SOUTHEND 5
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Thomson / First Choice
Have I missed something? Are Thomson / First Choice using easyJet from SEN? When I looked at their website for flights easyJet came up. No Volatea? Or am I completely wrong? Any info in this respect please?
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Skywork will relaunch LCY-BRN on August 31 (via BSL that is). I don't think that SEN-BRN will survive this - press release says that the schedule for SEN-BRN will be "adjusted" later depending on "demand". As the press release also highlights that the use of a fast Saab 2000 also means that despite a brief stop at BSL only a few minutes of flight time will be added from BRN, this sounds like the kiss of death. Does not make too much sense to operate BRN-BLS-LCY and BRN-SEN at the same time, given the limited demand from BRN.
Join Date: Jun 2011
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One article does state, that BRN-SEN will 'continue to be served', although I remain sceptical about its future after today's announcement. This route was ultimately set-up to replace BSL-LCY not BRN-LCY. Plus they are using a different aircraft (the Saab 2000). Whilst it may be economical for them to operate BSL-LCY with the larger Saab 2000, it may still be economical for them to operate BRN-SEN with the small Dornier 328. Guess we will wait for the new schedule to come out.
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But why would they extend the LCY-BSL route to BRN if not for replacing SEN-BRN with it? If the new rote was only meant to replace the long-existing LX service on LCY-BSL, there is no reason to overnight the aircraft in BRN, particularly as it is a wet-leased aircraft anyway. And serving to Londo airports from BRN makes even less sense as the high yield traffic from BRN will most likely use the LCY service, further diluting the yields for BRN-SEN.
The only hope I see for SEN-BRN is that it quickly turns out that the demand from BSL and BRN combined is bigger than 100 seats daily offered with a combined Saab 2000 operation. Swiss used to offer more than 200 seats daily alone to BSL until last week. So the overall capacity goes down from 280 seats to just 100 (of course some Swiss pax will simply continue to use them from ZRH now instead of switching to Skywork, but anyway). But even if that happens, the question is of course if a more logical solution would be to simply add additional flights from LCY to BSL/BRN to offer a more attractive overall schedule - or two move the separate SEN-BRN flight back to LCY (less likley IMHO).
The only hope I see for SEN-BRN is that it quickly turns out that the demand from BSL and BRN combined is bigger than 100 seats daily offered with a combined Saab 2000 operation. Swiss used to offer more than 200 seats daily alone to BSL until last week. So the overall capacity goes down from 280 seats to just 100 (of course some Swiss pax will simply continue to use them from ZRH now instead of switching to Skywork, but anyway). But even if that happens, the question is of course if a more logical solution would be to simply add additional flights from LCY to BSL/BRN to offer a more attractive overall schedule - or two move the separate SEN-BRN flight back to LCY (less likley IMHO).
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The Saab is operating on other SX routes from BRN too, not just BRN-BSL-LCY which is why its based at BRN. I can't imagine BRN-BSL-LCY being very popular, no matter how long the stop is, it's still a stop and adds time to the journey (in the eyes of the pax). Surely pax would be put off this and prefer a direct flight. On the other hand if you do some calculations I suppose the fact you arrive a LCY means its quicker overall.
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If on average only 5 or 10 London-bound passengers switch from the nonstop SEN flight to the one stop LCY flight, this will kill off the SEN flight - unless the flights currently operate with a 90 per cent load factor. Operating a Dornier 328 is always balancing on the razor's edge economically, so spreading an already thin customer base between two competing services would be outright crazy.
Last edited by virginblue; 1st Jun 2015 at 15:06.
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I can feel a bout of deja vu here as this reminds me of when Sobart Air moved Waterford - Luton to Southend and then split the flights so both Luton and Southend served Waterford. In the end it all ended in tears. I hope this is not a repeat of what happened then.
Skywork needs to give this route more time to mature and to hang in there. Southend need this service to succeed otherwise it will send a powerful message to any other airline contemplating moving a route to Southend from City.
Skywork needs to give this route more time to mature and to hang in there. Southend need this service to succeed otherwise it will send a powerful message to any other airline contemplating moving a route to Southend from City.
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I wouldn't worry about the bad message to other operators at LCY, it was pure fantasy to believe anyone else would switch. Skywork was a special case - too small to stay at LCY profitably but also operating a route that others couldn't touch. There isn't anyone else like that - Sunair benefit from the BA link and if they did move elsewhere they would be slaughtered by the lccs. The Dundee route might be achieveable if/when the PSO is up for renewal.
SEN needs to stick to what it does best - entice EZY to base a 4th aircraft again, resurrect the DUB link, maintain the BE franchise routes and look for opportunities along the lines of Adria.
SEN needs to stick to what it does best - entice EZY to base a 4th aircraft again, resurrect the DUB link, maintain the BE franchise routes and look for opportunities along the lines of Adria.
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Wondering if Flybe/Stobart could be enticed to start SENDUS? After they killed off airberlin/Darwin on the STNDUS route, Germanwings are now axing the route with effect June 14. It is a route that has been constantly served for almost three decades.
