Eastern Airways

[Bigman]

I had a funny feeling that the Sunday Bristol would not last. Cannot see the route lasting full stop. Good train service these days (hourly). When Air South West started it, we only had a 2-hourly train service.

 

[White Heather]

There may be more trains Bigman but they take ages and I know what I would choose if I had to go to Bristol for a days business and it wouldn't be on tracks. I do have to go to Birmingham and that's 2 hours, so it must be 3 at least to Bristol. That just about makes a return day trip impossible unless you have an afternoon meeting and don't get home until bedtime.

 

[cmj]

If you had to go to Bristol for a days business the air option is pretty much useless. The first flight to Bristol is 10.45, which will get you into BRS around 11.40. The last flight back is 15.40, so unless it's a very short meeting or it's at the airport, you're not going to get much done in the time you have there.

The train takes 3h30-3h45. The first one is at 6am (gets you into Bristol TM 9.38) the last one back is 7.30pm (gets into Leeds 11.15). A long day perhaps, but in no way impossible.

 

[lbaspotter]

I think with Eastern Airways axing the Plymouth and Newquay services last year when they took over Air Southwest has also effected the Bristol loading's to be honest along with bmi recently starting a direct Jet service between Bristol & Aberdeen

They had no choice with dropping the Plymouth services as the airport was been closed, but surely they could have kept the Newquay link which always did a lot better and would do even better now that flybe have dropped the Exeter route as well.

 

[Bigman]

It is easy to forget is that 'a day at the office' these days does in many cases mean entirely the opposite. Most businessmen have laptops these days, and with 3G, Wi-Fi, Blackberries, videocams, web-conferences and god knows what else fancy gadgets, more and more people work on the hoof.

If I was going to Bristol, do I go for the messing around through security, 30 minutes in a lounge, 1.5 hours jammed into a J41, and messing around at the other end, or do I go for a 3 hours sat on train with a socket to power my laptop, and do a few hours leisurely work, with the odd break to have a wander and a cuppa.

Then look at how much companies are trying to cut back on expensive business travel in any case, and lets face it even Cross Country Trains look cheap compared to Eastern.

Right, tin hat on!!

 

[White Heather]

You won't need a tin hat for my response Bigman but I had a little laugh at your description of doing some leisurely work on the train to Bristol. Every single time I have used the Cross Country service it has been rammed. The first two times, even though I had a seat reservation, I ended up standing both ways - the alternative was to create a mass brawl on the train. At best, it has been 'very busy' and leisurely work at a table would be quite the opposite unless you pay silly money and go first class. Personally I wouldn't entertain trying to work on the train and always opt for a quiet coach if there is such an option - not sure there is on the Cross Country.

From my point of view, neither the train nor the plane are ideal for business in Bristol and it would seem that to have a decent day down there the best option is to fly down the evening before, night stop, have a meeting through to early afternoon and catch the evening flight back to LBA. However, my employer has now banned all domestic flights anyway, so the train is the only option. I am just grateful I don't have to travel to Bristol - Birmingham is bad enough, and New Street has to be the worst big city rail station in the country!! (Sorry to any Birmingham folk reading this, but it really is not good for Englands 2nd City)

Anyway, a danger here of this going away from the topic of Eastern Airways, but I think that there should still be a demand of sorts from LBA to BRS, although its a shame that a decision taken by BMi in Aberdeen has now directly negatively impacted on LBA to BRS - although Eastern are putting a positive spin on it via the LBA website.

 

[lysander]

In the happy, distant, days when I was a regular business traveller ,British Rail offered a splendid, reasonably priced, first class service to Bristol ...with real coaches(and not the overcrowded sardine cans that Cross Country make us endure), real food and a leisurely time to read reports and do a bit of work. Relaxed and rested we arrived with a day for meetings and then back home on an evening train. Splendid...No PCs, no wi.fis, no laptops and people even conversing!

 

[a300boy]

the other problem is that the Saabs are normally only Cat 1 capable so on our usual foggy mornings they end up in Humberside or somewhere else resulting in an unreliable year round option if you are going on business. I think I will have a ride to Bristol and back next spring or summer as I have not been there for many years.

 

[wawkrk]

by lysander » Tue Nov 20, 2012 2:50 pm
(In the happy, distant, days when I was a regular business traveller ,British Rail offered a splendid, reasonably priced, first class service to Bristol ...with real coaches(and not the overcrowded sardine cans that Cross Country make us endure), real food and a leisurely time to read reports and do a bit of work. Relaxed and rested we arrived with a day for meetings and then back home on an evening train. Splendid...No PCs, no wi.fis, no laptops and people even conversing!)

And travelling the world before mobiles existed.Happy days.

 

[Bigman]

Ah yes, I remember the days. Noisy old Class 45 or 47 locos with 7 or 8 Mark II coaches. They made for a great day out at Bristol.

