BOURNEMOUTH - 2
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This is my first ever post so go easy on me folks. Could i ask why there are so few flights to Malaga from any of the south coast airports ?. I see ryanair offering flights at a penny each way to Alicante yet as a regular flyer to Malaga i regularly pay £80 or £90 ew to Flybe from soton or at busier times £100 plus from Gatwick. I would quite happily pay a fair price for mid morning flight with a mid afternoon return. Malaga should be the busiest destination in Spain by far with the number of people in this area who own property and use it year round. I just don't want to leave home at 4 in the morning and get back at 2 in the morning. What am i missing ?
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Hi DollarYen and welcome to PPRuNE.
Malaga is well served from Bournemouth by Thomsonfly, who normally fly a daily service (apart from Wednesdays in the Winter) through-out the year. The flight times are usually late afternoon out and late evening back (with the odd exception here and there) so although not the exact times you want, certainly a lot cheaper than FlyBe from Southampton espically if you can avoid weekend travel. I can often get down there on average for about £80 return and sometimes cheaper than that (in fact occasionally the golf clubs have cost more to fly than I have!!)
Hope this helps
Malaga is well served from Bournemouth by Thomsonfly, who normally fly a daily service (apart from Wednesdays in the Winter) through-out the year. The flight times are usually late afternoon out and late evening back (with the odd exception here and there) so although not the exact times you want, certainly a lot cheaper than FlyBe from Southampton espically if you can avoid weekend travel. I can often get down there on average for about £80 return and sometimes cheaper than that (in fact occasionally the golf clubs have cost more to fly than I have!!)
Hope this helps
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I used Thomsonfly once, it was late coming back so another middle of the night return home. I am sure there is a market for someone to do a middle of the day round trip.
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Rather bad news having reported last week that Thomsonfly were operating at pretty much full capacity for next summer out of Bournemouth with 2 based aircraft . The opposite seems to have happened this week with Thomsonfly announcing in the local press that they are pulling 1 based aircraft and consolidating operations with only 7 routes being operated for next summer.
Routes that are going are Alicante which seems amazing givin the fact that 6 flights a week have been operated in the summer before all with good load factors . Also going is Prague , Pisa , Valencia , Salzburg , Tenerife , Verona , Naples , Rhodes !
Routes that are staying are Faro , Ibiza , Malaga , Palma , Paphos , Dalaman , Heraklion
Thomsonfly are saying lack of demand for these routes and a 737 300 is going
Ryanair are however operating to Alicante and Pisa from Bournemouth for next summer and prehaps in the light of what has been announced may well increase there flights or even better hopefully Easyjet may well move in and take up some of the city routes
Fingers crossed , rather bleak day at Bournemouth i think
Routes that are going are Alicante which seems amazing givin the fact that 6 flights a week have been operated in the summer before all with good load factors . Also going is Prague , Pisa , Valencia , Salzburg , Tenerife , Verona , Naples , Rhodes !
Routes that are staying are Faro , Ibiza , Malaga , Palma , Paphos , Dalaman , Heraklion
Thomsonfly are saying lack of demand for these routes and a 737 300 is going
Ryanair are however operating to Alicante and Pisa from Bournemouth for next summer and prehaps in the light of what has been announced may well increase there flights or even better hopefully Easyjet may well move in and take up some of the city routes
Fingers crossed , rather bleak day at Bournemouth i think
Routes that are going are Alicante which seems amazing givin the fact that 6 flights a week have been operated in the summer before all with good load factors .
Ryanair are however operating to Alicante
Also Tenerife in the summer, although advertised by Thomsonfly, was operated by Spanair.
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Thomsonfly
Thomsonfly showed signs of losing the plot as a LCC (globally) after their 1st year of operation from BOH. The news of the loss of an aircraft at BOH is not really a surprise especially when taken in the context of the airline owners who are facing big challenges to integrate and consolidate the relatively inefficient pan european operations that TUI now represents. TOM have shown no clear appetite for an LCC strategy over the last 18 months and are clearly no match for the big boys.
Even as Britannia the airline was very slow to respond to the LCC threat to their traditional shorthaul charter business and always looked a bit clumsy compared to the established LCCs...
I predict the TOM will more than likely be out of most of their LCC short haul business from the UK regions within a year, with EZY/FR filling the gaps at BOH and elsewhere. But also that BOH will still grow pax in 2008 despite the recent negatrive hits. Am certain there will be a healthy tranche of new routes provided that the oil price doesnt go too nuts.
Back at BOH, it's also time that Flybe had some competition from the south coast on domestic routes too. Have you flown Flybe and checked their peak hour fares? - never cheap and in my experience usually more than BA/BMI from LHR .
BA has long been pushed out of SOU, Eastern is suffering, with new challenges announced by Flybe this week to add to those already operating - both BMI and Scot also succumbed to the Flybe aggressive (and successful) strategy. Reckon AFR will be next to throw in the towel at SOU.
