Someone asked the question "Why can't FlyBe compete with Easyjet or
Ryanair?". Perhaps a case in point would be the flight prices compared with
other low cost carriers.
This is a very good point. Flybe is a regional carrier and regional flying is what it needs to stick too. easyJet and especially Ryanair struggle to compete with Flybe profitably in markets that are thin and struggle to support multiple rotations on 737/319 daily. Here is where BE can win with business traveller, multiple daily sorties on Q400 can be hard to beat again on thin routes.
BE getting in heavily in large markets where it doesnt have the route to itself is a bad move. easyJet seem to be very interested in BE markets and following in on their heels at airports like IOM JER LGW etc, and domestically shows that Easyjet see good opportunities where BE have developed markets already.
Some routes e.g. IOM LPL are questionable in terms of the prize but given the short sector it is easy to accomodate it, plus easyJet are in for the long run, so will stick at it until they win the business overall.
EI-BUD