Volare’s naff LTN start
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Ltn Man
You are right. Helios has been a great success at Luton and despite them now adding STN & LGW to their programme, I understand they are even considering increasing their schedules to twice daily on certain days, not just saturdays. for the summer. I believe they have also secured slots at LHR to start ops mid-april.
Have to agree with your other comments re TBI. A sale of TBI now expansion has been given the green light must be the best option.
You mention that work on the dual carriageway into the airport starts in the New Year. I was under the impression that Sept/Oct 2004 was the earliest start date, even being delayed to Feb 2005 if a a Public Enquiry was called for.
You are right. Helios has been a great success at Luton and despite them now adding STN & LGW to their programme, I understand they are even considering increasing their schedules to twice daily on certain days, not just saturdays. for the summer. I believe they have also secured slots at LHR to start ops mid-april.
Have to agree with your other comments re TBI. A sale of TBI now expansion has been given the green light must be the best option.
You mention that work on the dual carriageway into the airport starts in the New Year. I was under the impression that Sept/Oct 2004 was the earliest start date, even being delayed to Feb 2005 if a a Public Enquiry was called for.
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Try booking Luton-Venice during Feb or March, certainly on the numerous dates I tried, despite the timetable telling me of a daily service, you cannot book.
What is going on?
What is going on?
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Buster
Service is withdrawn from 11 Jan except Cagliari. Volare customer service even confirmed by email. Did add a vague statement saying they hoped the route could be reinstated sometime in the future.
Service is withdrawn from 11 Jan except Cagliari. Volare customer service even confirmed by email. Did add a vague statement saying they hoped the route could be reinstated sometime in the future.
Thread Starter
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as posted to L-A-F:
Wondered how long it would take for that one to leak out - 10 days
must be a record.
It is not quite as quoted (but close)
Yes regular service to Venice is being dropped from 11th or 12th Jan
Regular service to Rimini is being suspended also from 11th or 12th
Jan - but the route will re-commence for the Summer (from end March?)
Frequency to Cagliari is being increased from 3 to 4x weekly from
11th or 12th Jan
There may, however, be occasional flights to Venice and Rimini on a
charter basis.
Reason for the changes is poor sales on Venice & Rimini but strong
sales on Cagliari. Like Half-Lload Express last year one could be
forgiven for missing the advertising for these routes - which has
mainly been concentrated on the ethnic Italian poulation rather than
the UK public at large.
Volares were not the only Italian airline to show an interest in
(and even file slots for) Luton-Venice this Winter so lets hope
someone else will step in at least for tthe Summer.
NRM
Wondered how long it would take for that one to leak out - 10 days
must be a record.
It is not quite as quoted (but close)
Yes regular service to Venice is being dropped from 11th or 12th Jan
Regular service to Rimini is being suspended also from 11th or 12th
Jan - but the route will re-commence for the Summer (from end March?)
Frequency to Cagliari is being increased from 3 to 4x weekly from
11th or 12th Jan
There may, however, be occasional flights to Venice and Rimini on a
charter basis.
Reason for the changes is poor sales on Venice & Rimini but strong
sales on Cagliari. Like Half-Lload Express last year one could be
forgiven for missing the advertising for these routes - which has
mainly been concentrated on the ethnic Italian poulation rather than
the UK public at large.
Volares were not the only Italian airline to show an interest in
(and even file slots for) Luton-Venice this Winter so lets hope
someone else will step in at least for tthe Summer.
NRM
There are poster ads for the Volare services to Italy on the London Underground. I noticed one at Bond Street station a few days ago, which must be an expensive (and effective) site. So not true to say no publicity.
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I don't think the Venice routing was helped by the timings. Although the inbound Venice-Luton arr at 10.10, the return on the Luton-Venice was not until 15.40 because the Rimini & Cagliari ops are fitted in as well. To make it more attractive to the UK pax, it would probably have been better to forget about the Rimini ops until at least the summer and do the return Luton-Venice at 10.40. I used the LTN-VCE when it started for the first time at the end of Oct. Due to the late arrival of the Rimini flight, we never left LTN until 17.50 and arrived in VCE until 20.50. Not the best time for the one and only flight. Only about 50 pax onboard but the cc were really friendly and helpful and the flight good. Shame.
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So how many folk booked seats on non existent flights? The routes were available for oniline sales back in the autumn, I know because I checked for a friend who wanted to go to Venice on business, once toward the end of Jan and again in Feb 2004. Fares were very cheap at the time as well.
The local papers have been running VolareWeb adverts in them for quite a few weeks stating all five destinations (Inc one via Marco Polo). I hate the local commercial radio stations, so I have no idea if this media outlet has been utilised?
All very bizzare, but typical for Luton airport.
Anyway, what happened to Skybus International and the Gay airline?
Never a dull moment in Beds! (Luton, Beds)
The local papers have been running VolareWeb adverts in them for quite a few weeks stating all five destinations (Inc one via Marco Polo). I hate the local commercial radio stations, so I have no idea if this media outlet has been utilised?
All very bizzare, but typical for Luton airport.
