Flybe - Teething Problems?

[SLFJB]

Flying Flybe from MAN to Belfast City. Last two weeks have been operated by VLM (The VLM flight to Rotterdam being shown as Cancelled)

Additionally the 16.10 Glasgow flight from Belfast City last Friday was delayed by 5 hours ( and its only a scheduled 45 minute flight:confused:)

Delays seem to be continuing, checking the Belfast City departures.

So whats the problem? Teething problems after taking over the BA business?, Not enough pilots?, Not enough engineers?

I can fly either by MAN (BMI) or Liverpool (EasyJet) to Belfast International instead, for a comparable cost after allowing for the taxi to Belfast City centre.

So are the problems temporary at FLYBE or shall I switch to fly into International

Feedback, comment welcomed.

[pacer142]

For a while I was flying BHX to AMS every Monday morning, and it was unusual for there not to be problems of some sort, often cancellations, on the BACon flights out of there even before the takeover.

I wonder if "VLM" = DenimAir in this case? That said, VLM like to cancel less busy flights anyway, which is why I rarely use them these days as I find that practice very annoying.

[Haven't a clue]

I don't know what the current state of play is regarding crewing but...
Yesterday's (11 Jun) first 0705 IOM/MAN rotation cancelled "due to technical problems". EMB145 supposed to operate towed away to remote parking. Second 1000 rotation delayed (usually operated by the same aircraft). Problem eventually solved by the arrival at 1245 of a FlyBe 146.

I've driven past the airport several times and no engineering prescence sighted (I might have missed it, of course), yet the EMB145 was put back into service some time today.

So is the technical problem not a technical problem, or really a crewing problem?

Yesterdays 146 IOM/LGW service suffered knock on delays as well. Full load on the mid morning meant the you have to pay for it catering had to be taken off!


Today's 0845 LGW/IOM was cancelled per the LGW departures board and the 1035 IOM/LGW serice delayed. Yet the FlyBe online flight information showed the departure from IoM as being on time...

I'm travelling tomorrow. Let's hope nothing goes wrong again...

[lexxity]

FlyBe are having terrible crewing problems. I work alongside them at MAN and the number of cancelled or "re-timed" flights is astonishing! We were discussing today how we are coming down firmly on the side of the pax, because their treatent is abysmal.

The most commonly cancelled flights are CDG, BHD, JER and BRU and delays are unbelievable! Needless to say, our load factors are consistently up, on competing routes.

[spanishflea]

The new EU compensation legislation just means that airlines lie about the reason for the cancellation.

In short, a cancellation caused by "technical issues" doesnt require compensation. A cancellation caused by "crewing shortages" does.

As it is the airline that sets the official cause of cancellation, what incentive do they ever have for giving the real reason if its going to cost them more money?

[True Blue]

""http://www.pprune.org/forums/images/infopop/icons/icon5.gif Flybe - Teething Problems?
Flying Flybe from MAN to Belfast City. Last two weeks have been operated by VLM (The VLM flight to Rotterdam being shown as Cancelled)

Additionally the 16.10 Glasgow flight from Belfast City last Friday was delayed by 5 hours ( and its only a scheduled 45 minute flight:confused:)

Delays seem to be continuing, checking the Belfast City departures.

So whats the problem? Teething problems after taking over the BA business?, Not enough pilots?, Not enough engineers?

I can fly either by MAN (BMI) or Liverpool (EasyJet) to Belfast International instead, for a comparable cost after allowing for the taxi to Belfast City centre.

So are the problems temporary at FLYBE or shall I switch to fly into International

Feedback, comment welcomed.""

I would recommend that you change to Bfs, where BMIBaby offer a much more reliable service from Man. I would imagine that WW will be all out to keep service levels up and damage BE even more. Looking at the CAA stats, WW has seen hugh growth on this route. EZY is also very reliable from Lpl. Bfs also has the advantage of having no restrictions. Bhd has restrictions, which were in the public domain before the likes of BE decided to have a major expansion there. I know this will not generally effect you if you are usually starting from Man, but is worth knowing. I use Bhd only as an absolute last resort, for a number of reasons, higher charges being one.

True Blue

[Avman]

I used to be a regular with BA Regional, BAcon (and whatever else they called themselves before) between DUS and BHX. Since Flybe took over, I've transfered my business to TUIfly from CGN and Brussels Airlines from BRU. Flybe is such a shambles at present that I just won't fly with them. Very sad to see this company going down the drain. But they are, and I fear for their future.

[jethrobee]

FlyBE have been renamed in my office as MayBE, since we have had to postpone several important meetings due to their cancellations recently!

none of us now use them if we can avoid it.

[frequentflyer2]

This is all very worrying. As I said on another forum I've arranged a surprise birthday weekend trip to Paris for Mrs. Frequent Flyer at the end of the month. We're booked to travel out with Flybe from BHD as it's only five minutes from our home but return with EZY to BFS as this allows us to have longer in Paris. However, I've taken the precaution of also booking an outward flight with EZY. If Flybe cancel or are horrendously delayed there'll be plenty of time to take a taxi up to Aldergrove and catch the Paris flight there - but I really hope this won't happen. Does anyone know it it's likely?

