I suspect BRAL will see a massive drop in pax figures initially when the Easy mob start the routes.
Once the cancellations and the usual delays start to bite, my personal opinion is that the business community will more than likely come back to BRAL on the J41/ATP (and Embraer if the management are smart enough to whip one onto the route).
The savings in time, as pointed out, are pretty much irrelevant and if BRAL are canny enough to lower the fares (and keep them at a reasonable level - I agree the current fares are pretty horrific for regular travellers) then the 737s won't be around for long.
What Easy and Go *can* fight for, is the tourist and leisure traveller who will book half a year in advance for the cheapest flight.
Having flown these routes for years myself, I damn well know there is not enough current demand for three operators. Whether the low-cost boys and girls can generate additional seats through the very nature of their ermmm 'low-costness' remains to be seen.
I think GO's chartering of the 146 is a class piece of brinkmanship and despite what people have posted here, quite a clever idea. It's small enough (and disposable enough not to worry the accounts if it doesn't work) to get high loads, and could operate as a loss-leader to test the waters.
Easy have to commit to an entire 737... glad I'm not paying the bills !
Bral - whilst we bat on the same side, I don't think our stale strip of egg sandwich and a free glass of Holsten Pils or a cheap whiskey has much of an influence on bookings. The business people who travel do not choose the airline... stand in an Easy queue from late afternoon in LTN going to GLA or EDI and listen to the gripes. Yet, time after time, their companies book Easy because it is a matter of bottom line and the flights (when they operate) are full. I personally doubt that they can bring this to bear on the NI market and, like you, I'm sure that the spare aircraft and lack of delays will bring the pax back, if and when they decide to try out the competition. IF IF IF... we lower our prices.