SOUTHEND 5
Likewise I responded to the recent SEN email promoting the new routes by visiting their 'Travel Shop' two days ago and actually found a couple of routes that were cheaper than on the Flybe website for the given day, but Cyrano is right that most are more expensive. But I also found I couldn't book SEN-LYS for dates in May at all for some reason. I have emailed them on this and also pointing out the shortcomings that Cyrano mentioned with regard to finding the new routes on their website, in hope more than expectation of things being rectified.
Regarding the Air Britain report of Flybe Q400s being used on BUD I think that is unlikely but I also don't expect Stobart Air E195s to be operational by May and an ACMI operator will be chosen to fly the routes initially.
Regarding the Air Britain report of Flybe Q400s being used on BUD I think that is unlikely but I also don't expect Stobart Air E195s to be operational by May and an ACMI operator will be chosen to fly the routes initially.
Last edited by Expressflight; 27th Feb 2017 at 12:18. Reason: Additional text
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Regarding the destination information being up to date on airport websites, I don't think this makes much difference. I don't know of anybody who books flights by looking at the airport website and then checking. Most people either use a travel agent or a web search like skyscanner and then they will just search London-Budapest or wherever and find the cheapest fares. If someone did want to check where you could fly to from a certain airport, I would imagine many people would check Wikipedia. However, perhaps that's just the younger generation.
Even the best airports can have bad websites. The LCY route map on their site was never up to date. LCY also use to offer their own booking engine and again it always priced up flights at much higher than was available elsewhere but perhaps these book into different fare categories.
Even the best airports can have bad websites. The LCY route map on their site was never up to date. LCY also use to offer their own booking engine and again it always priced up flights at much higher than was available elsewhere but perhaps these book into different fare categories.
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I've just performed an internet search for one of the routes that tws123 showed had no publicity, that to Dubrovnik. A flight from Luton for £153 appears first, followed by
FlyBE 6190 from SEN at £157. So BA318's thoughts are probably right on this.
FlyBE 6190 from SEN at £157. So BA318's thoughts are probably right on this.
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Clearly people on here do not know how Stobarts work, They DO NOT look at the future they just deal with the now that's how it's always been. They are reactive not proactive therefore expect to see things get missed quite a bit because it will continue.
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Setting up 12 new routes seems fairly proactive to me. So does buying an airport, building a new terminal, extending the runway etc. But I do agree they need to do a lot more to get everyone to buy into their vision.
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I just can't see how this flybe franchise will be sustainable. The competition that exists on all of the routes are just too high. Take Colonge for example, both Ryanair and Eurowings often sell tickets from STN for less than £15 with up to 6 flights a day from the airport. Stobart would not be able to sustain such a low price on a small aircraft. Germans wont fly into SEN as they have never heard of it, hence why German routes at STN are so successful with EZY, FR and 4U/EW while SEN couldn't sustain SXF because of a lack of UK-bound passengers.
SEN will always be a good airport for bucket and spade flights, similar to Glasgow Prestwick but nothing else. The evidence has and will speak for itself.
SEN will always be a good airport for bucket and spade flights, similar to Glasgow Prestwick but nothing else. The evidence has and will speak for itself.
_aax1
Surely the whole idea of Stobart running their own services to some non-bucket and spade destinations is an attempt to prove your premise wrong. I tend to agree with you regarding CGN where I feel that double-daily is required to prove its viability into SEN, although I don't expect the route to be operated, as you seem to suggest, by "a small aircraft" thus limiting its economics.
It will be interesting to see if destinations such as BUD, FSC, LYS, MXP, PRG and VIE prove successful while DBV, REU and ZAD are new sunshine destinations not tried from SEN before.
On the basis that "the competition that exists on all routes are just too high" one would not have expected SEN-AMS to be able to support a 3 x daily service (this being seasonally adjusted downwards simply due to the desire to maximise other routes' potential, SEN being only a three-aircraft base). Competition on any LON route signifies high demand so is not necessarily a defeating factor.
So let's wait and see what loads are like in the first three months, with some attempt to also assess yields, before declaring the initiative to have been a failure before it has even started.
