Route Development & Rumours

[TheLocalYokel]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Thanks, Ray. Ah, Mr Bojangles. I rather liked him and it was a great pity the way he fell from grace.

Your picture of PK does resonate with the feeling about him I've gained from afar. He does seem to like the big sound bites. Wasn't it last year that he said that the UK needed only six (or was it eight?) airports outside London and the others could be closed?

Of course, we never know how much support or obstruction a CEO gets from his chairman and board - that football link again. At least the airport chairman hasn't told the news media that he has every confidence in the CEO - so far as I know. All those who follow football know what that means for the manager.

 

[thunderchild]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

I would like to add that I think its great BHX has seen these charters, but, apart from another season next year, I can't help but wonder what all the fuss is about

So what should BHX have done then PR wise? I don't want to get drawn into a MAN/BHX debate as I think it's futile but when regional airports are all fighting to get a link to mainland China then I'm sure MAN - and no doubt you yourself - would have been shouting it from the rooftops had these flights come to MAN.

 

[User0001]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

So what should BHX have done then PR wise?

They can certainly announce it, but, come on, lets not make it into something it is not, and they could have at least kept it factual and truthful.

then I'm sure MAN - and no doubt you yourself - would have been shouting it from the rooftops had these flights come to MAN.

Actually, no, I doubt MAN or many MAN fans would, actually.

MAN has had many, many charters to China in the past, and I defy you to find any 'rooftop shouting' from them. Just this week, there were 2 charters to Los Angeles and Kansas City from MAN. Where was the mass publicity from that?

I stand by my stance that Paul Kehoe and BHX have seriously over egged their pudding, but, I suppose with a £40million runway extension, and lets face it, nothing to show for it after the last charter has gone, then you can see why they are keen to get in the limelight while they can.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Back when these flights were announced there were plenty of posts on MAN threads all over various forums asking why these had gone to BHX and why didn't MAN do something similar, now they are here and BHX is getting a little publicity the same people are belittling them saying they're pretty much pointless. Personally, it's nothing more than I expected and I can't say it particularly bothers me. I think you have to judge each situation on it's own merits. Cardiff apparently Tweeted a big announcement was due for the winter, it looks to be a Flybe flight to Geneva, if that were at BHX or MAN it probably wouldn't even register but to them it's a big deal. LBA were recently shouting about a 2x weekly SAS flight to Copenhagen, BHX recently gained a 2x weekly Icelandair flight, and whilst it was mentioned favourably it wasn't exactly front page news, but to LBA the arrival of SAS was a big deal. I absolutely mean no disrespect at all to CWL or LBA with those comments. Manchester is on the verge of a potential TCX flight to LA, I have no doubt if/when it's formally announced it'll be shouted from the rooftops for all to hear, and rightly so, but add those flights to LHR and nobody would bat an eyelid. It's all relative.

There have been many charters from BHX over the years with no shouting, just one example is the BA747's to Las Vegas (Audi I think it was) but these are different, they are not only selling packages for British tourists to China but also Chinese tourists to Britain, more importantly to a non London destination and the fact they have been a great success should not only please BHX but all the regions of the UK aiming to get a piece of the Chinese action.

To BHX these flights are a big deal and they, in my opinion, are well within their rights to milk them for all they're worth. It was also nice to see BHX do some serious booty kissing with the 'red carpet' from arrivals out to the coaches


Anyway back to BHX, it was nice to see a Tweet from George Osbourne,

George Osborne @George_Osborne · Jul 22

1st direct flight from China outside London landed today at Birmingham Airport, further strengthening UK-China links across whole country

I was told today that the wheels are already in motion for the possibility of more flights next year, maybe for a longer period too but I'll wait until I hear something official. Also PIA apparently didn't chop the Saturday flight because of low loads, as I thought because it's generally the low season to that part of the world, it was because of aircraft availability as apparently a large chunk of their fleet is currently not airworthy. It probably explains why we've seen more 773's than 772's recently.

 

[User0001]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Ray,

I have to say I take a bit of objection to a fair few of your points there.

Im not going to degenerate the thread by posting a point by point response for the sake of a b*tch fight, but, all I will say is that I find some of what you have written quite hypocritical to be honest.

Like I say, Im going to leave it there.

 

[Hassaan]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

They can't be expected not to milk it but sometimes they are better off doing their homework before doing so. Biman being an example. We're unlikely to see BA at BHX again apart from diversions. I can understand them wanting to pull out of the BHX-LHR route because it's not viable somewhat, but I don't see what was particularly wrong with the BHX-JFK route. It was being used, wasn't it?

As the runway extension is officially open, there's many opportunities to launch a new service with a lot of publicity to go with it. The markets are there, it's just a case of when rather than if I suppose.

 

[dazzler]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

The airport and the city, needs to make a fuss and keep China Southern and the travel agencies sweet because we really need some kind of regular service from them.

Manchester has developed very well and and have added a lot of short-haul and long haul expansion recently so they don't need to shout about these activities as much.They spent the money and have the facilities and routes. BHX didn't and have suffered.