The fact that today’s trains are rammed says it all. Rail travel must still be popular with the masses, and with some damn good deals around if you know a few months in advance when you are going to travel, then it gets better still. I do wish they would get rid of these shitty 4 and 5 car plastic Voyagers things that smell like toilets. Bring back the loco hauled trains with at least 8 coaches.

Anyway, to forgive the puns, I have got shunted off down a siding here and will attempt to get back on track. Eastern in my view should be broadening their horizons and looking at routes which are good for business, but where there is little to no competition from other airlines or other forms of transport.

As some have already said, I would see them as good replacement for an Isle of Man service (with a Jet). And how about Jersey?, another route that we used to have a daily business connection with BMI. The Jet2 offering is poor at best unless you are a leisure traveller in the Summer.

And further afield there is of course Frankfurt, which would be ideal with an ER135. I guess the slots could be a little cost restrictive, but if they can get enough business punters willing to pay top whack rather than drive over the hill, then why not give it a whirl.

Overall, I believe that Eastern should the leave the likes of Aberdeen and Bristol to the locos (whether air or rail!) and do some better routes.

 

[lbaspotter]

Rumour has it that Eastern Airways maybe interested in taking over the soon to be axed BMI regional Brussels route.

Question is will the pax be happy with continued high fares and been flown on BAe Jetstream 41 though?

 

[a300boy]

Better than going via Manchester.

 

[cmj]

If they can operate it as a Brussels Airlines codeshare then it it might work?

 

[White Heather]

Why does it have to be a Jetstream 41? Eastern operate the Saab 2000 and Embrear jets too. However, anything is better than nothing in my view. The Brussels route started off on a small turbo prop (Brasilia) so it would be going full circle.

 

[a300boy]

I would have suggested the Saab had a lot more seats to sell then the J 41 but having looked at Easterns seat plans they have 9 seats more on a Saab than a J41 so why not.
The Embraers are normally only used as fill in on the schedule and for charter flights.
J41 would be a better bet in the winter due Cat 2 capable.

 

[LBA787]

Eastern operating LBA-BRU would be better than nothing!!

Could it be a catalyst for eastern to re open the LBA base?

:crazy:

 

[a300boy]

Having a base might mean the Aberdeen and Bristol flights operate a bit better too. However whats the cost of creating a base again ?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The BRS-LBA-ABZ route appears to be ceasing from 19 April though the LBA-ABZ leg is still bookable after that date.

The bmi regional jet-operated BRS-ABZ has no doubt taken its toll and the LBA-BRS passengers numbers have been dropping off for a while now.

So it seems there will no longer be a BRS-LBA service.

 

[White Heather]

So, another domestic route bites the dust. This morning's BRS - LBA flight was cancelled also. That ends all links between LBA and the South West of England. It's a shame but par for the course I guess. The annoyance is that the train journey between Leeds and Bristol is a right pain too. Its 2 hours to Birmingham on a train that is usually cramped and overcrowded, so a business trip to Bristol involves either 6 hours on a Cross Country train or a night stop.

 

[lbaspotter]

Coming with today’s bad news that the Bristol service will be axed as of April 19th, is news that Eastern Airways are to re-establish an operational base at Leeds/Bradford
1x BAe Jetstream 41 aircraft will be based at the airport. It will operate a revised schedule between Leeds/Bradford and Aberdeen. So the Saab 2000’s also disappear...

Revised Schedule

Mondays
EZE4712 = LBA 07:00 ABZ 08:10 / EZE4713 = ABZ 08:40 LBA 09:50
EZE4714 = LBA 10:10 ABZ 11:20 / EZE4715 = ABZ 16:00 LBA 17:10
EZE4718 = LBA 17:35 ABZ 18:45 / EZE4719 = ABZ 19:15 LBA 20:25
Tuesdays
EZE4712 = LBA 07:00 ABZ 08:10 / EZE4713 = ABZ 08:40 LBA 09:50
EZE4718 = LBA 17:35 ABZ 18:45 / EZE4719 = ABZ 19:15 LBA 20:25
Wednesdays
EZE4712 = LBA 07:00 ABZ 08:10 / EZE4713 = ABZ 08:40 LBA 09:50
EZE4718 = LBA 17:35 ABZ 18:45 / EZE4719 = ABZ 19:15 LBA 20:25
Thursdays
EZE4712 = LBA 07:00 ABZ 08:10 / EZE4713 = ABZ 08:40 LBA 09:50
EZE4714 = LBA 10:10 ABZ 11:20 / EZE4715 = ABZ 16:00 LBA 17:10
EZE4718 = LBA 17:35 ABZ 18:45 / EZE4719 = ABZ 19:15 LBA 20:25
Fridays
EZE4714 = LBA 10:10 ABZ 11:20 / EZE4715 = ABZ 16:00 LBA 17:10
EZE4718 = LBA 17:35 ABZ 18:45 / EZE4719 = ABZ 19:15 LBA 20:25
Sundays
EZE4719 = ABZ 17:35 LBA 18:45 / EZE4718 = LBA 19:15 ABZ 20:25