Flybe

[Irish Steve]

Originally Posted by Leodis

I would like to see the short era of post 9/11 The days when all the airlines limited hand luggage to a clear plastic bag of which the passenger was allowed to carry medication, money and a passport. Hold luggage should be limited to 20kg, no if's, no but's. Anything over 20kg should be charged at 20 pound a kilo.

Leodis

You would would you? And what do you suggest is done with high value items like cameras, laptop computers etc, which are at serious risk of both loss or damage if they go through modern baggage handling systems. What would you suggest to the crew that was positioning from Dublin back to the UK after operating a flight, and were hit by a well known LoCO operator for significant excess baggage charges? A while back, I refused to load a case that had got through check in that weighed in at 42 Kilos, it contained a complete set of chef's knives that were the tools of his trade. OK it should have been split into 2 cases, and charged accordingly, but there are times when the alternatives are limited.

There is NO way I would put a good quality camera, or a lap top computer, through the baggage system at Dublin, it's at too much risk from damage in the conveyer system, and there are also other significant risks in the handling process, some legally actionable, some down to inadequate handling procedures by the handling agents. Most of the dollies used for bulk loaded flights have no securing system to prevent items falling off, and dollies with solid tyres on a ramp of the quality of Dublin can be almost guaranteed to lose items en route to the aircraft. Then there's the problem of loading and off loading. We'd all like to believe that handlers treat each piece as though it were their own. If that was the case, it would take about 4 hours to do the turnround on something the size of a 757-300, and twice as many handlers as are usually made available now. End result is that every case is physically launched from it's present position towards the door, with as much force as is necessary to get it as close as possible to the door. It's then THROWN on to either a dolly or a milk float, and up to 6 other cases may then be put on top of it. Then it goes to the belt, and again, due to cost cutting by the beancounters in both the handling agents and the airlines, its' thrown on to the belt, sometimes from 10 to 12 feet away. Fragile items such as cameras or computers wouldn't stand a chance. About the only thing that doesn't get thrown on the belt is the inevitable case of 12 bottles of wine that people think are going to survive on a bucket and spade flight from Spain. Most do, but inevitably, some don't, and invariably, the damage has been done before it arrives home, in that the cases all round the box are well soaked in wine before the hold is even opened!

The whole concept of "centralised" handling has outlived it's usefulness, especially where LoCo carriers won't interline. Far better to have remote airline owned and operated terminals, where the passenger arrives, is herded into the correct area for the flight, with bags, and then at the right time, they board a bus or similar, and are taken to the aircraft, where they put their bags on a belt by the aircraft. Passenger boards, bag is loaded. Advantages? Airline is responsible for it's own handling, security is the responsibility of the airline. No "lost" passengers who then delay the flight because their bags have to be found and off loaded, if the passenger is not on the bus, the bag never got into the hold. Moving bags all over the place and sorting them after screening becomes a thing of the past, they get screened at the "loading" point in the terminal, and after that, the passenger and bag are going to the same place anyway. If the passenger became responsible for moving the bag around the airport, then maybe the passenger just might realise that there are big problems with heavy bags! The airport operators might not be too happy, all these passengers now have no time or need to be hanging around a very expensive shopping mall, which might mean some real changes in attitude.

[lplsprog]

Irish Steve.
I can confirm the handling at Dublin needs to be seen to be believed. I was in the departures looking out of the window onto the apron observing an arriving aircraft. The baggage handlers backed a flat bed truck up to the aircraft opened the hold and one climbed in. Next thing a bag flew out of the hold and bounced down the truck towards the front where the second handler picked it up and threw it up behind the cab. This went on until all bags were off-loaded, God help any valuable items contained in those cases. I didn't see the loading as we were boarding then but no doubt it was done in the same manner.

[Medway Control]

Dash 8 Q

Firstly, apologies for the delay in response. been on holidays over the last week and a half...

BAE146, i never wished to blame or pass on the blame to the engineers at BHD on that morning. I in fact understand that thing do go tech sometimes, because thats life. My post was more to express my exasperation that this happens far too regularly, rather than a blame game with engineers!! I dont think the engineers at BHD are repsonsible for the problem, nor do I think that the engineers can do much to improve the situation!! I just think that FLYBE as a company should accept responsibility for the delays/cancellations that passengers from BHD have been suffering over the past while... By supplying a better alternative than cancelling the flight, and transferring SOU bound passengers onto LGW and bussing them... that situation for me was no good!! But FLYBE won't accept this responsibility... you and i both know that!!

I salute the fight that you engineers are doing with the Dash 8 Q, and wish you all the best in future, for both your and my sake!!

[EGCC4284]

AlphaCharlie

I wonder whether Flybe will ever consider doing some route expansion from any airport north of BHX?? Hmmmm ... or is it still only southerners who can afford air travel?

My lips are sealed. Watch this space.

[aeulad]

Is it Humberside?