I am asking as Stobart had planned SENCGN and only gave up the plan when Ryanair announced STNCGN, so apparently there is a market overlap. While CGN as the much smaller airport now has two airlines operating to STN, DUS has none. Of course there is also LCYDUS, but it is rather pricey and has limited capacity (150seats per day), so there could be an opportunity for a SEN service targeted at the former Germanwings customers (unless Ryanair starts DUS, I see no other airline that could fill the gap from STN). It is also the right distance for an ATR and marketing-wise, flybe has a strong presence at DUS already (operating to BHX and MAN, although no longer to LGW and SOU).
I am asking as Stobart had planned SENCGN and only gave up the plan when Ryanair announced STNCGN, so apparently there is a market overlap. While CGN as the much smaller airport now has two airlines operating to STN, DUS has none. Of course there is also LCYDUS, but it is rather pricey and has limited capacity (150seats per day), so there could be an opportunity for a SEN service targeted at the former Germanwings customers (unless Ryanair starts DUS, I see no other airline that could fill the gap from STN). It is also the right distance for an ATR and marketing-wise, flybe has a strong presence at DUS already (operating to BHX and MAN, although no longer to LGW and SOU).
Could someone tell me why Adria picked Southend rather than Stansted (without repeating SEN's marketing waffle) ? Maribor is sufficiently far from LJU airport that it's probably not competing to a great degree with London-LJU routes. SEN has no special affinity to Maribor - SEN is acting as nothing more than a generic London airport to Adria.
I just don't see why an airline like Adria would feel compelled to choose SEN rather than STN unless they were very uncertain about likely demand and wanted bargain basement airport fees while testing the commercial demand.
Before I'm accused of being a SEN hater, I flew to/from Southend 5 times last year - I like the passenger experience but want to be brutally honest on here when debating the commercial side.
I just don't see why an airline like Adria would feel compelled to choose SEN rather than STN unless they were very uncertain about likely demand and wanted bargain basement airport fees while testing the commercial demand.
Before I'm accused of being a SEN hater, I flew to/from Southend 5 times last year - I like the passenger experience but want to be brutally honest on here when debating the commercial side.
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A few possible reasons:
1) Shorter flying time means less fuel consumption which saves them money
2) ...therefore a quicker journey time into London than from Stansted (quick terminal transit - perhaps marketing 'waffle' but also fairly accurate)
3) Perhaps a good deal they may have been given by the airport (?)
At the end of the day they are here, and bringing with them a route that has the potential to grow in the coming years (which Adria have stated themselves). Hats off to the SEN management team for gaining a Star Alliance member.
1) Shorter flying time means less fuel consumption which saves them money
2) ...therefore a quicker journey time into London than from Stansted (quick terminal transit - perhaps marketing 'waffle' but also fairly accurate)
3) Perhaps a good deal they may have been given by the airport (?)
At the end of the day they are here, and bringing with them a route that has the potential to grow in the coming years (which Adria have stated themselves). Hats off to the SEN management team for gaining a Star Alliance member.
Join Date: Oct 2012
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On Saturday British Airway G-LCYU took off at 12:32pm BST, 3 HOURS late (instead of 09:35am BST) from Mahon (MAH) as Flight No. BA8750. (Remember LCY airport is closed for 24 hours between 12pm Saturday to 12pm Sunday due to noise reduction agreement). It was supposed to arrive at LCY at 11:50am BST just before the airport was due to close but as it was too late for it to arrive at LCY so it had to be diverted and landed at SEN at 14:32pm BST. So G-LCYU had to be left at SEN overnight and wait for LCY airport to re-open at 12pm today so G-LCYU left from SEN to LCY this early afternoon - A VERY SHORT TRIP!! G-LCYU continued to fly from LCY to Ibiza.
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"could someone tell me why Adria picked Southend rather than Stansted"
a few real reasons:
1) No slots at Heathrow and way to expensive
2) No slots at Gatwick
3) London City unsuitable
3) Predatory carriers at both Stansted (Ryanair) and Luton (Wizz) who would move in straight away if the route started to turn a profit (remember what happened on LJU-LTN)
Adria are a traditional airline desperately trying to survive by finding niches away from the big low cost boys - so this is a perfect fit, Southend will do fine as the London gateway in this case. Southend Marketing department (who are all jolly decent chaps/chapesses by the way) probably couldn't believe their luck (again).
Not anti-Southend, far from it, just re-introducing a bit of reality.
a few real reasons:
1) No slots at Heathrow and way to expensive
2) No slots at Gatwick
3) London City unsuitable
3) Predatory carriers at both Stansted (Ryanair) and Luton (Wizz) who would move in straight away if the route started to turn a profit (remember what happened on LJU-LTN)
Adria are a traditional airline desperately trying to survive by finding niches away from the big low cost boys - so this is a perfect fit, Southend will do fine as the London gateway in this case. Southend Marketing department (who are all jolly decent chaps/chapesses by the way) probably couldn't believe their luck (again).
Not anti-Southend, far from it, just re-introducing a bit of reality.