easyJet

[58terminus]

I am hopefully of a easyjet base in S20

Blimey Ian.Coming from you i read that as there WILL be a base in S20. I bet you even know what check in desks they will use.
Well done

 

[smithy108]

This article in business traveller pulls together many of the points made on this forum particularly the impact on Flybe and the alternative that easyJet offers

Easyjet to launch Glasgow-Birmingham route
14 Aug 2019 by Alex McWhirter

In a surprise move Easyjet said today that it would launch flights between Glasgow and Birmingham next year.
According to The Scotsman the move comes as Easyjet is expanding operations at Scotland’s second busiest airport.
Initially there will be up to two flights a day when the service launches on March 29, 2020.
Exact schedules have yet to be finalised. And expect other routes to be announced in future.
However should incumbent Flybe (which holds the monopoly) withdraw from the route it’s likely that Easyjet would boost its service.
Would Flybe cease flying Birmingham-Glasgow? Aviation history worldwide shows that turboprop aircraft cannot compete with jets when airlines fly side-by-side. Once travellers experience the faster, smoother flights they switch airlines. Easyjet will ply this route with its modern Airbus aircraft, whereas Flybe relies on its Dash-8 which, unfortunately, do not have the best reputation for reliability.

Flybe’s main advantage, at the time of writing is that it operates a more frequent schedule than that initially proposed by Easyjet.
As Birmingham-Glasgow is a prime business route schedule reliability is of the essence. And although Flybe did say that it wanted to solve the reliability problems, passenger feedback indicates that the airline must still cancel flights (including this route) now and again because of technical issues with its Dash-8s.
Quoted in The Scotsman, Easyjet said it was “more efficient than other airlines, flying fuller, newer and more fuel-efficient planes. Many people think airlines are the same. They’re not.”
Currently Flybe operates Birmingham-Glasgow up to seven times a day. Its Dash-8s carry roughly half the number of travellers compared to one of Easyjet’s Airbuses.
There is also a direct rail link with Virgin Trains every two hours, with a journey time of around four hours. Every other hour it means a change in Carlisle with a roughly four hour 30 minute journey time. However rail is expected to become more competitive in the future.
Virgin Trains will lose its West Coast franchise in December. It was announced today that the new franchise holder will be First Trenitalia which has pledged to make improvements across the network.
First Group Trenitalia has little choice but to make improvements as it must boost passenger volume to pay its hefty franchise fees to the government.

 

[Aviador]

easyJet announces new route from Birmingham Airport

easyJet announces new route from Birmingham Airport
New domestic service to Glasgow to start on 29th March 2020

easyJet, Europe’s leading airline has today announced that it will introduce a new route, starting in the spring from Birmingham Airport to Glasgow. easyJet’s new domestic route starts on 29th March 2020 and will operate 13 times a week between the two cities.

The short flight is expected to be especially popular amongst those travelling on business and commuters travelling between the two major UK cities. easyJet started flying from Birmingham in December 2007 with its route to Geneva and has since added services to Belfast.

The flights from Birmingham to Glasgow will operate all year round.

easyJet expects to carry 180,000 passengers in the first year alone operating on its A319 and A320 aircraft and is due to go on sale in the coming weeks.

Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager, easyJet said:
“We’re delighted to announce a new route from Birmingham to Glasgow providing even more great value and convenient domestic connectivity for our customers. The connection of two major UK cities is great for the Midlands region and the positive benefits it will bring in supporting the UK economy.
“This news underlines easyJet’s continued commitment to our passengers and supports our ambition of always providing a great service and low fares - and we are sure the route will be a success.”
Nick Barton, CEO of Birmingham Airport said:

“This announcement is great news for travellers as it gives more capacity and choice between Birmingham and the popular city of Glasgow. easyJet is an incredibly strong brand that offers both great service and fares so I’m extremely pleased that the airline has chosen to expand its presence in the Midlands. We look forward to welcoming the additional 13 Glasgow services a week from March 2020.”
For more information on easyJet’s network from Birmingham, visit www.easyJet.com

 

[Creguk]

Brilliant. Now expand. It's about time Easyjet and BHX became on board with one another.

 

[Ianbutty]

Brilliant. Now expand. It's about time Easyjet and BHX became on board with one another.

We have the right CEO to make that happen.

