Random Stuff!!

[Cardiffbay]

Off to Gdansk in 2 weeks. We travel here 5 or more times a year and quite often from Bristol with Ryanair although we have used KLM from Cardiff a few times. It always amazes me how may polish people on the flight are from South Wales and it has always got me thinking. We know BMIBABY made a go of a few Polish routes a few years back but it didn’t seem to work. Looking at how Wizzair operate usually opting for a different airport compared to Ryanair. Ryanair - Standted, Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh. Wizz - Luton, Liverpool, Doncaster and Glasgow/Aberdeen. I really believe Wizz could make something of it at Cardiff. They have tried Bristol recently but seem to have been seen off by Ryanair. Just my thought and maybe I’m miles off but what does everybody else think?

 

[aviatorconcorde]

Sat next to Carwyn Jones on a bench this morning at my local train station. I was surprised when he got on a Arriva trains service and not Great Western First class as he did the last time I saw him. It was actually the day he went to meet Theresa May about brexit.

I did actually meet him a few years ago (before he was FM), not that he remembers me, and I did even see him once at my local gym!

 

[Jerry]

Sat next to Carwyn Jones on a bench this morning at my local train station. I was surprised when he got on a Arriva trains service and not Great Western First class as he did the last time I saw him. It was actually the day he went to meet Theresa May about brexit.

I did actually meet him a few years ago (before he was FM), not that he remembers me, and I did even see him once at my local gym!

I'm surprised! I'd have thought as FM he'd be chauffered about.

 

[aviatorconcorde]

I'm surprised! I'd have thought as FM he'd be chauffered about.

I think he's in LLandudno tonight, perhaps it was quicker to take the train!

He didn't have a tie on and collar wide open !

 

[Jerry]

Congratulations to Cardiff Blues who after a 16-10 victory will be playing Gloucester RFC in the European Challenge Cup final in Bilbao on Friday 11th May. Fingers crossed for Scarlets to beat Leinster later today for them to get to the Champions Cup final a day later on 12th.

 

[Jerry]

I think he's in LLandudno tonight, perhaps it was quicker to take the train!

He didn't have a tie on and collar wide open !

Just seen on the news that he's stepping down as FM and partly leader. Looks he'll be gone by September.

 

[Jerry]

So Cardiff Blues will (yet again) be the only Welsh representive in a European final as the Scarlets got beaten 38-16 by Leinster in Dublin. Bilbao will be Cardiff Blues third European final. Hoping, though it might not be likely, that Vueling or Flybe can put on some flights for the game for the fans.
Looking at flight prices the cheapest is Vueling via BCN with an overnight stop on Thursday and that comes in around £178 and KLM comes out at £248. Both returning on Saturday and flying from the London airports is around the same but they are direct. Easyjet out of Bristol with a return on Sunday is coming in at £724! irony is it's just as cheap to fly from Cardiff!

 

[Red Flyer]

Gloucester fans have had an extra 20 hours to book the EZY flights and I would imagine have done so

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Easyjet out of Bristol with a return on Sunday is coming in at £724! irony is it's just as cheap to fly from Cardiff!

I take it you mean the easyJet flights between Bristol and Bilbao. easyJet is certainly alive to the rugby final given that the £336.77 outbound on Thursday 10 May and return £387.40 return on Sunday compares with other fares under £50 for other dates before and after these dates.

 

[Jerry]

I take it you mean the easyJet flights between Bristol and Bilbao. easyJet is certainly alive to the rugby final given that the £336.77 outbound on Thursday 10 May and return £387.400 return on Sunday compares with other fares under £50 for other dates before and after these dates.

Yep i do. Yeah it is extortinate! I'm wondering if they are putting the prices like that to encourage people to head to Stansted, Luton and Gatwick instead as i'm sure many fans will be heading to those airports plus Heathrow not just Cardiff fans but Gloucester fans as well.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yep i do. Yeah it is extortinate! I'm wondering if they are putting the prices like that to encourage people to head to Stansted, Luton and Gatwick instead as i'm sure many fans will be heading to those airports plus Heathrow not just Cardiff fans but Gloucester fans as well.

If they don't want rugby fans travelling, and I can't think why they would not, the fares would discourage anyone else as well. No doubt they will get takers at these prices with both finalists coming from close to the core catchment and I don't think that BHX has a Bilbao route at the moment which would be very handy for Gloucester supporters.

It's market forces.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Won't the clubs or more likely supporters clubs and the like be organising one or two charter flights for fans?

 

[Jerry]

Won't the clubs or more likely supporters clubs and the like be organising one or two charter flights for fans?

I honestly don't know. I did tweet Flybe about it and they sent me a link to their charter service so i forwarded it to the Blues supporters club. Also tweeted Vueling and the airport about it but no response. Hopefully there will be a few charters as i'd imagine a couple of thousand fans would want to go as the team hasn't been in a final for quite a while and the fans well haven't had much to cheer about over the last couple of years either. Just gutted i can't go!
A cup final and qualification for the Champions Cup is a brilliant season for Cardiff Blues.

 

[Jerry]

Won't the clubs or more likely supporters clubs and the like be organising one or two charter flights for fans?

Cardiff Blues have tweeted that they will communicate travel options for sponsors and supporters on Monday so hopefully there will be a few charter flights!

 

[Jerry]

Looks like Wales Online have already been looking at the options to get to Bilbao.
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/how-bilbao-european-rugby-finals-14559845

 

[TheLocalYokel]

First Minister to stand down

Carwyn Jones has announced that he will stand down this autumn. He seemed to be the driving force behind the WG purchase of CWL having become completely disenchanted with the way the then private sector owner was running the airport.

I can't imagine that any Labour Party successor would want to dramatically alter the approach which has seen the airport enjoy a significant recovery (which is continuing) since the days when it had seen its 2 mppa slump to half that figure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43851468

 

[Jerry]

First Minister to stand down

Carwyn Jones has announced that he will stand down this autumn. He seemed to be the driving force behind the WG purchase of CWL having become completely disenchanted with the way the then private sector owner was running the airport.

I've seen on twitter that Mark Drakeford the Finance minister is tipped to succeed him. Hardly an inspiring choice i think personally but not sure who else there would be.
I don't think a new Labour government would change it's position towards the airport so i can't see this effecting the airport.

 

[superking]

I'm still trying to work out who you drive for as your shifts seem rather bazaar to me. I finished up driving for asda doing trunks and cornwall mostly till I finished with ill health. Loved the job doing not far short of 100.000 Ks a year with nights out with it.

 

[Jerry]

I honestly don't know what they are smoking down west but it must be good stuff! Swansea council leader Robert Stewart wants to develop either Swansea or Pembrey airports with flights to China!
Tad ambitious i think! But it definitely made the news!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43913363

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I honestly don't know what they are smoking down west but it must be good stuff! Swansea council leader Robert Stewart wants to develop either Swansea or Pembrey airports with flights to China!
Tad ambitious i think! But it definitely made the news!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-43913363

The report is eleven months and one day early.