ISLE OF MAN

[pabely]

I thought this was already on record that if LGW works, MAN would be next? Will be dreadful at IOM if all depart at the same time though, already security can't cope on a Friday tea-time.

[manx crab]

And like a ghost town the rest of the day if Flybe pull out.

Reynolds should be stopped from gambling with our lifeline services to bolster her already enormous ego

[jetstreamtechrecords]

we hearing EZY launching a number of UK routes in March to Flybe. Flybe has had years of kicking the small UK airlines and gotten so big that EZY are making sure they dont get any bigger in UK. IOM MAN, EDI BHX, GLA BHX and LTN GLA all mentioned: payback time.

[Capt. Horrendous]

Had it confirmed that FLM have ceased flying.

Manx Crab, there is motion in Tynwald to debate the Open Skies policy, and the potential it has to harm the IOM. Re your post above, I agree, but in fairmess to the AD, she is only executing the policies of her employer.

[fa2fi]

Well it can only be a good thing if EZY is turning up the heat on flyBE. They offer a consistent, reliable and affordable service. Things which flyBE lack!

[jetstreamtechrecords]

yep but they can do it with half the frequency so half the number of turns so half the number of jobs. Also BE do base locally so use hotels taxis pubs and spend locally. EZY are in and out and spend nowt locally so there is something at least in BEs favour. Eastern used to be the same when they were based on the rock.

[fa2fi]

Fair enough you have a point regarding frequencies but your average punter won't care about the other factors. Lower fares may stimulate demand and attract visitors who spend locally. People who couldn't otherwise afford to fly the route.

[AirLCY]

If Easyjet do start MAN as well, it is surely likely Flybe will have to reduce the base. Although great news for customers and cheap fares, there is not likely to be enough traffic at the right yield to sustain both carriers. Flybe is the right airline for the Island. Easyjet won't provide a good enough schedule.

[IOMspotter]

its true. The new EZY LGW route hasnt increased the IOM market just the lGW market . We see manxies who used to go to BHX SOU and LTN now on the EZY LGW and some students who used to get the boat & train or bus it down. Theres lots of good loads on EZYs LGW but some of the other routes are now awful.

Jestreamtech was right. Half the turns means half the jobs for handlers

[Centre cities]

Easy

Can not see IOM/BHX. Neither are Easy bases and are not likely to be. The timings would not be very good.

Centre cities

[manx crab]

As a pretty regular flyer, I value frequency and reasonable prices over just dead cheap and sparse frequency. It is not quiet the same as journeys in the UK where there are several similar alternatives

Easyjet have obviously hit Flybe hard in the IOM and Flybe have cut frequency already. Three planned trips in January that I had booked have been altered due to rotations being cancelled eg there are no early morning departures at all on a Friday most of January meaning I have to go the night before adding to the expense.

[Cloud1]

Those who believe EZY presence on the IOM will be a good thing have an extreme case of tunnel vision. For those who want a weekend away in London it will be fine but for those who rely on the services for business it will not.....and it could spark a bigger issue in the long run.

Flybes punctuality isnt that bad as regional airlines go - they are often quite high up on punctuality stats and indeed have been number 1 on certain routes. The problem is when they do suffer from disruption it seems to come in fits and starts, weeks can go by where disruption is minimal and then all of a sudden there are several consecutive days of crap.

Airlines like EZY and FR operate a different logistical approach to Flybes. If an A319 goes tech, it delays or cancels the rest of that flying programme for that airframe. Potentially you could be looking at 3 or 4 flights with circa 150 pax onboard. Flybe will combine services or drop an aircraft already enroute in to that airport to collect passengers - failing that their frequency means that passengers can be rebooked on to the next flight which may actually go before the fault can be fixed. It means passengers get to where they need to go more often than not, albeit later than planned.

It will be very interesting to see how EZYs arrival will affect the IOM residents.

[jijpc]

Agree with Cloud1 and a number of other posters. EZY may be good for some but not everyone. As a frequent business traveller, and there are quite a number of us, the frequency of service is a big factor. Driving out a number of services with locally based aircraft will be a big issue with potentially a significant loss of regular red-eye and evening flights.

Whilst FlyBe had a poor reliability record when they moved in this has vastly improved, albeit it is not as good as when there were 4 based aircraft. It is also good that there is a good variety of destinations on FlyBe and I can't see EZY serving them all.

One of the winners could well be the BACF/Eastern service to LCY?

[RVF750]

....And if EZY push Flybe off the Island, you can be sure the fares will rocket. Not only that but if that cuts demand, they'll cut back to once daily on quieter days too. No-one will dare compete with them and there's not a chance they'll base aircraft here or hire the local crews.

I reckon they are making £8 or so on each pasenger, probably less on the lead in fares, so even full flights can't be covering the costs.

Flybe did play a bit hard on Eastern's BHX, granted, but EMX sank themselves, despite Flybe giving them the LCY route!

Oh, and if Europe recovers so that their Intra European routes come back, where will the aircraft come from and which UK routes will they pull?

EZY are working Flybe over because they are full of spare capacity due to the European implosion. They are sweating the next one down the food chain. Just business, eh.....

[lfc84]

The arrival of easyJet, with its lack of frequency, would appear to not be attrative to the business travellers based on comments.

So, the logical conclusion is that business travellers will remain with flybe.


Therefore, easyJet are going to attract predominantly leisure passengers.

If you are trying to tell me that flybe services depend on leisure passengers then try again.

If flybe decide to cuts rotations it would more than likely be the middle of the day services so that they still offer the morning and evening services for their business passengers.

[Tinwald]

Fellas, the Orange mob has been a breath of fresh air and the flybes needed a push off their monoply. If the oranges dont come up with the frequency and theres demand for the early and late flights someone will provide them, sure as the Albie will never run dry. Wouldn't it make sense for flybe to fill the need for those flights outside the orange schedule to run them from off the rock rather than have them sit doing nothing or run almost empty against the oranges.

[pabely]

This could all change when EZY start buying more airframes again, could be a mixed fleet again, downsize for thin routes and upscale for the push further outside europe.......but we will have to wait and see what they buy....anyhow it won't effect IOM for a few years yet....

[IOMspotter]

The skeet this mornin is that Flybe have announced somewhere today that they are losing money and parking up 4 planes for the winter. We couldnt find it anywhere though

[Tinwald]

Spotter, me old mate, you need to look harder fella

Flybe warns jobs at risk after posting a loss - Management - Scotsman.com

[IOMspotter]

Cheers Tinwald. The only time we see The Scotsman is if we cabin clean a Logie.

Lets hope the jobs at risk arent on IOM but it must be all down to who cuts flights first. A loss for the summer doesnt sound good though as the winter is always worst.