[True Blue]

If you have been checking BHD arrivals on Ceefax 457, you will know that Flybe are having plenty of problems. Some people were to fly over from Gla this morning to see me, but the flight was cancelled. You should read the letter in tonights Telegraph. This all begs the question, why did you book with them in the first place? The fact that you live so close to Bhd should not have influenced your plans. Flybe are mayflybe at the moment and it may stay that way for a long time. Anyone booking with them now should not be surprised if it all goes wrong.

True Blue

[frequentflyer2]

'If you have been checking BHD arrivals on Ceefax 457, you will know that Flybe are having plenty of problems. Some people were to fly over from Gla this morning to see me, but the flight was cancelled. You should read the letter in tonights Telegraph. This all begs the question, why did you book with them in the first place? The fact that you live so close to Bhd should not have influenced your plans. Flybe are mayflybe at the moment and it may stay that way for a long time. Anyone booking with them now should not be surprised if it all goes wrong.'

Point taken. They rang me yesterday to tell me our outward flight to CDG will be operated by an Embraer 195 rather than a 145 which meant they had to change the seat numbers I chose at the time of booking. Fingers crossed. This is a birthday present so I don't want anything to go wrong. I've too many things arranged in Paris. That's why I took the precaution of also booking outward flights as well as the return with Ezy.

[Psiontech]

I have read some of the comments here with interest and my feelings go out to all Flybe 'customers'. If it helps anyone understand here is my opinion as to why everything seems to be going wrong.
Nearly 200 flight crew are leaving or have already left since Flybe announced they were taking over BA Connect, I am not sure how many cabin crew have left but it’s a lot, most of these losses have been from the EMB145 fleets but there have been some losses in the BAe146 fleet too. The Dash8 Q300 aircraft is to be replaced by the Q400, however due to a dispute between the former BA Connect engineers & Flybe, the engineers are not being trained to carry out any maintenance on the Q400 or the newer EMB195, the main places that this is causing problems is MAN & GLA if a Q400 is tech an engineer has to be called out from either BHX or BHD, also due to the enlarged operation it is having knock on effect though out the network.
Why are so many leaving, Flybe’s reputation I am afraid, in the first 2½ months of the ‘New Flybe’ they seem to have been right to leave not only have the passengers had a bad experience believe me the employees are getting it much worse. Flybe’s organisational and manpower management skills are not up to the task.
If I were you if you can go by an other route do so for at least the next 12 months.

[crewmeal]

You would think that flybe would get their priorities right before not allowing passengers to take their own food aboard. This seems another way to sell to the captive audience.

Maybe time keeping and running a smooth schedule are low priorities for them.

[Avman]

Flybe’s organisational and manpower management skills are not up to the task.
If I were you if you can go by an other route do so for at least the next 12 months

I don't think they have 12 months to sort it out. The rot has set in. Many of the remaining staff will wonder if the writing is on the wall, play safe and, if they find positions elsewhere, leave too.

[SLFJB]

Thanks for the feedback on the Flybe situation. Last Friday my flight (16.10) from Belfast City to MAN was cancelled, no room on the next flight(17.20) so re-booked onto the 18.55. No voucher offered for refreshment but provided when asked for :=.

15.20 left at 16.45 (A DASH 8) whilst the 18.55 was a Bae 146, which I presume had enought room for the scheduled flight plus all the SLF from the 16.10 flight. This left about 10 minutes late due to air traffic delays on the inbound flight which had come from Gatwick.

The Glasgow 16.05 was also delayed to 19.10 when I left.

This week I have flown to Belfast International with EasyJet from Liverpool John Lennon. Nice clean new airbus, departed on time and arrived 5 minutes early. Ticket was only £56 compared with £118 with flybe which even with the taxi fare works out marginally cheaper. So in the office for 8.50 instead on being stuck in an airport :ok:.

Its a no-brainer, so have booked the next three weeks flights on EasyJet to International

[Hampshire Hog]

I'm sorry to read all this. I used to fly with Flybe from SOU quite a lot and always found them reliable and friendly.

Airline takeovers/mergers are almost always a problem and taking on the BACON EMB195s has probably not been easy. I had several cancellations and one or two scary moments when flying with BACON on those things (The only jet I have been on which the crew couldn't get started!).

Add in difficulties with the unions and Flybe are in for a tough time. I hope they can survive it and return to original form.

HH

[paulc]

Hampshire Hog,

the Emb 195's are Flybe's own - the EMB145 are those 'inherited' from BACON

[marlowe]

BA new that Flybe would not be able to take on BACON and run efficiantly infact the takeover/merger call it what you will will probably damage Flybe beyond repair. But it was to good an opportunity to offload a a loss making business .

[SLFJB]

Noticed that FLYBE are having continuing problems managing the schedules since taking on the Connect business from BA. Seems the current policy is cancel flights with low SLF loads, and take it in turn as which flights, to which airports, they cancel when staff shortages occur.:( Suspect they have a rota system, until things get back to normal.:ugh:

More information here http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/flybe-1.htm