Anyway, what happened to Skybus International and the Gay airline?
Never a dull moment in Beds! (Luton, Beds)
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Volare & Luton
Second runway at Stansted? LTNMan you're living in cloud cuckoo land!
BAA can't fund a second runway except by cross-funding from LHR and LGW or by increasing the charges at STN. TBI will take legal action if this happens.
BAW, VIR and BMI have also all threatened legal action if the charges at LHR are upped to pay for the STN second runway.
Any increase in charges at STN or LGW would however, finally make LTN more competitive depite the £3/passenger TBI has to pay to the Luton Borough Council.
Also, RYR and EZY are threatening legal action if BAA increases the charges at STN simply to fund the second runway.
And all this even before the NIMBY's come out fighting and take it to the courts in the UK and Europe.
Second runway at Stansted? Not this side of 2010!!
TBI is reportedly extremely happy with the outcome of the White Paper since a new runway at Luton was never really a viable business option. However, with the tacit 'nod' from the Government to allow Luton to extend the existing runway eastwards, to further improve infrastructure and to increase passenger throughput above the current 10M per year maximum, TBI must be ripe for a take-over.
The construction of the first pier is dependant on additional services and airlines, two of which are RYR and the Now. Since RYR's additional services and Now's new services have yet to materialise, TBI ain't going to spend money unnecessarily.
But just watch those shares move upwards...
BAA can't fund a second runway except by cross-funding from LHR and LGW or by increasing the charges at STN. TBI will take legal action if this happens.
BAW, VIR and BMI have also all threatened legal action if the charges at LHR are upped to pay for the STN second runway.
Any increase in charges at STN or LGW would however, finally make LTN more competitive depite the £3/passenger TBI has to pay to the Luton Borough Council.
Also, RYR and EZY are threatening legal action if BAA increases the charges at STN simply to fund the second runway.
And all this even before the NIMBY's come out fighting and take it to the courts in the UK and Europe.
Second runway at Stansted? Not this side of 2010!!
TBI is reportedly extremely happy with the outcome of the White Paper since a new runway at Luton was never really a viable business option. However, with the tacit 'nod' from the Government to allow Luton to extend the existing runway eastwards, to further improve infrastructure and to increase passenger throughput above the current 10M per year maximum, TBI must be ripe for a take-over.
The construction of the first pier is dependant on additional services and airlines, two of which are RYR and the Now. Since RYR's additional services and Now's new services have yet to materialise, TBI ain't going to spend money unnecessarily.
But just watch those shares move upwards...
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I have just had a glance at the Volareweb timetable for summer 04. Only 2 destinations, Cagliari and Venice to be operated 4 times per week.
Rather a bit less than thier operation from Gatwick last summer, which they moved to Luton for winter 03/04.
Rather a bit less than thier operation from Gatwick last summer, which they moved to Luton for winter 03/04.
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Powerjet1, you are correct. Cagliari 4 per week, unlike the operation they moved from Gatwick to Luton (4 destinations, 2 return flights per day from Italy to Luton).
The Lo-Co bubble has burst! But I have been saying this for ages.
The Lo-Co bubble has burst! But I have been saying this for ages.
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Volare started as a charter airline (ex-aero taxi people),transformed itself into a scheduled full service airline (even code-shared with Alitalia) and of recently is trying the LO-CO approach.The account is in deep red,anything else to try?
No more smiles on certain faces (Soddu,Zoccai and friends),they join the likes of Tanzi,Cragnoti and other clowns.
Will the public money be spent on the lost causes again,I would say yes,but who cares?
No more smiles on certain faces (Soddu,Zoccai and friends),they join the likes of Tanzi,Cragnoti and other clowns.
Will the public money be spent on the lost causes again,I would say yes,but who cares?
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Well said Geeny.....
It's strange that nobody has bought this fact up about Volare's terrible financial situation .
They are waiting for this Argentian businessman to bring fresh cash flow otherwise they are in deep trouble . In the meantime three A320 and two A330's have been repossed and it seems that another two A330 will be leaving very shortly. Flights are leaving without catering, wages are being paid towards the end of the month and the general morale of the people is at an all time low .
It isn't a very good time for most of the airlines here in Italy (Gandalf, Minerva, Azzurra ) so I hope, for the sake of the people that work at Volare that at least this complicated financial operation will go through.
It's strange that nobody has bought this fact up about Volare's terrible financial situation .
They are waiting for this Argentian businessman to bring fresh cash flow otherwise they are in deep trouble . In the meantime three A320 and two A330's have been repossed and it seems that another two A330 will be leaving very shortly. Flights are leaving without catering, wages are being paid towards the end of the month and the general morale of the people is at an all time low .
It isn't a very good time for most of the airlines here in Italy (Gandalf, Minerva, Azzurra ) so I hope, for the sake of the people that work at Volare that at least this complicated financial operation will go through.
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If Volare charters are departing without catering, surely the passengers must be squealing to tour organisers? Does this mean that Volare's reputation will quickly become known and hasten its demise? What excuses do the crew give?
Insurance?
Parmlat2?
Insurance?
Parmlat2?
