Flybe

[markietg]

Very quick flight back to LBA. 35mins. This evenings crew had today operated BHX-BHD-LBA-LHR-LBA. They will night stop in Leeds tonight. Then tomorrow lunchtime get a taxi back to BHX…and do the same flights again!

 

[White Heather]

It won't help that the LBA website still doesn't list LHR as a served destination, but it does still list Southampton and Newquay!
They've had five weeks to add LHR. Good to see their Marketing team on the ball again. Not!
I have written to LBA just now pointing out that listing LHR might help boost passenger numbers beyond yesterday's meagre total.
LBA replied within 10 minutes and have passed this to their eMarketing Team to sort out an update.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

It won't help that the LBA website still doesn't list LHR as a served destination, but it does still list Southampton and Newquay!
They've had five weeks to add LHR. Good to see their Marketing team on the ball again. Not!
I have written to LBA just now pointing out that listing LHR might help boost passenger numbers beyond yesterday's meagre total.
LBA replied within 10 minutes and have passed this to their eMarketing Team to sort out an update.

They really arent up to the mark. Just seem to saunter on the same old course. Dynamism is whats needed here and a decent budget.

It would be interesting to find out exactly what the airport management companys brief is for the marketing dept and how they 'measure' their performance. Maybe a question for the next committee meeting?

 

[752]

I think with the BE numbers, we need to remember how BA was when it first started. it will need time and good on time performance / reputation to help it grow. 100% needs codeshares ASAP. people have already booked majority of the S22 long haul holidays. Good to see LBA did post on social media regarding BE yesterday instead of being 2/3 days after.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

I think with the BE numbers, we need to remember how BA was when it first started. it will need time and good on time performance / reputation to help it grow. 100% needs codeshares ASAP. people have already booked majority of the S22 long haul holidays. Good to see LBA did post on social media regarding BE yesterday instead of being 2/3 days after.

I dont see many people booking anything other than point to point without the reassurance of code shares. LBAs post of yesterday is good but its a bit late and it doesnt seem to be part of a structured campaign. I know social media is one way to go but lack of traditional advertising etc makes me wonder if the marketing dept have an inadequate budget.

 

[oldendays]

British Airways might be leaning on the LBA management to not promote too heavily FlyBe, if you don't mind awfully. Just in case we want to restart our suspended LHR service. Wouldn't like to have to compete, you know.

 

[KARFA]

British Airways might be leaning on the LBA management to not promote too heavily FlyBe, if you don't mind awfully. Just in case we want to restart our suspended LHR service. Wouldn't like to have to compete, you know.

I think that would require quite a degree of imagination to believe. I doubt BA care one way or the other, and I think restarting of the route is some way off yet if it does ever happen.

 

[LBA4EVER]

British Airways might be leaning on the LBA management to not promote too heavily FlyBe, if you don't mind awfully. Just in case we want to restart our suspended LHR service. Wouldn't like to have to compete, you know.

Thats BAs problem, they should not of suspended the service in the first place! Best of luck flybe.

 

[Finger66]

I think that there is enough P2P traffic to support this. Remember not everyone flying to LHR wants to go to central London. They may have a need to go to Reading, Windsor, Hounslow to name a few. Even those connexion onwards without interline will risk it and some will o/n at a LHR hotel so not do much of an issue. And we are talking doom and gloom after day 1 - give the route a chance. Of course BE dont have an endless pot of money but as has been said if bookings continue to increase they will no doubt be happy. I think BAs loss is BEs gain here. BHD -LBA almost sells itself so the overall BE presence at LBA will also help

 

[AirBingley]

The aircraft we use seems to be picking up a hefty delay in BHD - scheduled 1325 to Birmingham now showing 1440 - slightly late leaving LBA 1208 but not to that extent - assuming its the same one that goes to Birmingham, picks up new crew and back to BHD and then LBA

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

I think this going to be the thorn in the side. The fact the LBA-LHR-LBA and LBA-BFS-LBA flights are all been done by BHX based aircraft and crew.

Whilst it's a fantastic use of resource it really doesn't give much scope for when they have delays. Remember when Flybe did the "shuttle" service ABZ-LBA-SOU-JER and vice versa. That picked up delays also.

