EAST MIDLANDS

[EastMids]

almost professional,

The NEMA parking charges are (a) somewhat higher than before the low-fare boom, and by that I mean price rises are way above what could be justified by inflation, and (b) designed to shaft the short trippers - that is, the people away for one, two, three or four days. I gather that for the two week people, NEMA is competitive with other airports in the region, which I guess protects the EMA IT market.

Of course, is the short break people that the low-fare operators often cater to and therefore just the pax you want to retrieve otherwise lost revenue from, but it also hits the business travellers hard. For example, on a day trip one day in short term parking now £25, but minimum charge in long stay is FIVE days which makes it expensive for short trips in comparison to BHX where long stay is just a daily charge but there's no minimum. Furthermore, BHX long stay is walkable to the terminal, EMA is most definitely not - another "convenience" factor to consider. NEMA has now invented this "medium stay" concept (I believe out of necessity due to complaints on pricing) which very few other airports have - it sits mid-way between short and long term, but you can't escape the fact that its still more than the long stay at other airports in the region which don't have a restriction on the minimum stay in such car parks.

Vibes I get are that numbers are down in comparison to 2003 now we're into the winter season - anyone care to verify before the official figures are released? Ryanair putting significant capacity into the Italian market at short notice due the Volare collapse and FlyBe setting up a base at Norwich can't help rumours that NEMA will increase numbers through expansion by one or both of these carriers, can it? Or maybe you know better?

You may be making financial numbers (your suggestion), but I wonder how much of that is freight as opposed to passengers? Care to comment on the suggestion that the new terminal development (I don't mean the extension to the IDL that starts next week) might be put back to 2009 - if correct, can that be a good sign?

Ah well, I guess I don't care that much really. I have to go to Lisbon on Monday. Cheapest fare (with a connection) from BHX is £249, cheapest fare from EMA (again with a connection) is £898 - enough said, whatever the parking charges!

Andy

Well last year EMA was doing a monarch flight to Amritstar and because this was so succesful they increased flights to 2 a week, where are they this season ?

Amritsar flights hit a snag with licencing / approvals - up until then it had variously been supposedly to be operated by Monarch, Air Scandic and/or FlyJet. Then Midland Airways / Air Slovakia launched their 767 flights ex BHX and that largely killed the concept.

Andy

[almost professional]

pax numbers will be up for this year-not sure of exact details, but certainly we broke 500,000 for some of the summer months-a record for us, winter IT is holding up well-with some long haul starting this winter
with regard to carparking I do know that problems have been identified with the product and ways to fix are enroute-but such decisions are above my paygrade! you are correct of course in that the airport needs to generate revenue to make up the lack of passenger charge-we are no different here than any other-at least we have carparks on site unlike a certain new entrant down the M69
cargo is a part of the business yes-but pax operations still provide the lions share, cargo's benefits come in being non seasonal etc
new terminal developement is still in design stage I believe, my guess is timescale is more down to planning applications than anything else! the airport is aware of what is needed-hopefully we can get a facility that will do us proud-and will lead to the kind of expansion that the new terminals at Bristol and Liverpool did

[egnxema]

PARKING CHARGES

EastMids,

Granted, one day in the short stay is £25.00. But one day in the medium stay, still within a walk of the Terminal, alternatively on the shuttle bus, is £8.00 pre booked.

BHX Long Term Multi Story, pre booked, is £8.30 per day.

For a 4 day break. BHX is 33.20, EMA is 32.00

I understand the EMA charges are higher than they used to be. But BHX's must be too! They are still cheaper than BHX!

[Vick Van Guard]

egnxema

EMA does not have a multi-story car park so shall we compare like for like shall we.

For four days surface parking within walk of the terminal it is £28.80 at BHX and £36 at EMA.

Prior to EMA becoming 'low cost' I could park at EMA for £18.00 for four days. Overnight it went to £32 and now it is £36.00!

So now I don't bother.

There is also a minimum charge of £36.00 in the medium stay car park so you can forget about the £8.00/day comparison.

Furthermore at BHX you do not have the nonsense of not being able to collect or drop off outside the terminal.

[phil_2405]

As discussed in another pprune forums, Ryanair have announced Shannon as their next base. The new routes include NEMA - Shannon daily.

On the negative side, fairly severe cuts by bmibaby for next summer

[egnxema]

Vick Van Guard

Mate - I need your help to see where I'm going wrong.

This is copied from the EMA website:-

Medium Stay ( Executive ) Car parks 1,2,3,4

Duration ( Days) Pre-Booked
Up to 1 day £8.00
2 £16.00
3 £24.00
4 £32.00
5 £40.00
6 £48.00

And the BHX website:-

Over 1 day
(per day) £12.90
Pre-book
(per day) £8.30
Pre-book
Typical 4 day short break £33.20

I KNOW EMA doesn't have a multistory - don't see what difference that makes though.

BHX surface Long Stay car parks are not within walking distance of the Terminal buildings.

