The CO route is becoming a bit of a public relations shambles locally.
On Saturday the Bristol Evening Post carried an article saying that Continental had announced ‘today’ the route would be reduced to five rotations a week for the winter period. Well, as long ago as 23 June GrahamK pointed out on this MB that the CO timetable was showing this reduction. Furthermore, at the time of the route’s launch on 20 May, the ITV West news reporter stated that the route "would not go daily in winter", so he must have been told something by someone in the know.
The Evening Post followed up Saturday’s article with another one today containing interviews with pax waiting to fly out from BRS to EWR yesterday. Some are already ‘regulars’ and speak highly of the route but all say the aircraft are rarely full.
Tony Hallwood of BRS is quoted, “Continental had reserved its right to reduce frequency in the winter.” The Post commented, “ But it will come as a surprise to passengers who have booked to fly to New York or Bristol on Tuesdays or Thursdays during the affected months. They will now be given the chance to fly on other days during the week.”
Well, why wasn’t this made clear before the route commenced? The ITV West man obviously had an inkling. It was announced the BFS route would reduce to five a week in winter even before it commenced, and EDI, which commenced daily last summer with high loads, also went down to five a week last winter (it is now ten a week this summer).
It now looks as if, and this is the Post’s obvious angle, BRS’s reduction is a direct result of disappointing loads since the route started.
A spokesman for Business West concedes that a major problem is getting Americans to use the route.
The only positive bit of news is a quote a couple of weeks ago by Continental’s UK and Ireland Director that the airline is particularly pleased with the support for Business/First.