ISLE OF MAN
up 47% last month.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Isle of Man
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VLM
I travelled to LCY with VLM last Friday and back on Sunday. Both flights had 30+ on and were more or less on time.
If you can make the timings work for you, this is by far the most pleasant way to/from London. Full service, well appointed aircraft (especially if you get one of the refurbished ones) and, in my case I paid only £60 plus a few Airmiles. Regular fare c£103 return, whereas as EMX pretty difficult to get for under £140.
I appreciate that for VLM this is a positioning flight, to park an aircraft during the day while its not needed, and can price accordingly, but they are carving a nice little niche and must be an appreciable thorn in EMX's side.
Bearing in mind they've run this single daily flight for over two years now, they must be pretty happy with how it's going and probably have a lot of experience and market data to enable them to become the dominant operator on this route, when the time is right.
If you can make the timings work for you, this is by far the most pleasant way to/from London. Full service, well appointed aircraft (especially if you get one of the refurbished ones) and, in my case I paid only £60 plus a few Airmiles. Regular fare c£103 return, whereas as EMX pretty difficult to get for under £140.
I appreciate that for VLM this is a positioning flight, to park an aircraft during the day while its not needed, and can price accordingly, but they are carving a nice little niche and must be an appreciable thorn in EMX's side.
Bearing in mind they've run this single daily flight for over two years now, they must be pretty happy with how it's going and probably have a lot of experience and market data to enable them to become the dominant operator on this route, when the time is right.
Last edited by Tonyq; 17th Nov 2007 at 09:07.
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Changes to FlyBE IOM schedules
I see that from early December, FlyBe are making a few minor changes to IOM schedules, which appear to be designed to improve reliabiity.
Most LGW's are scheduled to take 90mins rather than 75 mins, and the third rotation of the day will leave at 14.05 instead of 14.25, which is actually before the second rotation gets back to IOM. An additional effect of this is that the last LGW of the day is brought forward too, so should get back to the IOM a few minutes earlier.
To achieve this, the LTN will go earlier in the day, and the second round trip to/from MAN is totally rescheduled to be operated by a MAN originating a/c. This is in effect additional resource being introduced which creates the capacity to make the other changes. Also, having two Q400's means they can break away from the old BACON approach of having the same a/c going up and down to LGW, getting further and further behind, as the day goes on.
Birmingham and Southampton carry on as they are now.
Well done to FlyBe for recognising their punctuality problems and trying to fix them.
Most LGW's are scheduled to take 90mins rather than 75 mins, and the third rotation of the day will leave at 14.05 instead of 14.25, which is actually before the second rotation gets back to IOM. An additional effect of this is that the last LGW of the day is brought forward too, so should get back to the IOM a few minutes earlier.
To achieve this, the LTN will go earlier in the day, and the second round trip to/from MAN is totally rescheduled to be operated by a MAN originating a/c. This is in effect additional resource being introduced which creates the capacity to make the other changes. Also, having two Q400's means they can break away from the old BACON approach of having the same a/c going up and down to LGW, getting further and further behind, as the day goes on.
Birmingham and Southampton carry on as they are now.
Well done to FlyBe for recognising their punctuality problems and trying to fix them.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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FlyBe are delivering everything they always said they would, Low fares, New routes and now reliability. Its just a shame that people did not give them a chance. It was never going to happen overnight. Intresting times ahead it would seem for FlyBe in IOM.
That would shake things across there well and properPaxing All Over The World
Thread Starter
FlyBe are delivering everything they always said they would
This is your SECOND schedule change notifiaction from Flybe [complete with spelling error]
The real problem was that I had not received a FIRST schedule change 'notifiaction', so if I had arrived for the flight and missed it - whose fault would it have been? Yes, that would have been my fault.
Lastly, I thought that I would just check the schedule and seat + bag booking. After logging in, the system showed me a one-line entry for the flight but would not 'open' it to show all details. I got this lovely message:
Unfortunately you are unable to retrieve this booking online. To make changes or additions to your booking please call our Customer Call Centre on 0871 522 6163 (Outside UK 00 44 13 922 685 29).
The good news is that I can use the direct number and have a cheaper phone call than paying for their 0871.
Has anyone else had this kind of fun with them?
Join Date: Jan 2005
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PAXboy - I too got the SECOND shedule change, tried to confirm my acceptance which seemed to fail so phoned them and they fixed it, now my on-line booking reflects new timings, will try the on-line checkin next week when I travel back to Luton.
Join Date: Dec 2005
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If you ask the FlyBe call centre to amend/change an on-line booking, you will no longer be able to access it. There is a note somewhere on their website explaining this. So in PaxBoy's case I guess the booking was changed by FlyBe with the same effect.
That means you cannot check in on-line either.
Of course it is possible that the FlyBe IT boys have changed their software since I encountered this problem. They do seem to be on the ball, able to introduce changes quickly and I find their on-line booking system to work well. I still don't like all the sneaky add-ons, such as insurance boxes which have to be unchecked, but the system does everything I would expect it to.
That means you cannot check in on-line either.
Of course it is possible that the FlyBe IT boys have changed their software since I encountered this problem. They do seem to be on the ball, able to introduce changes quickly and I find their on-line booking system to work well. I still don't like all the sneaky add-ons, such as insurance boxes which have to be unchecked, but the system does everything I would expect it to.
