Returned to BHX last Sun 16th on last inbound from FRA op by A320 MIDO Brown interior, full a/c. Spoke tp purser, said very busy in main cabin at all times. LH must be doing something right, good news for BHX.
The load factor in August was 66%. However LH are soon to restart using their own metal on the route.They are dropping it from a BMI 320 back to their own B733/735/319 so a disappointing cut in capacity.
However it should insure increased load factor and at very busy times they usually upgrade to larger planes where necessary.
Prague's last full month for a while went out on a high with Lisbon not far behind
I really hope that these two are picked up for next summer, both could fit into ZB route network quite easily (airframe availability permitting!)
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I am not sure if Berlin is still in the honeymoon period but some outstanding figures although I realise some on here have said business is light
Have been booking for a number of weekend dates in Nov and Dec, most dates no cheapest 'Economy Basic' fares available and very limited 'Economy Saver' so cheap fares are selling out quickly, I think this route will stay but whether at daily i'm not sure. LH supposedly announcing a new loco carrier subsidiary for its European ops tomorrow, BHX-TXL would be an ideal candidate based on current low business pax uptake on this route?
The load factor in August was 66%. However LH are soon to restart using their own metal on the route.They are dropping it from a BMI 320 back to their own B733/735/319 so a disappointing cut in capacity.
However it should insure increased load factor and at very busy times they usually upgrade to larger planes where necessary.
AFAIK LH look at the short haul schedules and bookings a few days in advance to determine which types should be used on which flights to best accommodate the demand - a very useful and efficient way of using the fleet. They have been doing this for some years.
Sorry worcsbert I have to disagree as far as BHX goes. I have heard straight from the horses mouth from a senior SVS manager that Menzies undercut them in cost by a substantial % to handle UA and thats what made the decision to move. I should imagine with both BFS and BHX being seen as 'thin' routes in the eyes of UA that every effort is being made by them to cut the cost base of these services. The other UK airport to have a change of handling for UA was?
I also hear (from a different source) that BE have terminated their contract early with Menzies at BHX over a series of disputes over reliability and handling issues, I wonder if UA know that?
It's such a pity that service standards, just like in most other industry sectors in this country come a poor second to the bottom line. You pay peanuts......
I would like to add that I have no affinity with either organisation just pointing out the facts as I have heard them.
I work for UA, and trust me it was not to do with price. They may have been cheaper but thats not the reason. That's why they didn't win DUB, SNN, MAN or GLA
As many regular PPruners know, on this thread we have been saying for some time that berlin would be a good route to be served from BHX , and DLH come along and hit the jackpot , hopefully it can be served double daily by the time the new brandenburg is open ( 2018?? ) Now if only someone can serve madrid... As for MON at BHX i think their expansion so far has been a success, i flew to MXP this week and loads on both flights were very good and as can been seen from olton petes stats they seem to create their own pax rather than try and poach from others . Hopefully they have not been too damaged by the Aurela 737 shenanigans and have a solid winter 2012/3.
Great to see the MXP loads holding up in September, as I must say I half expected to see one of the services end but I suppose with winter coming up things might get messy although flybe will be using the 175 soon.
As for Berlin, it is more than likely BHX will be losing Lufthansa rather getting increased capacity if this article is correct.
The information is still sketchy and HAM & DUS could be affected as well. One German article apparently said Eurowings will provide some aircraft so I assume a similar model to flybe I assume on some routes.
All non-hub routes (FRA/MUC, possibly DUS) will be most certainly be affected. The new low cost carrier will absorb all of Germanwings, Eurowings and LH Berlin as it stands. EDIT: LH Cityline will remain seperate, as it operates out of FRA/MUC. Future of Augsburg Airways is unclear. Accross all LH Group companies the 70 seaters will be taken out of the fleet.
The total fleet size of new holding is said to be 90a/c.
Ex-Germanwings (+LH Berlin?!) will have fleet of A319/320, Eurowings will initially continue to operate under their own callsign (with their fleet of CR900). Edit ends.
If the yield is OK and holds up on LH's BHX routes I wouldn't think that the above combination of airlines would result in a route cull - possibly the name would change from LH to whatever they dream up now for their new baby.
What source of information do we have, other than a post on here, to prove Menzies have lost Flybe?
I would be surprised because it would mean Flybe are back to the drawing board and being in a position like this would mean it is in the favour of the other Handling Agents. Flybe are not likely to go back to Swissport which leaves only Servisair.......could they now charge what they liked?? Flybe will need a handling agent afterall and options would be extremely limited.
Will believe this one when I see it
Maybe with an additional contract it will give Menzies the boost they need to increase resource?
I heard this in the office last week, attributed to a source inside Flybe who was smacking their head against the wall because of the latest batch of delays.
Problems doing the rounds recently include only having one driver on shift and no headset trained staff on one morning, bags missing flights (sometimes all the bags), Airport staff taking over the BSA as there weren't enough Menzies staff capable of working in there, half the staff sent to EMA to cover the Flybe startup there, not enough staff to cover leave and sickness.
If half of that is true then I can understand why there would be a sickness problem, the staff must be under an incredible amount of pressure to get the job done
It would seem that flybe's desire to keep handling costs down could be coming back to bite them. Everyone who has handled them since they started their expansion at BHX has had the same problem, flybe don't want to pay what it actually costs to provide the service levels they put in the contract. The handling agents always hope that other contracts can help cover the deficit, which may be fine until the aircraft start going off schedule when the impact hits the other airlines and service levels fall across the board. Aviance got dragged down, then Swissport and now Menzies. The first two managed to get their reputations moving back up after losing the contract, Menzies don't have that luxury.
Birmingham Airport Now Closed due to Monarch flight ZB467 (Operated by Aurela) from Nice overran the runway. Flights diverting to East Midlands and Liverpool.
) Now if only someone can serve madrid... 
