BA to cease NCL-BRS

[johnwalton]

A small (allbeit expected) victory for EZY at NCL. I wonder if EZY will increase their service, maybe with a third daily service added in October with a BRS based aircraft?

quote from www.newcastleairport.com:
BA's Newcastle to Bristol service update

British Airways has today (Mon. 19th May 2003) announced that it will withdraw its Newcastle-Bristol service from 25 October 2003.

For useful BA customer contact details and information on alternative services between Newcastle and Bristol click more.

Customers booked on affected BA flights will be offered a full refund, and are advised to contact their travel agent, click onto ba.com or call British Airways on 0845 77 999 77.

British Airways will continue to operate 64 flights a week from Newcastle to London Heathrow and Gatwick.

easyJet will commence its twice daily Newcastle-Bristol service from 1st August 2003. Every Monday to Saturday depart Newcastle 0700 arrive Bristol 0805, or depart 1925 arrive 2030. Sunday depart Newcastle 0730 arrive Bristol 0835.
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[In trim]

Is this, once again, the BA policy to "Compete intelligently" as RE once put it......i.e. at the first sign of competition from a loco, just pull off. :confused:

[Red Snake]

Well, at about 3 pages of threads per route closure, at least it'll keep PPRuNe going.

It's been known for ages that BACX is phasing out the turbo props. It's surely not a great leap of the imagination to see the routes go too?

[FlyboyUK]

Nothing has been mentioned about the ERJ145 that was going to replace the Dash8 on the BRS-NCL route. Wonder where that is going now?

[Red Snake]

BRS-NCL uses NCL based aircraft. Aren't the 5 barbie jets at BRS already spoken for?

[Go-arounder]

Red Snake
The BRS-NCL has been a PLH based DH8 since the start of the summer and the Eastern/BACX J41 fiasco. During this BA promised a ‘jet’ on the route in a press release.

The route is very business oriented which I cannot see accepting two a day early morning and very late at night as it will be with Easy!

[MerchantVenturer]

The easyJet timetable is:

Leave NCL 0700 Arr BRS 0805

Leave BRS 0830 Arr NCL 0935

Leave NCL 1925 Arr BRS 2030

Leave BRS 2055 Arr NCL 2200

Not too bad for Bristol business pax having a day in Newcastle, but certainly a long day for Newcastle business pax having a day in the West.

The last BA Cx flight of the day currently returns to Bristol at 2010 hours having left for Newcastle at 1705.

I wonder though whether there would be suffficient pax on this route for a third daily 737 rotation. I have my doubts.

It may be that U2 might have to tweak the timings of the two-a-day day service.

Having said this the current U2 timings are good for leisure passengers wanting a day out - as I am doing in September.

I think that timings are important, even for leisure pax. For instance I have fancied a few days in Prague but I don't relish the thought of arriving at Prague Airport at 2125 hours (unless I go on a Sunday), which is the current U2 arrival time from BRS. This has put my wife and me off making that trip.

[redfield]

Merchant Venturer - don't let the flight timings put you off going to Prague. Getting to the city from the airport is easy from Ruzyne even at night and Prague is a top destination. I just got back from there....

BA always were going to pull off the NCL-BRS route once Easyjet started - they can't compete on price. Does this mean that the PLH-BRS sectors will go as well?

[MerchantVenturer]

redfield,

Thanks for info re Prague.

The BRS-PLH leg must be going (does anyone actually use it apart from staff and pax travelling to/from PLH from elsewhere via BRS?) because it is the PLH-based Dash-8 that works the BRS-NCL.

There will be no other BA Cx turbo prop flights from BRS once the NCL goes.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

I use the BRS PRG route all the time. I actually like the timings. I have my dinner then go to the airport, have a few drinks etc, fly, jump into taxi arranged by hotel, arrive hotel, Czech Pilsner and then off to bed. Much better than trying to travel, arrive and do something useful all in one too busy day. Next morning you are in the city for breakfast and raring to go.

Mind you the flights only cost me a £5 :-)

WWW

[redfield]

WWW - you should book earlier, mine only cost me £3.....:ok:

[MerchantVenturer]

www,

Ok, along with redfield you have convinced me about the orange way from Bristol to Prague - Mrs MV and I will have to try it, probably in late summer.

I guess I would have to join an airline to get the £5 fare - probably not a good idea, certainly not for the airline.

[Wee Weasley Welshman]

Well let me know the date at least 2 months in advance and I can try and operate the flight for you. I promise an ultra smooth landing and a nose around the flightdeck.

WWW

[MerchantVenturer]

WWW,

That's a brilliant and extremely kind offer. I will let you know when I can arrange things.

We are off to Switzerland soon - of course unfortunately easy do not fly there from BRS, to which I hopefully add 'yet'.

We are going via AMS to GVA with a Dutch airline whose aircraft are painted a particular shade of blue.

When we get back I shall have to tee something up for Prague.

Once again many thanks and best wishes.