I am not one bit interested in discussing the differences between the two airports, they are in different leagues, but I just don't get why people state that it is better to drive to BHX because the parking charges are SO MUCH CHEAPER, when clearly they are not. If you live North or East of EMA, surely it costs more simply to drive the extra distance to BHX.

At the end of the day, you pays your money, you makes your choice.

[EastMids]

Flew from EMA Monday morning for a change. What a mistake. Security lines stretching back to the cash machines at just after 06:00 (compare to about 20 people in the line at BHX the week before when I flew out at a similar time), which meant that they had to call forward passengers for some flights, making the wait in the queue for those of us who were considerate and checked in within a reasonable time even longer. Two x-ray machines not being used - wake up NEMA, its your busiest time of day so use ALL of the facilities and process the passengers reasonably quickly.

GBP3.95 for a bacon butty and GBP1.95 for a cup of nasty coffee - foxtrot oscar EMA, a GOOD coffee at Starbucks at BHX is far better and cheaper.

From what I am told, car park behind checkin hall (other side of road up to tower and old RM building) now allocated to staff for the winter - saves the airport money on staff coach service but means the poor sods who pay to use the airport have to walk further - great passenger service idea NEMA! NOT!

Passenger numbers may be up slightly right now, but that's mainly due to Ryanair. Down side is loss of Aurigny in January and cut back Baby schedule for next Summer. Even with the new Shannon route, are you sure the numbers are going to hold up? Plenty more choice down the road at BHX now - if NEMA treats customers like it does and shafts them on charges, the numbers will go down.

[phil_2405]

From what I am told, car park behind checkin hall (other side of road up to tower and old RM building) now allocated to staff for the winter - saves the airport money on staff coach service but means the poor sods who pay to use the airport have to walk further - great passenger service idea NEMA! NOT!

Not quite correct...Car Park 3 is the staff car park for the winter.


I agree that next years pax figures may start to fall unless management pull some new routes/airlines out of the bag soon-ish

[rock737]

I dont think car parking is that bad its better tan stansted for example, anyway does anyone know what expansion in charters there will be next summer and what each charter airline will base.

It would be nice to have a 757 from TCX, a 757 from AMM with a A321 doing a reduced week, a 763 and 762 for BY and for MYT 2 A321s oh and an XLA B738.

Does anyone know

[MarkBHX]

Have XLA confirmed their aircraft? I only say this because for the past two years they have said they would base an aircraft at bhx, only for them to subcontract the work to Islandsflug in 2003 and Air Malta this year.

[egnxema]

Of those 20 airbuses that EZY have said they are looking to place - will any of them replace the 733 fleet at EMA?

[Little Blue]

Problem with EMA is that, despite the massive expansion in routes, it is still being run as it was back in the late 80's, as a small, provincial airport.
I agree, BHX is a better run station, but they planned for their expansion and are paying the dividends !
Shame, cos I love EMA (Never NEMA !!).
As 4 the gripes about the food quality and the extortianate prices...
Bring back the CROC POT !!

[GrahamK]

Air Scandic are basing a Finnair MD-83 at EMA next summer. Destinations on the Air Scandic website.

Excel Airways website suggests a based a/c, though whether these are operated on the SCY flights who know?

[egnxema]

Ah! Little Blue - childhood memories - The big green plastic croc, domestic arrivals down in that corner too. Those huge weighing scales that Orion had at their check in desks. The strong smell of aviation fuel when you stood balanced on the rail of the spectatiors balcony........

[Little Blue]

Indeed..although Domestic arrivals consisted of a door from the ramp and the smallest baggage carousel known to man !!
I remember how, prior to us boarding the Dub pax, a member of staff from Duty free would come into the Dom lounge to take pax orders and then, whilst the pax were queuing at the a/c, they'd wheel all the stuff out on a trolley and hand it out !
Ahhhh.....sorry, I was wallowing in self-reminisce there, for a mo !
Still, at least Mr Bradbury is still there...as long as there is a Bradders, there is an EMA !

[Electric Sky]

Which came first .... the Bradders or the Airport?

ES

[killbill]

to all who moan that staff get to use carpark 3..

"saves the airport money on staff coach service but means the poor sods who pay to use the airport have to walk further - great passenger service idea "

the staff who use the airport everyday AND pay for there car parking to boot, should be the ones to park right outside the terminal. Pax can get a bus, they don't have to do it every day.

[EastMids]

You've got a strange idea about customer service, something exemplified in much of what goes on at the airport since the low-fare "revolution"

[Fried_Chicken]

Anybody able to confirm or deny that once the Easyjet B737-300s are retired, EMA will be a base for the B737-700 as i've also heard the A319 mentioned. Easyjets 319s are already frequent visitors to EMA for training.

Also, during the start of January 2005, Ryanair ops should be B737-800 only with no -200s appearing.

Fried Chicken

[phil_2405]

I have been told NEMA will become a easyJet B737-700 base next year.