And I expect my local airport to get those new routes any which way they can. Many people in the region don't want to travel to a smaller city to take a long-haul flight.

BA & Virgin aren't interested. Its all about London for them. 3 Easyjet routes. Not good enough. Liverpool has more choice with Easyjet despite the city being less than half the size. The gaps in BHX's offering are a sore point with many.

Some routes from BHX are badly marketed as it is. So if they get even charters its only good practice that the media be used to shout about it loudly.

 

[Brum X]

FLYNAS

Anybody think that with Flynas putting a stop to flights at MAN, any change of this route working and being successfull at BHX, if the right deal could be found ???


BHX-Jeddah, what is the potental for this route ?????



Just a thought i had when i heard of this news.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

I thought the same thing but I'm not so sure it'd happen. If they couldn't make it work up against Saudi at a cheaper airport then I can't see a move 80 miles or so away making much difference, even with less competition. Also BHX doesn't appear to be overly friendly to the 'low cost' section of the market so if there was any interest fees could possibly be a sticking point.

 

[User0001]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Looks like Biman Bangladesh have again changed their mind in where they want to fly. The management have come up with a new long-haul plan and used a consultancy firm to go over the figures, and they came up with the following routes, BHX not being one of them (although Im hoping to God they don't come to MAN, as MAN have done so much to improve the airports overall OTP figures, Biman would do nothing for that):

Though the plan recommended operating long-haul flights to Frankfurt, New York,

Brussels, Manchester and Tokyo to ensure optimum use (minimum 14 hours a day) of the new aircraft, Biman now flies only on the Dhaka-London and Dhaka-Rome-Frankfurt routes that take over nine hours each way.

The plan, authenticated by KPMG, a global network of professional firms, and the Institute of Business Administration of Dhaka University, also suggested launching flights to new destinations such as Sydney, Manila, Kunming, Toronto, Jakarta and Milan.

http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/b ... anes-35180

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

How bizaare that BHX is not even being mentioned now Re: Biman and now MAN appears to be the flavour of the month. I would love to know if BHX have tried to call them, i bet they even put the phone down when they know its BHX calling, begging them to come, he he he

Anyway i cant help but feel what a kick in the teeth for BHX id they do indeed end up going up the M6.

But again we will probably never know what happened in the end, maybe another email to Mt Kehoe is needed, however this may push him over the edge a little, LOL

 

[thunderchild]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

They make it up as they go along - it'll be East Midlands next week!

 

[Hassaan]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Kehoe is just asking for another rant

The whole Biman situation is just bizarre. Just a few months ago, around the time the scenic flights were taking place, the airport & the airline themselves seemed to be quite enthusiastic about Biman starting up here. Now it's just fallen apart spectacularly really...

What next? Anyone heard whispers of any interesting start-ups?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Biman don't appear to have a clue which direction they are going in at the moment, it could well be a lucky escape.

What next? Anyone heard whispers of any interesting start-ups?

Loads of whispers, the key is trying to separate those with a shred of credibility from those that are nothing more than a spotters wish list, which many invariably are.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Air Transat have the schedule up for next year and rather underwhelmingly it's pretty much the same as this year, just a weekly YYZ with May, Sept & Oct on an A310 and Jun, Jul & Aug on an A330.

 

[Brum X]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Air Transat have the schedule up for next year and rather underwhelmingly it's pretty much the same as this year, just a weekly YYZ with May, Sept & Oct on an A310 and Jun, Jul & Aug on an A330.

Air Transat have also said we are lucky to have them here at all. So the question is Air Transat, WHY ARE YOU HERE ????????

Why dont you put your A310/A330 into MAN and cross BHX off your route network ????? I would love to ask them that exact question ?????


Its rather irritating if you ask me.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

When has Air Transat actually said that?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Someone on another forum once posted that they contacted Air Transat a couple of years ago and asked the question about why BHX has seen no expansion when loads can be not far off 100% and prices can often be slightly higher than other airports. Apparently the reply this person got was that 'BHX is a very expensive airport to operate from and was lucky to still have the one service it has (thanks to Canadian Affair) as it's cheaper to put two flights into MAN than one into BHX'. I guess there is no way to determine one way or the other whether that reply is true or not but it could go some way to explaining the stagnation.

Air Transat have also said we are lucky to have them here at all. So the question is Air Transat, WHY ARE YOU HERE ????????

Why dont you put your A310/A330 into MAN and cross BHX off your route network ????? I would love to ask them that exact question ?????

Try emailing Montreal, it'd be interesting to see the reply.

[email protected]

 

[thunderchild]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

At the end of the day the BHX-YYZ flight must be profitable because if it wasn't then TS wouldn't be flying it.

 

[User0001]

Re: Route Development & Airport Rumours

Air France is to switch all UK routes barring MAN and LHR to either 'HOP!' or 'Transavia' flights next year.

ABZ already sees 'HOP!', NCL/LHR/EDI will be transferred to 'HOP!' and BHX transferred to 'Transavia'.