 

[58terminus]

Not to put a dampener on the news but lets hope when the Flybe situation sorts itself out we are heading for a situation where airlines compete rather than just replacing one airline with another. Quite a few of the various news stories i have read about this announcement have been negative about Flybe. From a BHX point of view that is very unfair as they have and do serve us very well when for years nobody else seemed interested.If they go so will many destinations we might not see again
Be careful what you wish for.

 

[Jerry]

From a BHX point of view that is very unfair as they have and do serve us very well when for years nobody else seemed interested.If they go so will many destinations we might not see again
Be careful what you wish for.

I think Flybe is an airline that is generally under appreciated and would be an airline a lot of people would miss if they were gone, along with a lot of airports.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Having been messed around countless times by FlyMayBe, I would much prefer a reliable service.
The Dash-8 rubbish doesn’t wash either as I have mostly flown on Embraer’s with them.

 

[IanFarquharson]

We have the right CEO to make that happen.

I think you are right, BHX waited a long time to get a new CEO so NB was clearly their target.

 

[Vinny94]

I hope this is just the beginning of EasyJet's expansion at BHX. Well done to Nick Barton for making this route possible, I would like to see many unserved routes taken up by EasyJet in the not too distant future.

 

[Creguk]

I have to book flights to Malaga for next Summer when the schools break up (life of being a teacher!). Any insider tips whether I should wait for Easyjet to announce a flurry of new routes?

 

[Bhx_fifteen]

I have to book flights to Malaga for next Summer when the schools break up (life of being a teacher!). Any insider tips whether I should wait for Easyjet to announce a flurry of new routes?

Waiting to book Lisbon for April and about to book Ryanair from Stansted... I feel your dilemma!

 

[58terminus]

Ian,Can you put the above posters out of their misery and advise them whether to book or wait.Prices are rising with every day.Think of the children who might not get a holiday next year. We don't mind if it is cryptic.

 

[thunderchild]

Very much doubt you’ll see an EasyJet base at BHX for next summer; if it was a realistic prospect it probably would have been announced already (Jet2’s announced the base in the July) and there is still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the B word. I’d love nothing more than to be proven wrong but one new route doesn’t make a summer!

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Not being one in “the know”, I would look at the new route as easyJet utilising additional resource at Glasgow rather than the pre-cursor of a Birmingham base.
A twice daily service, one at the start of the day and the other near the end would fill four short flights with business travellers, leaving the rest of the day to use the aircraft for other services.
Although welcome, I don’t see this as the start of massive expansion from Birmingham.

 

[thunderchild]

Not being one in “the know”, I would look at the new route as easyJet utilising additional resource at Glasgow rather than the pre-cursor of a Birmingham base.
A twice daily service, one at the start of the day and the other near the end would fill four short flights with business travellers, leaving the rest of the day to use the aircraft for other services.
Although welcome, I don’t see this as the start of massive expansion from Birmingham.

Agreed. However a few more flights to BHX from existing bases would be most welcome.

 

[58terminus]

Having been messed around countless times by FlyMayBe,

FlyMayBe ?A rarely used derogatory nickname on this forum as most of members appreciate what they give to BHX. .
I see it a lot on other forums but get the impression it is used by people who just want to see big jets all the time rather than aircraft suitable for the routes they operate.

 

[Jon Dempsey]

I use the name because I don’t appreciate my flight home being delayed / consolidated / departing from another airport after a long day’s work.

Every time I have flown with them, there has been a thinly disguised consolidation of some sort meaning having to sit in an airport departure lounge waiting to get home!
Strange how the outbound flight first thing in the morning doesn’t get the same delays!

 

[Jon Dempsey]

Agreed. However a few more flights to BHX from existing bases would be most welcome.

They would be very welcome TC.

Any new services are more than welcome.

 

[richard winterbourn]

News that EasyJet are to start BHX Glasgow seems to have fired a lot of poster's imagination into two distinct areas of thought: the numbers game and connectivity!

Any new service will help boost numbers but i am very wary of this being the Holy Grail. I see no point in any further EasyJet development being tied to places where the airport already has sufficient cover. That could be self-defeating as we have seen in the past.

Much better to look to EasyJet to provide greater connectivity; launching new routes to those many cities that are currently not covered by the airport. There are many, but perhaps the clearest to identify is Lisbon, a city which must curely have business opportunities alied with tourism and onward connectivity to South America and Central Africa. Then with slots to both CDG and AMS available and for the same reason (business, leisure and connectivity) this is where i would like to see EasyJet develop.

The numbers game or connectivity, i know which one i prefer...