Regards

Mike

[airhumberside]

I am going to assume the expansion will be in England

Firstly it could be expansion of services from an existing 'base' (i.e. MAN or LBA) or it could be the launch of a base at an existing destination (i.e. NCL). I think its pretty safe to say any expansion wont involve NEMA (near to BHX) or LPL

If its a new destination they will expand at, here are the contenders

BLK - Could be some potential for domestic services, particularly Belfast City (they used to serve the route in Jersey/British European days on Summer Saturdays). However Jet 2 (and also ZB/FR) have Spanish routes covered and French regional services would probably work better from MAN

DSA - Definite potential for domestic and French Regional services, and the airport could do with some more low cost flights with TOM's growth being pretty much non-existant as far a scheduled flights go. However, might affect development of the airlines LBA base

HUY - Potential for a 'NWI' style operation with domestic flights to ABZ, EDI, GLA, BHD, JER, SOU, EXT and international services to CDG, Chambery (winter) and Spain. However, smaller catchment area compared to DSA

MME - Quite unlikely in my opinion, but BHD, SOU and EXT routes could be possibiities

I suppose if the expansion is for this winter there will be announcement in the next couple of months, if its for next year I would expect something in the Autumn

[GBALU53]

There was talk about some more out of Jersey beind anouced towards the end of this year i believe.

[GROUNDHOG]

Just for MV and anyone else interested....my thoughts...

If there were six more sustainable routes out of Newquay I would have started another airline myself, there are not and yes with a team of others I did look at it. Of the new routes that have been announced at least one is doomed to certain failure. Full marks though for Flybe on Edinburgh and Air Southwest on Cardiff, long wondered why no one did those!

Is there a future for flybe in Newquay? Well I guess that depends on the future of Air Southwest and Ryanair in Newquay and what they ( Flybe) do to influence that future. I know exactly what I would do if I were part of the Flybe planning department (If Flybe are reading this we pensioners will do anything for a couple of free seats and a cup of coffee) but I do not want to post this on a public forum.

Of course what we really need is to scrap Plymouth, Newquay, Exeter and even (sorry MV) Bristol and build one bl**dy great airport in the middle wth decent ground transport links ..... dream on!

[MerchantVenturer]

Originally Posted by GROUNDHOG

Just for MV and anyone else interested....my thoughts...
Of course what we really need is to scrap Plymouth, Newquay, Exeter and even (sorry MV) Bristol and build one bl**dy great airport in the middle wth decent ground transport links ..... dream on!

GROUNDHOG,

Many thanks for your views on Flybe (and anyone else for that matter) and NQY.
That bl**dy great airport would be fantastic for the whole region but of course we know it will never happen.

I'm not wedded to BRS - Filton would have been a much better option, but we've been through that before and that won't happen either.

If there were no constraints whatever and we had a fresh canvas, it would be fun to sit down and work out where our national and regional airports ought to be located.

In the meantime, it is good to see Flybe flying more and more from its home.

[GROUNDHOG]

Hi MV

You are not wrong about Filton would have been a great place for the airport so close to the motorway junctions, could have even furnished it from Ikea!

I would love to see Flybe prosper down here,I have huge respect for their commercial team and MD and believe if it were to ever come to survival of one South West carrier they may just be the chosen ones.

I will now stand by for all the flack from Air Southwest etc... for whom I also have the greatest respect by the way!

[welkyboy]

The grapevine is hot in the South of Essex of potential Flybe announcement of a new base there for next year. No its not Stapleford,tho it also begins with S and ends in D,( so does Stansted but thats in North Essex!!)

[pamann]

That rumour has been around for ages. Great for GLA, EDI etc... but not sure their runway length is suitable for a fully laden 733 off to AGP but maybe someone is in the know??? Be good if they did. And if they could I'm surprised TFly hasn't jumped in there.

[tilewood]

welkyboy:

Let me guess!

London Jellied Eel and Whelk International Airport.

Chuff for Commandant!!

[Capt. J. Upgrade]

Southend-on-Sea

WelkyBoy:
Your old play ground when you were young!!
With those green and white Viking and Dakotas then Viscounts , and the home of the Carvair!
Can flyBE. recreate those good old days of the sixties??

[GBALU53]

Channel Airways

Would they be able if it is Southend to bring back the good old days when this airport was buzzing??

With the likes of good old Channel Airways with the apron full of there aircraft.

It would not be the same though with a lare fleet of Dash 8 400s sitting on the apron for blasting off to sunnier climes or some where else first thing every morning though??

If this is the case at least they are trying in areas that need some support,

[Q400 Pilot]

Q400 Reliability

I have been an FO on the Q400 fleet for over a year. I can honestly say that instances where I have been delayed due to tech problems could be counted on one hand.

Maybe I am just lucky!

[Maude Charlee]

You're not one of those 13 fingered folk from NWI are you?

So far I'm probably averaging 1 tech related delay per week, with at least 4 of those having involved delays over 1 hour and subsequent a/c swap or a/c into maintenance in last 2 months alone.

Maybe I'm just unlucky.

[Snigs]

Maude Charlee, I've been a/c swapping a lot recently.... Maybe we've been flying together, and perhaps I'm the unlucky one!

[GBALU53]

Latest Arrival

With another new Dash G-JECN arriving at Birmingham on Saturday the 29th of April do Flybe intend to name or put a life size sticker of a well known person as per the George Best Dash G-JECM on this aircraft.????

[ltn and beyond]

I think its about time Flybe named one of its Q400 after Capt George Dunn, if he had not put in so much hard work the Dash fleet , it would not be flying with flybe now. It would be a great tribute to a great fleet manager !!