BOH - EDI, BOH - MAN and BOH - BFS are crying out for a well promoted and reliable service with something a bit smaller than a 737. There are plenty of Dash 8s' available in Scandinavia apparently.
While I'm on it, when are we going to see a smart airline with a smaller long range twin - like a 757ER - hook up with Emirates, to serve the world east of UK, via DXB from the Uk regions? ....From those airports of course that cannot support a daily EK A330/777. Reckon BOH could do that route justice, as could LBA. Donaster etc... and it fits with the widely quoted EK strategy of linking everywhere east of DXB with everywhere west of DXB. Could be a smart move by somone with a bit of vision and Tim Clark's phone number.
Then there's hubbing through NYC...
Ok thats enough for now!
Flitefone
Even as Britannia the airline was very slow to respond to the LCC threat to their traditional shorthaul charter business and always looked a bit clumsy compared to the established LCCs...
I predict the TOM will more than likely be out of most of their LCC short haul business from the UK regions within a year, with EZY/FR filling the gaps at BOH and elsewhere. But also that BOH will still grow pax in 2008 despite the recent negatrive hits. Am certain there will be a healthy tranche of new routes provided that the oil price doesnt go too nuts.
Back at BOH, it's also time that Flybe had some competition from the south coast on domestic routes too. Have you flown Flybe and checked their peak hour fares? - never cheap and in my experience usually more than BA/BMI from LHR .
BA has long been pushed out of SOU, Eastern is suffering, with new challenges announced by Flybe this week to add to those already operating - both BMI and Scot also succumbed to the Flybe aggressive (and successful) strategy. Reckon AFR will be next to throw in the towel at SOU.
BOH - EDI, BOH - MAN and BOH - BFS are crying out for a well promoted and reliable service with something a bit smaller than a 737. There are plenty of Dash 8s' available in Scandinavia apparently.
While I'm on it, when are we going to see a smart airline with a smaller long range twin - like a 757ER - hook up with Emirates, to serve the world east of UK, via DXB from the Uk regions? ....From those airports of course that cannot support a daily EK A330/777. Reckon BOH could do that route justice, as could LBA. Donaster etc... and it fits with the widely quoted EK strategy of linking everywhere east of DXB with everywhere west of DXB. Could be a smart move by somone with a bit of vision and Tim Clark's phone number.
Then there's hubbing through NYC...
Ok thats enough for now!
Flitefone
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flitefone
flitefone - i liked reading your analysis; it makes for good intelligent discussion. I pretty much agree with all of your views and certainly if other carriers dont put faith in Bournemouth then I will at some stage. I see a perfect opportunity for long-haul development; plus the short haul (smaller than 737) op's to domestic and near continent.
No surprise to me either about Thomsonfly and they certainly won't last long with one aircraft maxed out - costs of basing just one aircraft at an airport are prohibitive. It's always important to achieve economies of scale.
No surprise to me either about Thomsonfly and they certainly won't last long with one aircraft maxed out - costs of basing just one aircraft at an airport are prohibitive. It's always important to achieve economies of scale.
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Reckon AFR will be next to throw in the towel at SOU.
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Have to agree with whats been said , yep its very disappointing when an airport looses routes and airlines cut back but this is the nature of the game and always will be .
Bournemouth has come a long way over the past few years and no doubt will continue to do so with minor hic ups along the way i am sure .
Its great that we are finally having a new terminal built and that its started finally this winter , its been a long time in the planning but at least its started
Domestic routes from Bournemouth are needed but not of the 737 capacity and Flybe would look well to look at this to compliment there route network from Southampton not to disadvantage it . If not Flybe then prehaps Air Southwest might want to have a look at this . Euroscott , Jet 2 all had good loads but wrong aircraft type .
I am sure as well that Ryanair will jump in soon at the Alicante route and increase this to a daily flight even given the success of there Gerona route . Interesting times ahead i think but there are always going to be a few set backs !
Bournemouth has come a long way over the past few years and no doubt will continue to do so with minor hic ups along the way i am sure .
Its great that we are finally having a new terminal built and that its started finally this winter , its been a long time in the planning but at least its started
Domestic routes from Bournemouth are needed but not of the 737 capacity and Flybe would look well to look at this to compliment there route network from Southampton not to disadvantage it . If not Flybe then prehaps Air Southwest might want to have a look at this . Euroscott , Jet 2 all had good loads but wrong aircraft type .
I am sure as well that Ryanair will jump in soon at the Alicante route and increase this to a daily flight even given the success of there Gerona route . Interesting times ahead i think but there are always going to be a few set backs !
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Thanks for the feedback. Could go on for hours about the various options.... Why not make a crystal ball prediction for BOH and SOU for 2008!? That should be more fun!
