Monarch Airlines

[User0001]

I have seen reports that the EMA based Monarch crew are to be transferred to BHX and MAN - so if LBA closes will the same happen to our crews which should be similar in number to EMA (who also had 2 based aircraft). Will there be a demand for so many crew at MAN?

Back earlier in the year when Monarch hold their last batch of cabin crew recruitment, MAN/LBA were being advertised as a dual base, with crew working between both, so, if, and only if, LBA closes, then while there could be a small amount of shedding, most are already MAN based crew so could and should be accommodated.

 

[Gray Ham]

Flew with Monarch from Arrecife to LBA yesterday evening. Counted just over 100 pax, including some infants. Doesn't seem an encouraging load for mid-August, but perhaps the route has excessive capacity with, I think, 9 flights weekly in August and Lanzarote did not appear busy. Great shame if LBA does lose Monarch as their service does seem to me to be superior to Jet2 and Ryanair. Fingers crossed for good news.

 

[Aviador]

‘Strategic review’ could end Monarch flights from Leeds

The local rag has picked up on the possibility of the Monarch base closure at LBA. The airline is keeping tight-lipped regarding LBA other than it will keep us informed through announcements. This is a challenging time for the managers of LBA. I hope they can pull something out of the bag to keep Monarch at LBA.

 

[White Heather]

If Monarch do leave, we are left with only Ryanair as a true low cost airline, so hopefully they will add some additional capacity (as they have at EMA on routes given up by Monarch) or Tony Hallwood will manage to finally entice Easyjet into LBA in a more meaningful way. Monarch carried 250,000 pax last year from LBA so surely there is something there for an airline that wants to put the effort in?

It goes without saying also that hopefully Jet2 will step up and add more capacity. They may be more expensive now, but they remain the most popular choice for many when it comes to flying out of LBA and it stands to reason that no Monarch will mean more demand for their seats and those of Ryanair.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

White Heather: Easyjet no longer a cheap airline. In there figures announced last week advised there average ticket price over the whole year had risen by 20% over the last year, with inflation at 2% a huge increase.
No doubt the introduction of the flexible business ticket is one reason, however, for the holiday traveller, the risk of being thrown off the aircraft as Easyjet now selling to 110% of capicity and hoping for no shows, with business travellors getting priority of seats. Another reason has been that Easyjet underestimated increased demand for seats when seat allocation came in, using price rises to curb sales.
I saw at Farnborough industry predictions that they feel airfares in the LCC field will rise vastly in excess of inflation in the next 12 months, they viewed airlines would reduce flights on mainstream routes and remove low yield routes, leaving us the punter with a much reduced choice. There is no competition now to the major players so why fight on price.
The European court ruling payments to airlines such as Ryanair to base at smaller airports is illegal and Ryanair must repay the subsidies they have received over the years, is not going to help the smaller airfields.

 

[airforced]

Like White Heather I would like to see Easyjet come to Leeds if Monarch do pull out as there has got to be scope for them to take up the slack on the routes vacated by Monarch plus some more. Even if Monarch don't pull out I would still like to see them here.

Whilst I wouldn't argue with the basic point Tarn Spotter was making about all LCC's increasing their prices I would question the assumption that all Easyjet passengers face getting bumped from their flights because of their theoretical preference for business passengers and therefore their willingness to chuck people off their flights willy nilly if a business passenger decides to change his/her flights.

This may hold good for some of their routes, particularly those aimed at and geared to business travel, but not the bucket and spade routes Monarch would vacate. On prices Easyjet, and every other carrier for that matter, will price according to the market but, in general terms, they will remain one of the cheapest operators out there so, as far as passengers are concerned the arrival of Easyjet into Leeds would be a positive move not something we should be afraid of. Bring it on I would say.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Airforced: I would love to see easyjet make LBA a base and increase their route options.
Whilst having read a number of complaints about Easyjet bumping passengers, the only actual factual occassion is a friend on a gatwick to Malaga flight.
They asked for volunteers and he was more then willing as he lives out there and flies the route basically every 3 weeks and to move a day not an issue. They offered him a free transfer to another flight which he turned down and agreed this option plus a free return to malaga.
My friend is now considering a flexi ticket, he says the flights full of business men going to there holiday homes on the costa who now want the certainty of a flight when they need, not when the date on the ticket says.
My experience on the JEt2 to malaga is I always now quite a number of the passengers as they are business folk and would love a flexi Easyjet type ticket.