Paxing All Over The World
Thread Starter
I realise these Flybe comments should really be in their thread but I only use them for IOM so this is where I'm writing!
This morning, I received a phone call from Flybe to verify that I had received the email notifying the change in schedule. Since the email arrived on 12th Nov, I guess they had a lot of people to phone. The good thing is that they did phone and where very helpful.
Was the new schedule convenient to me? I pointed out that, since there was only one rotation per day - it had to be convenient! I asked what had happened to the first email notifying me of a change? I was informed that there was only one change but two emails. My guess is that they discovered that the first email shot had largely failed.
I asked why the reservation was locked and was told that was because the change in schedule had not yet been applied to it. If I was to look it, I would see the original schedule. I was told that it would be updated prior to departure.
I did not ask about on-line check in being available after such an intervention, as it was too early in the day and they had woken me up!
Overall, a good handling of the change.
This morning, I received a phone call from Flybe to verify that I had received the email notifying the change in schedule. Since the email arrived on 12th Nov, I guess they had a lot of people to phone. The good thing is that they did phone and where very helpful.
Was the new schedule convenient to me? I pointed out that, since there was only one rotation per day - it had to be convenient! I asked what had happened to the first email notifying me of a change? I was informed that there was only one change but two emails. My guess is that they discovered that the first email shot had largely failed.
I asked why the reservation was locked and was told that was because the change in schedule had not yet been applied to it. If I was to look it, I would see the original schedule. I was told that it would be updated prior to departure.
I did not ask about on-line check in being available after such an intervention, as it was too early in the day and they had woken me up!
Overall, a good handling of the change.
Join Date: Nov 2007
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IOM Summer 2008
From what I have pieced together from sources in IOM it looks like there will be some changes around from Summer 2008 the general idea i get goes a little like this
FlyBe:
BHX almost certainly going x2 daily
LTN going at least x1daily possibly x2 on Fridays
SOU will be x1 daily again for the summer as in 07
LGW will remain at x4 daily
MAN will be between x3 and x4 daily with a MAN based A/C operating some rotations.
A new route has been looked at probably NWI/NCL or NQY
A third A/C seems on the cards to support this expansion possibly a 195??
GLA has been a rumour but it would not make sense to go head to head with Loganair until the franchise ends.
what effect would a x2 daily BHX have on eastern?? I can't see them with an IOM based a/c by 2008!!
FlyBe:
BHX almost certainly going x2 daily
LTN going at least x1daily possibly x2 on Fridays
SOU will be x1 daily again for the summer as in 07
LGW will remain at x4 daily
MAN will be between x3 and x4 daily with a MAN based A/C operating some rotations.
A new route has been looked at probably NWI/NCL or NQY
A third A/C seems on the cards to support this expansion possibly a 195??
GLA has been a rumour but it would not make sense to go head to head with Loganair until the franchise ends.
what effect would a x2 daily BHX have on eastern?? I can't see them with an IOM based a/c by 2008!!
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Iom Bhx
I remember reading in Airliner world last month A.D. Ann Reynolds saying she wanted FlyBe to go double daily IOM to BHX. Looks like shes got her wish. 
Has anyone told Mr Lake yet
would like to be a fly on the wall for that 
phone call
Has anyone told Mr Lake yet would like to be a fly on the wall for that phone call
Join Date: Aug 2007
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A new route has been looked at probably NWI/NCL or NQY
If BE were to do anything (aside from a possible GLA)...surely BHD would make most sense? Sadly you know they'd soon see EMX off the route...
Then again, thinking really outside of the box, if part-season IOM-GVA works ok, you'd think BE ought to be able to clean up with a shoulders only (i.e. May-June?) IOM-ALC or something with the big Embraer..
The other route that I've never really understood why it didn't resurface was IOM-EMA...surely it'd fit quite well for Manx2...or even bmi regional a couple of times a week (given the barbieJet that sits parked most afternoons at EMA)?
Join Date: Mar 2003
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The Barbiejet that sits parked at EMA will be busy flying to CGN coming next February.
As for the BACF rumours, the summer schedule will see nine of the Avro allocated to EDI, GLA, LCY, FRA, ZRH, MAD, AMS, so not much chance for IOM, me thinks.
As for the BACF rumours, the summer schedule will see nine of the Avro allocated to EDI, GLA, LCY, FRA, ZRH, MAD, AMS, so not much chance for IOM, me thinks.
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Give me IOM-CDG, IOM-AMS or (ugh) IOM-FRA please, so I can go intercontinenal and avoid any UK airport....! Please!
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Flybe summer schedule 2008.
ISLE OF MAN:
Isle of Man - Liverpool, Flights operate three times daily from 30th March 2008
Fares from £19.99 one way including taxes and charges.
Isle of Man - Newquay, Charter flight details to be announced.
Interesting times ahead.
ISLE OF MAN:
Isle of Man - Liverpool, Flights operate three times daily from 30th March 2008
Fares from £19.99 one way including taxes and charges.
Isle of Man - Newquay, Charter flight details to be announced.
Interesting times ahead.