Ryanair

[TheLocalYokel]

The Ryanair timetable and booking engine makes for interesting reading for BRS next summer.

There will be five based aircraft yet the timetable shows the need for more on several days through the week, for example.

Tuesday

1330-2110 Marrakesh
1705-2030 Limoges
1715-2300 Palma
1740-2355 Riga
1740-2300 Wroclaw
1750-2345 Malaga
1855-2340 Toulon

Wednesday

1645-2220 Faro
1715-2300 Palma
1725-2310 Cagliari
1750-2345 Malaga
1805-2345 Budapest
1845-2350 Trieste
1845-2345 Venice Treviso

Unless the airline intends to base two more aircraft at the airport, which would seem to be highly unlikely, some of these routes will have to be altered in timings and possibly days flown, because Ryanair is actively selling the routes under this timetable.

Someone on the Fruit board suggested they might wait to see which routes sold the best and dump the others. Whilst it was said tongue in cheek (or was it?) I would not bet my house against something like that occurring.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There has been an update on the Ryanair web timetable and booking engine since my last post.

Last week five routes were removed from the web timetable/booking engine (Cagliari, Pau, Perpignan, Toulon and Montpellier - all except Pau routes that only commenced last July and operated for less than four months). This still did not completely remove the need for more than five based aircraft at times, and goodness knows what anyone who booked flights next summer to any of these five destinations must be feeling, assuming they are not to be reinstated.

However, today Ryanair has placed into the web timetable/booking engine for next summer three more routes that it commenced in the current winter: Tenerife South, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote - each twice weekly.

This means that once again seven based aircraft will be needed on some days to operate the schedule UNLESS more routes currently on sale are to be axed.

Furthermore, it will mean that TFS will be served 5 x weekly next summer, twice by Ryanair and three times by easyJet on the new (for Bristol) A320. We can expect some charter flights by other carriers as well. Let's hope lots of people want to head off to the Canaries next summer.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The Bristol Ryanair summer 2010 timetable has now reached its fourth edition - there may have been more.

The timetable is now almost achievable using the five based aircraft though at the moment six are still needed on Friday mornings, yet there are gaps at other times on some days so no doubt there will be further changes.

This is not just a theoretical exercise. Ryanair has been selling seats on routes since November, some routes that have since been axed, moved to another day or to another time.

The latest timetable shows thirty separate routes with 97 weekly rotations using Bristol-based aircraft and twenty-four using aircraft from other bases.

Were I minded to use Ryanair, which I'm not, I would still not be in a hurry to book because I'm sure this is not the final timetable.

Bristol is not alone in having to put up with this sort of thing from Ryanair.

 

[Aviador]

Yes it's naughty but also typical of Ryanair. We've said it before, if people want to take a risk for a cheap deal that's up to them but they do know what their letting themselves in for when they book. Either that or they're just stupid.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Not all fares with so-called budget airlines are that cheap, especially once the inescapable add-ons are factored in.

Most people also book hotels and some book car hire as well. That's our usual modus operandi.

If a route is axed they may not get their hotel and car hire costs back, and travel insurance often won't cover this. A change of day can also add to the expense and even a timing change can be madly inconvenient.

I can't say I enjoy the flying experience as I used to. Apart from all the hassle brought about by security needs, even so-called legacy carriers are not a patch on what they were for service.

My wife and I have been discussing some short breaks this spring. In the past we would have booked something with easyJet but they have been unreliable in maintaining schedules recently, as I posted elsewhere on this board.

We're now loooking at something in the UK - not too far away and probably by car. Fortunately for us, cost isn't really an issue but we can't stand being mucked about.

 

[Aviador]

I agree, the add ons do push up the overall cost but if you know how to work the Ryanair system then you're laughing. (unless as you say - they chop and change)

This was a good read....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8478543.stm

We're now loooking at something in the UK - not too far away and probably by car. Fortunately for us, cost isn't really an issue but we can't stand being mucked about.

That's a shame. Yorkshire's out of the question then? leasantry:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Yorkshire very much on our list of UK places to visit that we haven't yet, although we did do a brief trip to York about thirty years ago.

Leeds is also one of the UK cities I want to see. Read a lot of good things about it. I love exploring cities and not just the touristy bits. We finished up in an outer suburb of Prague once - at the end of an underground line - and it wasn't the place to be for strangers. We got straight back on the train and headed back to the centre. Can be dangers in being too adventurous. I'm sure there's nowhere like that in Leeds though. :nea:

Won't be this spring for the White Rose - looking to stay closer to home if we don't fly.

 

[Aviador]

I'm sure there's nowhere like that in Leeds though.

Are you a betting man? :spiteful:

Doesn't every city have no-go areas?

I better stop there before I put you off the idea. I visited a place called Grassington near Skipton at the weekend. It's a lovely village in the Yorkshire Dales.

Anyway before I get carried away I better stop.

Back to Ryanair at Bristol....

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Ryanair has added Bydgoszcz (Poland) and Kaunus (Lithuania) both 2 x weekly to the summer 2010 schedule.

This will make five Polish routes and two Baltic States routes, the other being Riga in Latvia.

The current count shows 32 routes in summer 2010.