 

[White Heather]

Well Jet2 have just announced Enfidha for summer 15 from LBA with an indication of an increase in flights, capacity and more to come. So I suspect they are already reacting to the Monarch situation and planning for life after they have left LBA. What is the betting that the 'more to come' bit will 'come' after the Monarch announcement is made re their future at LBA??

From what I can see there is nothing that Monarch do that Jet2 can't either add, or already cover from LBA and if Ryanair do something similar a large proportion of the pax Monarch fly out of LBA can be picked up by the two of them. That said, another airline coming in to add choice would be beneficial.

 

[SNOWMAN]

hi white heather
if monarch should leave LBA next year I cant see jet2 rushing to help one of there competitors out,if t/cook loose monarch I think they will pull out ofLBA which inturn will leave more of the market for them selves (jet2 )
just my thoughts
regards
sm1

 

[White Heather]

Hi Snowman, you may be right but I thought Jet2 had already provided flights on behalf of Thomas Cook? If the presence of Thomas Cook pax on a flight enables Jet2 and Jet2 Holidays to start up something new, it surely removes/reduces the risk of starting a new route?

 

[Tarn Spotter]

White Heather: problem is the airlines are pushing to get their loading factors up. Easyjet last week in their figures made a big play of the fact there loading factors had increased by 2%. This had been by reducing flights on busy routes and ensuring full loads and removing flights that had failed the 90% loading test. This is the same point Monarch have made, especially for their winter 2014 flights, reducing flights to popular places and removing flights that are not going to be full.

 

[Moo2009]

Just been told that Monarch are pulling the LBA base from someone who works at LBA

 

[Gray Ham]

Looks like Monarch is beginning to cull its schedule for winter from LBA. Website indicates booking on the LBA-BCN route available on one flight only (out 16/2;back 23/2). LBA-LPA reduces to weekly in mid Jan and fortnightly from late Feb. Grenoble flights now total 9 departures for entire season. No flights at all bookable after clock change at end of March. If I recall correctly did they not have a programme for April? If so,then it has disappeared from their website.

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

So its goodbye. In my opinion the response from both Ryanair and Jet2 will probably be minimal as tarn spotter has rightly pointed out airlines are now focussing on increasing load factors.

 

[yorkie40]

Not good news at all, wonder if TCX will be back??

 

[Bigman]

Well, at least that will free a couple of stands up!!

 

[lbaspotter]

Well no news yet! But Thursdays are normally bad news days and it seems Monarch are heading in that direction.

It makes you wonder if Monarch are pulling as to what Thomas Cook Holidays next move will be? As they take alot of seats allocations on Monarch flights and will surely want to keep precnce here, hopefully they may make a return to Leeds with the own operation next summer.

 

[White Heather]

Well it isn't just Thomas Cook - there are Cosmos pax on these flights too and I believe they are continuing from LBA? That is potentially quite a few pax that could be picked up by another airline. I have no doubt Jet2 will pick some up - I don't think it is any co-ioncidence they have announced Enfidha for summer 15, with 'more to come', plus an increase in capacity. What that actually translates into, only time will tell, but i suspect that behind the scenes Jet2 are assessing the situation and talking with other tour operators. If Jet2 can't pick up the charter pax dumped by Monarch, it would be nice to see a few charter flights coming in next year with a few different airlines and aircraft types. Purely from a spotter point of view, LBA is pretty boring these days with very few visits from foreign operators.

 

[lbaspotter]

Hummmm that's a bit weird if there pulling out! Don't know if anyone else has noticed but it would seem Monarch Airlines now have a new advertisement (Great deals to Barcelona) on the airport's own website www.lbia.co.uk home page.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Certainly not good news for us punters.
I was surprised yesterday that Ryanair announced they had a 25% business passenger load, add that to the 37% Easyjet business passenger load in only 12 months, can only mean a steep price rise for us leisure travellors.
If Monarch ceases in total, will leave the market in limited hands.
If Ryanair confident to set the business minimum ticket price at 3 times the average 2013 price level, we can be assurred that when they get the capicity flight levels to their liking, the only way with prices is up.
Checking carefully BA prices as now a promotion on, we may have to take our custom back to the main stream carrier. For me very lucky, now retired, if I have to go via LHR to AGP to save money, not an issue for me.