Thing is, flybe aren't really low cost, in that the costs of their tickets are, well ....high
Depends who you compare them to - when I fly with them, they are usually cheaper than the German competition. Prices only get really steep near the time (but still less than alternative).
Overall, I thought it was quite a clever spin on what is clearly a massive strategic retrenchment overall
I agree - but it is probably better to focus on routes where they can make their fleet and cost base work. For that reason I don't see any significant presence closer to LON than SOU. Where could they get a defensible advantage over EZY to a core base?
What do people make of the reduction in the E195s whilst still taking 175s? Is that because they have no choice to take the 175s or is there a compelling reason to have 175s over 195s?