What would be better is either a base in BHD and using the BHD aircraft/crews going BHD-LBA-LHR-LBA-BHD or better still setting up a base at LBA.

 

[oldendays]

I think that would require quite a degree of imagination to believe. I doubt BA care one way or the other, and I think restarting of the route is some way off yet if it does ever happen.

I wasn't serious.

 

[Coathanger16]

What would be better is either a base in BHD and using the BHD aircraft/crews going BHD-LBA-LHR-LBA-BHD

They do/will be having a base at BHD:

Belfast City airport announced as second base for returning Flybe

The airport also confirmed that routes and fares would be announced on March 22

www.businesstraveller.com

It may just be that they don't have sufficient aircraft or crew based at BHD yet to operate the route from there and hence its being operated from the BHX base. Perhaps once there's sufficient resources at BHD it will switch to BHD-LBA-LHR-LBA-BHD. Would save on hotel and taxi costs as well.

 

[White Heather]

They do/will be having a base at BHD:

Belfast City airport announced as second base for returning Flybe

The airport also confirmed that routes and fares would be announced on March 22

www.businesstraveller.com

It may just be that they don't have sufficient aircraft or crew based at BHD yet to operate the route from there and hence its being operated from the BHX base. Perhaps once there's sufficient resources at BHD it will switch to BHD-LBA-LHR-LBA-BHD. Would save on hotel and taxi costs as well.

But would result in cancelled flights from LBA to LHR every time we have fog
and it can't get in, and a much later departure time when it can, which is no better really than what BA did.

 

[Coathanger16]

But would result in cancelled flights from LBA to LHR every time we have fog
and it can't get in, and a much later departure time when it can, which is no better really than what BA did.

How many Heathrow routes would an early departure from LBA facilitate connections onto? The majority of long haul routes leave after midday, and most of those that depart before midday have multiple frequencies with at least one after midday.

 

[White Heather]

How many Heathrow routes would an early departure from LBA facilitate connections onto? The majority of long haul routes leave after midday, and most of those that depart before midday have multiple frequencies with at least one after midday.

Based on the claims made by business travellers at the Consultative Committee who have been demanding an early flight to LHR ,(via a night stopper), there are plenty. If the early flight was cancelled, even afternoon flights would be missed if there's only two flights per day as at present, with the second in the evening.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Based on the claims made by business travellers at the Consultative Committee who have been demanding an early flight to LHR ,(via a night stopper), there are plenty. If the early flight was cancelled, even afternoon flights would be missed if there's only two flights per day as at present, with the second in the evening.

There are plenty connections to be made from the early morning flight; Europe, Middle East, Indian sub- continent, North Africa and trans Atlantic. Im sure there is lots of demand from business travellers but its their travel agents that need to be convinced. They're not going to book a flight to London with a connection for any client without the security of an interline agreement. They would either book them from MAN or on KLM.

 

[White Heather]

Once again, the inbound flight from BHD arrived at LBA very late - approximately 1.5 hours behind schedule and 45 minutes after it should have departed to LHR. Still on the ground at 2020 and has been shown as Boarding for the last hour!

 

[White Heather]

Once again, the inbound flight from BHD arrived at LBA very late - approximately 1.5 hours behind schedule and 45 minutes after it should have departed to LHR. Still on the ground at 2020 and has been shown as Boarding for the last hour!

Departed 2030. It climbed pretty fast so looks like another very light passenger load. Suspect something else holding it up as it's been an hour turn round for what is probably a handful of pax. Lets hope there some coming back too!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

There are plenty connections to be made from the early morning flight; Europe, Middle East, Indian sub- continent, North Africa and trans Atlantic. Im sure there is lots of demand from business travellers but its their travel agents that need to be convinced. They're not going to book a flight to London with a connection for any client without the security of an interline agreement. They would either book them from MAN or on KLM.

Have to remember of course its not just passengers flying from Leeds to LHR to make connections. There are also the passengers arriving at LHR (including on all those early morning long haul arrivals) who want to connect with the flight to LBA.