Since starting its Bristol base in 2007 Ryanair has tried and then axed 13 routes. It's a case of suck it and see and appears to be the pattern at other UK airports.

They've done this sort of thing more than easyJet at Bristol who will be operating 39 routes in summer 2010.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The inaugural Kaunas rotation operated today.

It seems the airport may be having the same identity crisis that I've read about on occasions at LBA.

On its website arrivals page and on digital text (page 452) the aircraft was shown as coming from 'Lithuania' instead of specifically Kaunas. It also shows Lithuania on the airport apron website.

It arrives around the same time as the Ryanair from Riga (Latvia) so the two must race each other back from the Baltic States.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Ryanair has added Bydgoszcz (Poland) and Kaunus (Lithuania) both 2 x weekly to the summer 2010 schedule.

This will make five Polish routes and two Baltic States routes, the other being Riga in Latvia.

The current count shows 32 routes in summer 2010.

Since starting its Bristol base in 2007 Ryanair has tried and then axed 13 routes. It's a case of suck it and see and appears to be the pattern at other UK airports.

They've done this sort of thing more than easyJet at Bristol who will be operating 39 routes in summer 2010.

Well Ryanair sucked Bydgoszcz but obviously didn't like the taste because it's been axed already (after two months) - at least it's no longer bookable or shown as operating in the web timetable.

Most of Ryanair's Polish routes from BRS have had load factors in the very 80s and low 90s per cent in summer for the past two years so it's surprising they haven't given Bydgoszcz long to build up.

Valencia will now operate at 4 x weekly instead of 3.

 

[Aviador]

How is anybody expected to book with them if they chop routes so frequently. I certainly wouldn't book with them or any other airline without the 100% assurance that my flight was taking place. It's no fun altering your hotel booking two months before your holiday.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

They do chop and change a lot, and not only from Bristol. With easyJet still cancelling flights from BRS and elsewhere it doesn't instil confidence in would-be passengers.

[textarea]Bristol Airport tempts Bournemouth's Passengers

A rival airport has softened the blow for passengers affected by Ryanair not flying from Bournemouth for three months over the winter.

Bristol Airport, a major Ryanair base, has offered passengers discounted parking if they fly from there between November and the end of March.

The airport, which has five Ryanair aircraft based there and attracts around six million passengers a year, is offering a 25 per cent discount on car park bookings made online by midnight on Monday for flights between November 1 and March 31, 2011.

James Gore, head of communications at Bristol Airport said: “Dorset residents have traditionally looked to the London Airports when needing an alternative to Bournemouth, but we’d encourage those having to make new travel plans this winter as a result of Ryanair’s announcement to consider flying from Bristol.

“With 30 destinations served by Ryanair, easyJet’s second largest UK base, and a range of full-service scheduled airlines, Bristol Airport has a lot to offer.

“We’re not trying to muscle in but we want people to know we’re a viable and convenient alternative.”

The budget airline has stopped flights from Bournemouth throughout November, December and January, blaming the government’s air passenger duty tax for their decision.

The company said the decision to move to a seasonal nine-month base is not a long-term decision.

A spokesperson for Bournemouth Airport said: “This initiative may prove of interest for a short period. However we’re confident when Ryanair flights from Bournemouth re-start on February 1, our passengers will still choose to fly from their friendly, local airport without the hassle or expense of a difficult drive to another.”[/textarea]

http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/8 ... assengers/

A bit cheeky and BRS is not the easiest place get to from Dorset though I know some people from there use it.

Ryanair is yet to finally decide on its winter programme from Bristol so there might be some unpleasant surprises there.

Incidentally, I don't think the BRS spokesman is right when he says that Bristol is easyJet's second largest UK base.

Gatwick, Luton and Stansted are bigger.

Bristol is the largest easyJet UK provincial base with 9 A319s and 2 A320s.

 

[alphagolf]

Incidentally, I don't think the BRS spokesman is right when he says that Bristol is easyJet's second largest UK base.

Bristol is easjets's second largest UK base outside of London!

Probably that is what the spokeman mean't.

But in terms of routes served, Bristol IS the second largest base in the UK :good:. Stansted and Luton have less routes than Bristol

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bristol is easjets's second largest UK base outside of London!

Which UK provincial base is larger than Bristol?

 

[Aviador]

Bristol is easjets's second largest UK base outside of London!

Which UK provincial base is larger than Bristol?

I would imagine that would be Liverpool, but I could be wrong. Liverpool was the airlines second base as well if I remember correctly.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

According to the DP Liverpool has 8 319s and a 320 and the 757 is no longer based there (Bristol 9 319s and 2 320s).

Probably going off course in this Ryanair thread.

 

[Aviador]

Oh dear... :wacko:

How many aircraft does Ryanair have based at the airport? :coco:

 

[backtrack]

The Easy 757 has now moved to LGW. Dont they have two on the go at the moment?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

How many aircraft does Ryanair have based at the airport?

Ryanair has 5 B 738s based at Bristol this summer. In addition 2 of the 3 daily Dublin rotations and one of the 2 daily Belfast City rotations are operated by aircraft from other bases (presumably DUB and BHD).

The Easy 757 has now moved to LGW. Dont they have two on the go at the moment?

I thought that easyJet had three leased aircraft and crews for high summer - 2 757s and a B 767.