Ryanair

[Jerry]

That is good news! Doubles their offering for the winter!
Fingers crossed for more as well!

 

[Jerry]

Both Malta and Tenerife for winter 2019/20 are now onsale.

 

[CWL94]

With BFS and NCL both loosing a weekly flight to ACE! I wonder what CWL’s chances are of getting a weekly service to ACE?

They have lost out on a summer rotation with MT, but I wonder if FR sees it a viable year round service with them having 3x weekly flights at BRS!

FR does seem to be focusing their growth in the south west region currently so I suppose never say never

 

[Jerry]

With BFS and NCL both loosing a weekly flight to ACE! I wonder what CWL’s chances are of getting a weekly service to ACE?

They have lost out on a summer rotation with MT, but I wonder if FR sees it a viable year round service with them having 3x weekly flights at BRS!

FR does seem to be focusing their growth in the south west region currently so I suppose never say never

They operate TFS at BRS as 3 weekly and CWL as 2 weekly and seem happy with that. I believe they started TFS as 1 weekly so starting ACE as 1 weekly could be a way they want to test the waters and they could continue it through the summer as TCX no longer operate it.

 

[Selig]

Does Ryanair fly the new Boeing 737 Max from Cardiff or Bristol?

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Ryanair don’t currently operate the B737 Max. Their first aircraft is not expected to be delivered until 2Q 2019 (Date TBC)

 

[superking]

The first max 8 is due in the next couple of weeks. This is if the max 8 is not grounded. The fleet number of the first one is EI=HAT.

 

[Selig]

Thanks for the info.
That’s a relief. I’m flying to Alicante next Sunday with Ryanair.
I wanted to fly from Cardiff with Vueling as I usually do, but €201 is too steep compared to £85 with Ryanair. Mind you by the time you pay for a carry on bag and select seating and priority boarding it’s not cheap on Ryanair either.
I think the Vueling flight must be almost full to charge such a high price for the basic fare and it’s much too expensive for March.

 

[superking]

The first max 8 is due in the next couple of weeks. This is if the max 8 is not grounded. The fleet number of the first one is EI=HAT.

I just noticed I put fleet number instead of aircraft reg. It was early in the morning when I posted. Hope it did not cause too much confusion.

 

[Selig]

Further to my post of 12/3.
Definitely last time I’m flying from Bristol.
I said it before but this time for sure.
Left home in plenty of time for Ryanair’s early morning Alicante flight 17/3 from Bristol. Let the satnav take me, M4,M29,M5, then no idea, as I was taken on a long circuitous route that included a slow one car width windy farm lane that eventually came out right alongside Bristol City’s ground. Consequently late getting to airport, Silver Zone parking full of passengers for the shuttle bus. Huge snakey barrier queues to get through security checks at the airport. Still way back in queue when they announced last call for my flight. A kind couple let us in front of them, jumping about 80 people. Body scan, body search, bag search, shoes off, belt off. Raced about a mile to the gate just as they were packing up and closing, phew.

Return flight 24/3 to Bristol, down the steps with a 10kg bag, walk to terminal, climb up the stairs, walk a mile, down the stairs, in and out, eventually reached passport control, big queues, two flight had arrived at the same time. Silver Zone double bendy bus rammed with passengers, standing room only, huge queue at desk to get car keys and another 1/2 mile walk to find the car.
Trusted satnav to give me a better route this time and it did, through Barrow Gurney to M5, no problem and now in a better mood, albeit short lived!
Turned for M49 to S.Wales, got to roundabout to join M4, Severn Bridge closed, follow diversion signs! Took me the opposite way up on to M4 London bound for miles, then on to M5 South. Miles further on, turn off and back round and on to M5 North, back the way I had just come, passing the M49 where I’d originally turned off half an hour previously, and eventually on to the M48 to join a huge queue of traffic. Eventually crossed the old bridge and got going again on to M4.
It took me 2-1/2 hours to get home, an extra hour on the journey. So my wife and I made a decision, we will never be tempted by cheaper prices to fly from Bristol again.
The surprising thing to me was the huge number of Welsh accents on the flight, including a hen party of about 20 “hung-over” girls!
Are Vueling mis-managing the Cardiff-Alicante route with their high prices and pushing would be Welsh passengers to fly Ryanair from Bristol, it seems so.

 

[Jerry]

The surprising thing to me was the huge number of Welsh accents on the flight, including a hen party of about 20 “hung-over” girls!
Are Vueling mis-managing the Cardiff-Alicante route with their high prices and pushing would be Welsh passengers to fly Ryanair from Bristol, it seems so.

During the winter Vueling operate 3 weekly and in the summer 6 weekly on Alicante and in general they seem to do well on the route and their aircraft are mostly full, hence higher prices. To get the cheaper prices for the most part you need to book up in well in advance but they are there. There will always be a sizeable amount of Welsh people flying from Bristol no matter what flights airlines put on at Cardiff especially as many Welsh people seem to just prefer Bristol airport full stop and will never see Cardiff as an alternative but the good thing is that for the ones who are willing to fly from Cardiff the route selection is getting better along with the amount of flights. The good thing as well is that Ryanair do seem to want to build up a route network at CWL with the introduction of 3 routes for this summer. If Malaga goes well then i wouldn't be surprised if Alicante may be on their list of routes to look at in the future.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

I wouldn’t say Welsh passengers prefer to use Bristol. I would just say that as humans we are creatures of habit.

If you have used Bristol for years because reasonable alternatives are not available from Cardiff then many will continue to do so despite new more convenient services being available.

I just hope that Cardiff Airport growth will continue on the upward trend until these people see the error of their ways and start using Cardiff.

 

[Jerry]

From tomorrow Ryanair will be operating daily into Cardiff.
I had a quick look at the seat maps for the first 3 flights that depart Cardiff. On Monday Faro is sold out, on Tuesday Barcelona starts which at the moment has 90 seats taken and on Wednesday Malta starts and has 130 seats taken up.
Barcelona could be better but i do believe it was always a slow starter with Vueling and it hasn't had the advertisement that Malta has will be interesting to see how the passenger numbers compare to Vueling!

 

[Selig]

Ironically the time it took me to get home from Bristol Airport was longer than the flight time.
I have flown Ryanair many times and never had a problem.
There were two empty seats going out (passengers probably stuck at the security checks!)and zero empty seats coming back.
To me Vueling have showed no ambition cutting the Barcelona flight. I think there is more future with Ryanair and I hope they gradually continue to expand at Cardiff.
I would also like to see Florida flights from Cardiff come back, they were very successful years ago and I don’t know why they stopped..

 

[Jerry]

Operating Ryanair's first Barcelona flight to Cardiff is EI-FOK. I wonder if it'll get a water salute? Same with Malta?

 

[Jerry]

Just the launch of Malta or maybe a new route?
View attachment 12784

 

[Foxlimayankee]

MLA is nothing new so a bit misleading if it is. When do FR normally release their winter and summer timetables? Possible new winter route?

 

[Jerry]

MLA is nothing new so a bit misleading if it is. When do FR normally release their winter and summer timetables? Possible new winter route?

They have already started releasing the winter schedules. Malta for instance is now all year round. I wonder if the 'news' is too announce that? Fingers crossed it's a new route.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yesterday Ryanair announced expansion at Cork for next winter - an extra based aircraft (making two) and five new routes - so they might be in the middle of a little batch of expansion announcements.

https://corporate.ryanair.com/news/...ew-ryanair-jobs-1-2m-customers-p-a-17-growth/

 

[Jerry]

A based aircraft would be very nice! Fingers crossed!