SOUTHAMPTON
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London Whipsnade Wildlife Park
Posts: 5,038
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
With City being closed from lunchtime on a Saturday until a similar time on a Sunday, one would guess that there is some spare capacity to facilitate a small operation to the 'sun' from somewhere like Southampton, just like their limited Stansted operation?
Why would BA choose to put their spare aircraft in Southampton when they could put them in Stansted ?
Not saying SOU shouldn't happen - just that BA will pick which ever airport gives most profit for moderate risk
Not saying SOU shouldn't happen - just that BA will pick which ever airport gives most profit for moderate risk
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: South
Age: 43
Posts: 766
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Are you familiar with stansted? Basically a low cost carrier punch up. BA's presence in Stansted is just weird. It's clearly to fill a few rotations for idle aircraft but as some posters have pointed out, Southampton fits BA's profile and aircraft very well. There is real demand for these routes not to mention other routes that the affluent catchment area want to be able to fly to on their doorstep. Provided you have the right aircraft, Southampton is a a perfect place to exploit.
Rivet - I've flown through STN approx 200 times. Yes it feels cheap, but a lot of cash has gone into it over the last few years to tart it up. Stansted's airport infrastructure is fundamentally quite good.
If BA can offer fast track security, there are plenty of people in STN's catchment area who work in London and earn well who would happily pay to avoid Ryanair and live too far from Heathrow or Gatwick to make BA normally viable.
I used to live in Swaythling, about a mile from SOU and want SOU to succeed, but still don't see a compelling reason as to why BA would do better financially from SOU compared to STN.
If BA can offer fast track security, there are plenty of people in STN's catchment area who work in London and earn well who would happily pay to avoid Ryanair and live too far from Heathrow or Gatwick to make BA normally viable.
I used to live in Swaythling, about a mile from SOU and want SOU to succeed, but still don't see a compelling reason as to why BA would do better financially from SOU compared to STN.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Southampton, U.K
Posts: 1,263
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Excellent news! Suspect Thomson will sell seats on those scheduled flights next year, seems to me a win-win situation, some bulk purchased seats helps Volotea and there is also more choice for Thomson customers.
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Brighton uk
Posts: 1,098
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looks like Thomson are indeed using Volotea on the summer routes to Palma on Tuesday and Saturday as the flight times more or less tie in with the scheduled flights and Ibiza is also operated by Volotea on a Thurday departure
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DavidJohnson6
I don't think SOU was mentioned instead of STN but in addition to!
There are plenty of spare BA aircraft not flying over the weekend from LCY and that's not including the ones deployed at STN so SOU in my view and also of others that a SOU weekend operation could be viable.
And BTW Swaythling is actually in Southampton not one a mile way as you suggest as its a suburb of the City of Southampton, its approximately one mile from Southampton Airport though just a five minute drive up Wide Lane from Swaythling!
I don't think SOU was mentioned instead of STN but in addition to!
There are plenty of spare BA aircraft not flying over the weekend from LCY and that's not including the ones deployed at STN so SOU in my view and also of others that a SOU weekend operation could be viable.
And BTW Swaythling is actually in Southampton not one a mile way as you suggest as its a suburb of the City of Southampton, its approximately one mile from Southampton Airport though just a five minute drive up Wide Lane from Swaythling!
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Oban, Scotland
Posts: 1,844
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If there are plenty of LCY assets not flying over the weekend, then why do BA need to fly two planes into Edinburgh every summer weekend, for charters? (One from Zurich, the other from Geneva). I think these unemployed assets are a myth.
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: London Whipsnade Wildlife Park
Posts: 5,038
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I cannot believe that all 21 Cityflyer airframes are employed from Lunchtime Saturday, to a similar time on Sunday? My guess would be more of a crewing issue than availability of spare capacity.
Join Date: May 2005
Location: UK
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
All the 190's were used on charter if not at LCY or STN, looked like 2 were parked at LCY for 24 hours sat - sun, the rest flying charter from EDI and GLA, 170's looked pretty unused.
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: UK
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've just tried a dummy booking for TCX to Palma for next year, and they're showing holidays available on Thursdays next summer, airline not specified but it's an 0800 departure from Southampton so I'd guess the flight originates in SOU. Any ideas as to who it'll be?
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Brighton uk
Posts: 1,098
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thomas Cook are not operating next summer from Southampton with Evolop Air A320
They are more than likely using the scheduled service of Volotea to Palma instead which would make sense with their 4 flights a week ( like Thomson are about to do )
The Thu flight and other mid week flights that are showing with Thomas Cook are with British Midland but via there Munich operation , long way round !!
They are more than likely using the scheduled service of Volotea to Palma instead which would make sense with their 4 flights a week ( like Thomson are about to do )
The Thu flight and other mid week flights that are showing with Thomas Cook are with British Midland but via there Munich operation , long way round !!
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If there are plenty of LCY assets not flying over the weekend, then why do BA need to fly two planes into Edinburgh every summer weekend, for charters? (One from Zurich, the other from Geneva). I think these unemployed assets are a myth.