Flybe

[cmj]

so London airports remain the preserve of those in the South or International passengers using them as a hub . International flying from Leeds Bradford is now restricted to Schipol .... the dutch must be laughing..... Whilst Schipol is a great hub it also maintains domestic flights in Holland , as does Paris CDG etc etc Not so the brits

We also have Brussels (BMI) I guess. I am also not sure there are many Dutch internal flights. Certainly I don't think KLM do any.

 

[wawkrk]

Hi yenkcoh.
I agree with you about the Dutch laughing at us.As I have said on earlier posts, nearly all KLM pax are probably on connecting flights through AMS and the loss of BMI must have helped to restore the fourth daily flight. I would like to know what the percentage is for onward connections. For sure Lufty have stuffed LBA with BMI but in my view the Star alliance is not that great or desirable.
Flying Blue is more attractive and so is Oneworld.
Brussels was also quite good in the old days with Sabena but I think this was mainly because of the very low cost flights.

 

[Bigman]

Has anyone got a new list of flight numbers and call signs yet?

 

[lbaspotter]

Has anyone got a new list of flight numbers and call signs yet?

I knew you would be after the alpha numeric atc callsigns, Hence I've already started a list for you bigman here. topic1910.html

 

[lbaspotter]

Well sad to report that the axe finally falls on Flybe's LBA-LGW route later this evening. With no sign of an replacement as yet.

 

[White Heather]

Today's BE175/6 flights to/from SOU were operated by an Embraer 190 aircraft - no doubt LBASpotter will be able to advise of the registration. These were a regular visitor last summer, so I wonder if we can expect to see them regularly on this particular rotation this summer also?

 

[lbaspotter]

Today's BE175/6 flights to/from SOU were operated by an Embraer 190 aircraft - no doubt LBASpotter will be able to advise of the registration. These were a regular visitor last summer, so I wonder if we can expect to see them regularly on this particular rotation this summer also?

Hi Heather.

Yeah I can confirm that flybe.com used there Embrear 190, G-FBEB on this afternoon's BE173/174 service. This evenings BE175/176 rotation is not even arrived into LBA yet. Its due to arrive in about 20 mins or so.

 

[wawkrk]

Flybe have issued a profit warning. Shares down by 25%. Also talk of some aircraft disposal.
Not good news.

 

[airlinesluke]

No it doesn't sound very good and concidering they have new a/c on order too, lets just hope their sales pick up soon.

 

[tleeds]

What are the loads like on Flybe's routes from LBA? Whenever I've been flying from the airport, their flights when boarding seem pretty good - mind you thats during the holidays.

 

[Aviador]

If we were to loose any routes I would say Exeter. Lets just hope it doesn't come to that.

 

[jason1-11]

If we were to loose any routes I would say Exeter. Lets just hope it doesn't come to that.

I think Exeter will be safe on the basis that Exeter - Aberdeen and also Leeds - Aberdeen are in part revenue generators for the whole route.

Not to sure about DSA - BHD though.

 

[White Heather]

I hope that this doesn't impact on the chances of Flybe taking over the EDI and GLA routes from LBA, as I still think they would make a better job of it than BMi have done recently - although hats off to BMi for continuing to operate it despite the large reduction in passengers over the past couple of years. As Aviador posted on the Worldwide Airline forum, I do think that Flybe might have to consider diversifying their route network and reduce their domestic operations in the longer term. They may well have to concentrate more on their really profitable domestic routes and let more of the 'marginal' ones go.

 

[jason1-11]

If we were to loose any routes I would say Exeter. Lets just hope it doesn't come to that.

I think Exeter will be safe on the basis that Exeter - Aberdeen and also Leeds - Aberdeen are in part revenue generators for the whole route.

Not to sure about DSA - BHD though.

I stand corrected. Having looked at the provisional CAA stats for March, all domestic routes apart from Aldergrove took a right old stuffing:

Exeter down 24%
Plymouth down 72%
Bristol down 43%
Belfast city down 23%
Glasgow down 20%
Edinburgh down 18%
Southampton down 24%

I appreciate that when your working with small numbers, percentage swings can appear considerable, but never the less, the above are appalling.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

How many of the above reductions in passenger numbers are due to reductions in frequencies on those routes? Only Southampton and Belfast City have not reduced if I am correct. How are the load factors on all the routes?

If Aldergrove has not seen a drop in numbers, it is clear that customers, for whatever reason, are starting to choose Jet2 over FlyBe. Am I also right in thinking frequencies have increased on the Jet2 route from the same period last year?

It is said that, during times of high costs, people will be looking for the cheapest way to travel domestically or will not be travelling at all. Airlines, even low cost like FlyBe, are not currently able to compete over the domstic sector - I think it is more because they are not able to do so effectively.

There is no doubt in my mind that you would be able to fill 2 737's a day from Leeds to Edinburgh quite easily. So why can't we? The cost would be competitive with a train IMO. I think my old friend, surface access, comes into it. It just doesn't make good sense, time wise, to use the plane over short sectors in most cases. If you could get from Leeds to LBA in 15 mins and the same at the Edinburgh end, it would be more sensible. As it is, you can't.

I firmly believe that declines have as much to do with busy lives and the need to be somewhere quick as it does with cost. It is simply quicker, in most cases, to get there from Leeds by train. Leeds is, after all, right in the centre of Britain. Interestingly, the best selling domestic route (that has no need to get over water) is Southampton - to where there is no fast, direct train journey.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

One other thing:

Since March was the last month for Gatwick operations, what were the year on year statistics for that route?

 

[jason1-11]

One other thing:

Since March was the last month for Gatwick operations, what were the year on year statistics for that route?

Down 29% from 5118 in 2010 to 3647 in 2011.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I flew from Newcastle to LGW on at 06:25 on Thursday morning. I counted 50 pax. This is substantially more than Leeds flights used to attract. I think most I ever counted was 35.

I think it is probable that despite FlyBe's comments that increased landing fees were responsible for the termination of the LBA-LGW service, the true reason must have been load factors, otherwise why would they have retained the Newcastle flights? (same aircraft type so same landing fees)

 

[Aviador]

Firstly I've not seen you post for a while so it's good to see you back on Forums4airports!

I'm convinced LBA doesn't do enough to keep the business passengers happy.

At the moment business passengers check-in and then have to join the queue through to security .(unless they have paid extra) Then once in the departure lounge they are welcomed by a bar covering nearly the whole of the ground floor. This might be acceptable for passengers travelling on a weeks holiday to Benidorm but it's not really good enough for business passengers.

Whether the airline pays for extras or not, if frequent flying business passengers aren't kept happy they will travel by other means. Personally I think the airport should offer all domestic travelling passengers Fast Track security and once in the departure lounge there should be a dedicated quiet seated area where passengers can use & plug-in their laptops and charge their phones.

Somebody will probably come on here now and say this is already available and it's called the executive lounge but really these kind of things should be available to all passengers.

 

[wawkrk]

I agree with what you say Aviador about LBA facilities. Business passengers are a fussy lot though, me included I suppose. When you have been flying a lot for many years, you just can't help it. You tend to become rather snobby.Flying becomes a bit of a chore and it's nowhere as nice as it used to be or indeed elitist anymore.It's great that more people can afford to fly but alas, I now sometimes travel with passengers who probably have never even sat on a seat before, never mind an aircraft.

Regarding passenger loads from Newcastle being better than LBA, I would imagine the closer you get to London, the lower the loads. And, stiffer competition from the railways. All this has probably been said.