Surely the whole idea of Stobart running their own services to some non-bucket and spade destinations is an attempt to prove your premise wrong. I tend to agree with you regarding CGN where I feel that double-daily is required to prove its viability into SEN, although I don't expect the route to be operated, as you seem to suggest, by "a small aircraft" thus limiting its economics.
It will be interesting to see if destinations such as BUD, FSC, LYS, MXP, PRG and VIE prove successful while DBV, REU and ZAD are new sunshine destinations not tried from SEN before.
On the basis that "the competition that exists on all routes are just too high" one would not have expected SEN-AMS to be able to support a 3 x daily service (this being seasonally adjusted downwards simply due to the desire to maximise other routes' potential, SEN being only a three-aircraft base). Competition on any LON route signifies high demand so is not necessarily a defeating factor.
So let's wait and see what loads are like in the first three months, with some attempt to also assess yields, before declaring the initiative to have been a failure before it has even started.
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@ rowly6339... Correct!
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The future
On a positive note, work on TWY B to start soon, along with some other TWY and apron works.
Some areas are reactive (repairs) but possibly some proactive stuff as well!
Stobart could be looking at the future.....just saying!
Some areas are reactive (repairs) but possibly some proactive stuff as well!
Stobart could be looking at the future.....just saying!
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Any link? Curious on this - widening the twy?
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This thread baffles and frustrates me so!
For months it was moaning because STN got jet2 and SEN is over looked and aren't we so hard done to, isn't the management just crap blah blah
Then, a major airline announces a partnership with the airport to see a massive growth and the moaners return!! Yes the moaners, not rejoicing in 12 new destinations but more moaning about how it won't work, the fares are only £24 this is going to end in disaster. I fear the worse blah blah
I mean seriously!
i booked a flight with a very well known airline with 48 hours notice Last week and got a ticket for €14! At 48 hours notice!! It's madness I seriously thought they would be bankrupt by the time check opened for the flight but then I remembered they're one of the most profitable airlines in the world ...
For months it was moaning because STN got jet2 and SEN is over looked and aren't we so hard done to, isn't the management just crap blah blah
Then, a major airline announces a partnership with the airport to see a massive growth and the moaners return!! Yes the moaners, not rejoicing in 12 new destinations but more moaning about how it won't work, the fares are only £24 this is going to end in disaster. I fear the worse blah blah
I mean seriously!
i booked a flight with a very well known airline with 48 hours notice Last week and got a ticket for €14! At 48 hours notice!! It's madness I seriously thought they would be bankrupt by the time check opened for the flight but then I remembered they're one of the most profitable airlines in the world ...
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This time last year all we had was Sea-Air. Now at least there is something of substance to chew over, and IF Stobart pull off their cunning plan then the future will look a whole lot better than it did 12 months ago.
Now that Stobart seem to accept that their airport is a good user-friendly facility, perfect for departures, and not (and will never be) a destination of choice for the European business community heading for the City, they appear to be shaping their strategy accordingly. And whilst I'm unsure about the wisdom of possibly subsiding routes with income from the terminal, you can why they need to create momentum and this is one way of achieving it.
Now that Stobart seem to accept that their airport is a good user-friendly facility, perfect for departures, and not (and will never be) a destination of choice for the European business community heading for the City, they appear to be shaping their strategy accordingly. And whilst I'm unsure about the wisdom of possibly subsiding routes with income from the terminal, you can why they need to create momentum and this is one way of achieving it.
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Its a case of short term pain for long term gain with regards to the taxiway/apron work only 1 taxiway available,6 stands on main apron available for duration of work along with all south side & north side apron not available, No none handled GA for the duration of work either & Biz jets to be parked on the hard standing in front of old Air Livery hangar.
I think you have to look at the rather unconventional set up proposed for the new routes to understand why there is a degree of scepticism.
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So just to confirm a planning application was indeed submitted by the airport to Rochford District Council on 9/02/2017 (under reference 17/00132/PD) for "Repairs to hardsurfacing areas, removal of grassed areas and replacement with a rigid paved surface" under permitted development. The application is currently 'under consideration', with a target decision date of the 9/03/2017.