Here's mine for starters
BOH
1/ Pax numbers for the year to hit 1.3m
2/ FR to up the frequency on Alicante and to begin at least one other route that is currently served by TOM. Back to 10 routes by Summer 2008.
3/ EZY or FR base announced with 2 aircraft (my gut feel says EZY)
4/ Significant increase 25%+ in medium to longhaul activity - Flights of 5 hrs + over this year.
5/ New terminal operational later than planned (due TOM cutback).. Airport companies are often notoriously short sighted and MAG is far from an exception.
SOU
1/ Pax numbers 2.1m
2/ AFR to be replaced by Flybe only to Paris (prob with a codeshare)
3/ Eastern retrenchment
4/ More services to Germany (it will not have gone unoticed at Flybe that Air Berlin has pulled back despite decent loads at BOH)
5/ Err I'm struggling now
Come up with a better prediction - gauntlet duly thrown down now - or gloat by telling me how wrong I was in January 2009!
Flitefone
Here's mine for starters
BOH
1/ Pax numbers for the year to hit 1.3m
2/ FR to up the frequency on Alicante and to begin at least one other route that is currently served by TOM. Back to 10 routes by Summer 2008.
3/ EZY or FR base announced with 2 aircraft (my gut feel says EZY)
4/ Significant increase 25%+ in medium to longhaul activity - Flights of 5 hrs + over this year.
5/ New terminal operational later than planned (due TOM cutback).. Airport companies are often notoriously short sighted and MAG is far from an exception.
SOU
1/ Pax numbers 2.1m
2/ AFR to be replaced by Flybe only to Paris (prob with a codeshare)
3/ Eastern retrenchment
4/ More services to Germany (it will not have gone unoticed at Flybe that Air Berlin has pulled back despite decent loads at BOH)
5/ Err I'm struggling now
Come up with a better prediction - gauntlet duly thrown down now - or gloat by telling me how wrong I was in January 2009!
Flitefone
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SOU Predictions
... I knew I had one more prediction for Soton, here it is:
Plans for a full length parallel taxiway advanced, to improve the already stretched Runway capacity (not to mention that all those hasty back tracks that are inefficient and add unecessary risk)
Plans for a full length parallel taxiway advanced, to improve the already stretched Runway capacity (not to mention that all those hasty back tracks that are inefficient and add unecessary risk)
Join Date: Apr 2004
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my predictions
BOH airport is already at 1.1m (year to date), Tfly pulling one aircraft for 08/09 will impact by about 200k i think; but that will be more than made up if EZY/FR base two a/c. Net gain would be about 300k over the year, plus I reckon end 2008 a domestic carrier (Dash 8/ERJ operator) should introduce some services. So I think 2008/09 financial year will see 1.4m - not far off your prediction Flitefone. I think destinations that will feature as new in 2008/09 may include Edinburgh, Nice, Berlin, Murcia, Vienna and Stockholm.
Plus I really believe that Transavia would be good on Amsterdam but don't know how likely that is to happen during 2008. Maybe even a 'big ticket' airline like KLM or Lufthansa to connect with global destinations but also to encoruage inbound to the south of the UK. Something I think SOU will not be able to attract now with Flybe's dominance. LH at NQY shows they have some faith in regional airports.
Plus I really believe that Transavia would be good on Amsterdam but don't know how likely that is to happen during 2008. Maybe even a 'big ticket' airline like KLM or Lufthansa to connect with global destinations but also to encoruage inbound to the south of the UK. Something I think SOU will not be able to attract now with Flybe's dominance. LH at NQY shows they have some faith in regional airports.
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I have noticed that TOM flights to ALC and TFS will still be operated for the next winter schedule. So it seems they aren't scrapped at all. Hope SZG will come back as well during the next ski season.
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QWERTY9,
I am sorry to tell you that it's not. They still list Madrid as a summer destination along with about 20 other schedule errors. Will they ever learn????
It really isn't good enough, come on BOH pull your finger out.
I am sorry to tell you that it's not. They still list Madrid as a summer destination along with about 20 other schedule errors. Will they ever learn????
It really isn't good enough, come on BOH pull your finger out.
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EuroDirect tried that....
Dash8Q400 is where Eastern need to be... and take Flybe at their own game.
As for Summer 2008 schedules on the web... Maybe FR already agreed to come back next summer to Madrid (and Shannon) Would not be a huge surprise.
Dash8Q400 is where Eastern need to be... and take Flybe at their own game.
As for Summer 2008 schedules on the web... Maybe FR already agreed to come back next summer to Madrid (and Shannon) Would not be a huge surprise.
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With Easyjet announcing there summer schedule for 2008 the Krakow route which started this winter is only available upto mid march 2008 to book , all the other routes are now bookable ... just wondered if anyone knows if this route is to continue from Bournemouth next summer or has this to been cancelled ? The airport seems to be taking a few steps back at the moment with routes being axed !