Leeds Bradford - General Thread

[Seasider]

I was on the Monarch from PMI last night and we had to wait 15 mins which I thought was a long time. After that we were only allowed to disembark from the front steps.

 

[White Heather]

I was on the Monarch from PMI last night and we had to wait 15 mins which I thought was a long time. After that we were only allowed to disembark from the front steps.

It may seem like a long time but it is the overall time it takes to clear the airport that really counts. There is no point in all getting off the aircraft immediately and on to the bus if, like I did earlier this year, you end up sitting, or standing, on the bus, waiting for them to let you get off and into the terminal. If the the baggage reclaim area is full, then you can be sure they will hold people back at immigration, or on the bus, or on the aircraft so that there is a steady flow into and through the terminal. What they don't want is everybody unloading at the same time resulting in huge queues, a potentially unsafe terminal and baggage carousels being unavailable.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Can I just put up a thanks to White Heather who seems to have been very busy at the last LBA Consultative Committee meeting and for updating virtually every thread with information this forum has been seeking.
Thanks from this member and I am sure many others.

 

[Aviador]

Can I just put up a thanks to White Heather who seems to have been very busy at the last LBA Consultative Committee meeting and for updating virtually every thread with information this forum has been seeking.
Thanks from this member and I am sure many others.

I'll definitely second that.

 

[a300boy]

Me too !

 

[Sherburnflyer92]

I'll fourth that.

Thank you WH!

 

[airforced]

However kind we want to be about LBA (and there are many plus points when compared with other UK airports) the arrivals experience isn't one of them. We arrived back from ALC on Thursday afternoon with Jet2 and our 752 was parked on a stand right next to the BA shuttle. Even I wouldn't have complained if we had been asked to walk into the terminal from there, but no we had to wait for 3 buses to arrive and load up to take us round to the stairs/escalator for immigration. Long queues for that as usual which you would have thought would have given the baggage guys chance to do their work. No such luck. It was down into the dungeon, known locally as baggage reclaim, where a long wait ensued before our bags showed up. In total from landing to leaving the terminal it was an hour. Not a good reception for incoming visitors and it compared very badly with the experience of ALC where we were in and out within 30 minutes of landing.

 

[Seasider]

I hope we do better than that when we come back from PUL on Wednesday.

 

[White Heather]

At UK airports i suspect that getting out of the terminal within an hour is becoming the norm. Anytlhing less is a bonus. All passengers now have to be bused - inbound there is no walking into the terminal now. LBA are very aware of the requirement to improve the arrival experience having spent all their time and money so far on improving the outbound experience. Sadly, making any significant improvement seems to be inextricably linked to extending the terminal to make more space - and that may have slipped back a while given the loss of Monarch today if LBA fail to come up with a replacement airline with 2 aircraft to base here.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

Do we know if Monarch accounts are frozen at 4am yesterday and the likes of LBA will get some of the funds from asset sales, or has Greybull done the same as they did with Comet and made themselves the preferencial creditor, leaving everyone else high and dry.

 

[Jerry]

Do we know if Monarch accounts are frozen at 4am yesterday and the likes of LBA will get some of the funds from asset sales, or has Greybull done the same as they did with Comet and made themselves the preferencial creditor, leaving everyone else high and dry.

Apart from MAEL i doubt Monarch has any assets at all.

 

[Tarn Spotter]

I would have thought Gatwick landing slots dont come cheap, Flybe got £20m for 25 slots in 2013, I have seen one city report that values all the Monarch slots at around £500m, but there is "the use it, or lose it" clause in all Monarchs contracts which may make them worthless.
Obviously MAEL has some worth and not sure if the H O is leased or owned.
It all depends on the £165m Greybull investment, is it ring fenced, and does Greybull have first call on funds, looking at thier Comet deal, and the fact no pressure from the city on Greybull funds, looks as if they walk away.

 

[Bigman]

Can anyone remember us having such a rollercoaster week as this one has been? We have gone from losing Monarch, to gaining a based Thomas Cook, plus Jet2, Ryanair and TUI all announcing increases for next Summer, all in the blink of an eye. All we need is FlyBe to come in an announce something new and we really will be bouncing off the rafters.

 

[Aviador]

Can anyone remember us having such a rollercoaster week as this one has been? We have gone from losing Monarch, to gaining a based Thomas Cook, plus Jet2, Ryanair and TUI all announcing increases for next Summer, all in the blink of an eye. All we need is FlyBe to come in an announce something new and we really will be bouncing off the rafters.

It makes me wonder if the Thomas Cook announcement was coming anyway and it was brought forward in light of the Monarch news. Next summer would have been a bumper programme had that been the case. It does make me wonder which former Monarch base will come off the worst after it's demise.

 

[Finger66]

What I like about all of this is regardless of how and why these positive news snippets are coming about, we are looking very positively about the future and already moving on from a topic that primarily about the very sad demise of Monarch. The past is littered with mistakes but we can all help shape the future

 

[Finger66]

25 years is a long time in anyone's life. And until Saturday 30th September 2017 that was how long it had been since I had been anywhere near the South Side of LBA - that was in the days of the old Aero Club. What a difference those 25 years have made with what is an excellent cafe and an opportunity to catch up with some old friends and make some new ones. These are the circles I want and need to be back involved in. Yes it was only officially supposed to be every other Saturday but yesterday was my third visit inc. 30Sep. Parking is very reasonably priced at £1 an hour and the caramel shortbread is to die for. The only thing that hasn't changed are those I hadn't seen for 25 years....................

 

[White Heather]

Is there a regular meeting of airport enthusiasts up there that we can all go to? Or if there is, is it boys only?

 

[twevsmiff]

Is there a regular meeting of airport enthusiasts up there that we can all go to? Or if there is, is it boys only?

Most days there are some enthusiasts there.
I go most Tuesdays and Friday mornings.
All welcome.
Maybe see you soon

 

[Finger66]

Is there a regular meeting of airport enthusiasts up there that we can all go to? Or if there is, is it boys only?

Some have been getting together every other Saturday from 1pm with the next one due on 28Oct. I hope to make that briefly but have a busy day that day so not sure as yet. If folk want something more regular organising than why not

 

[Bigman]

Yes, it was good to meet you on Saturday Finger 66. Sundays tend to better in the cafe (more movements), but it does get very busy in the afternoon. There are usually loads of us up there in our usual corner.