Originally Posted by
OC37
For some years I was a regular, both business and leisure, traveller based in east Midlands and I soon came to recognise that my most convenient airport was BHX, not for direct services but for convenience, easy/cheap car parking, good road/rail connections, easy thru the terminal with normally time for a pint or two before departure.
But the number of people from the north that would drive straight past BHX down the M6, M5, M40 to the likes of LHR for their direct flights to wherever who simply didn't recognise that these destinations were available from the BHX airport they passed some two hours previously albeit via an intermediary hub such as AMS, CDG, CPH, DUS, FRA, MUC, ZRH etc.
CWL will have a similar problem, let's say Mrs Jones asks where she can take a flight to Rome she is likely to receive a reply of BRS or LHR so off Mrs Jones is likely to toddle to BRS or LHR when CWL have up to 3 services daily to/from Rome via AMS, that is the problem and not likely to be one that shall go away anytime soon.
So at present, let's say a percentage of the travelling public travel to LHR, another percentage travel to BRS leaving only the percentage of smarter ones to realise that they can fly locally via that intermediary hub, I can't recall how the AMS route developed, if indeed it was KLM/NLM or Netherlines that started it but I recall at one stage it being combined with a BRS service utilising F27's, I recall direct services utilising SF340's then F27/F50's and a long way thereafter developing it to up to 3 x 80 (ish) daily jet services.
But bring in more European hub operators, as suggested FRA (Lufthansa) and CDG (Air France) seems to be a want then that modest percentage of the smarter ones flying from CWL are going to find themselves spoilt for choice and shall probably utilise the cheapest and most convenient intermediary hub operator, not only are KLM likely to lose passengers but what are the smallest aircraft types that these operators operate to develop and/or maintain a route these days with pretty much all of the lesser sized recognised airliners long since out of production.
What is needed is education by marketing, thereafter might come intermediary hub operations route development, it works very well from BHX so what have BHX done that CWL haven't done?
Whilst I agree with your points to a degree, its not really that simple. Your average Mr or Mrs Jones would not want the hassle of transferring through a hub and taking 2 flights. They would rather the hassle of driving 1-2hrs down the M4 to BRS/LHR or up the M5 to BHX. To many its not even a hassle thats thought about anymore, its the norm.
Business people or regular flyers will be more open minded to hub Airports because they are used to flying. Your average leisure break passenger isn't, so wants the cheapest and quickest air route but will sacrifice land route to get it.
This is where I believe CWL massively missed the mark with Flybe. It offered good city options but people didn't know about them. In my eyes they weren't marketed well at all.
CWL needs to work on changing mindsets and shouting from the rooftops about what is offered, especially from the likes of Vueling and Ryanair. Social media is a great FREE platform that needs to be used to its full potential, on top of some mainstream media campaigns. Get people thinking about CWL and checking prices there first. There will always be some leakage to other Airports but its all too common to hear of people not even checking CWL because they think its too expensive or the route isn't available.
I agree with Marko, CWL needs to retreat and work on what it does well with what its already got. KLM and QR were performing well before covid19. KLM needs to be built up to 3x E190s a day and QR still has plenty of scope to fill seats on its current offerings.
The domestic routes need to be brought back, and part of me still thinks there's something in the pipeline with Eastern, especially after CWL being mentioned in the media as having some popular routes not yet being taken on.
Sadly Covid19 is a big stumbling block at the moment which makes any near future predictions very unpredictable!