or are they watching Bloomberg and the Dollar -Sterling markets?

Or is it the West Midlands Combined Authorities seeking to preserve the 'Status Quo' ?

The Planning Laws are a mess, they shall remain a mess and I cannot begin to trawl through such law as it may exceed my life span which is short!!

If this was China or Russia or UAE, the works would be done before one's next haircut!!!

 

[Seasider]

Don't forget, airlines offer incentives to agents to book flights they need filling. I am afraid most people nowadays will go for the cheapest airfare and won't insist they fly from their local airport.