IRELAND WEST AIRPORT KNOCK

[sawtooth]

Had planned to use NOC-EDI route in Feb but Flybe are so expensive.

Hearing the same from a lot of people who wanted to take weekend breaks before Christmas. Some took FR from DUB instead, including a friend who lives a few miles from NOC but said DUB was half the price.

Personally for €50 I'd choose convenience over a 3hr journey any day, and I'm not sure it would work out cheaper when you include petrol, 2 tolls and parking at DUB each way. But that's the perception when your used to seeing FR advertised fares, and at the time of booking most just compare headline prices on the websites without thinking out the alternative costs.

[Mayfly1]

Flybe will not compete with Ryanair fares wise on EDI
and agree passengers now expect by default to see return fares
of 50 euro or less all in on Uk routes.
However when one takes the costs of travel
to/from Dublin airport, tolls , car parking or taxi/transfer busses
etc plus the added one day travel up/down
then a low cost fare ex Dublin may not be
as attractive.
While I would like to see low low fares on all
Routes ex Knock the reality is now with aviation tax increases, fuel, carbon
Taxes and statements from airlines regarding their intent
to focus on yields etc , it's the wide offering now available and ease of use
that I think is where Knock is developing its true potential

[Cloud1]

It is worth considering a few factors when comparing fares. The posters on here have considered some very valid points which are often overlooked such as fuel and parking at the alternative airport. Although you need to be flexible with dates.

If you just want to go to EDI for a leisure trip, a couple of days, why not midweek. Tues to a Fri for example works out at approx 35 euros each way on some dates which I dont think is unreasonable at all. Its a lot cheaper than it is to fly there compared to the cost from my local airport.

[EI-A330-300]

I'm in Athlone (work in Dublin airport) and theres not much difference between both airports. I would have no problem pay 45-50 each way but its over 60 and then the extra 10 euro at the airport.

With APD going up in April I think Flybe will find it very hard to sustain NOC.

Is it any wonder they LF is only 50-60%.

I do like to support other regional airports instead of Dublin but over 130 euro for a return flight to EDI is a joke.

[Cloud1]

But its not those prices for every return trip!! Thats the point I am trying to make really, just because the dates you want to go is expensive doesnt mean Flybe will not sustain the route in the long run, or that they are over priced in general. Take a look throughout a month and see how the fares change....

It is all about convenience. If Joe Bloggs wants to travel to EDI on the 06th February and there is no flexibility the fare may be 130euro on the NOCEDI. So, he decides to go from DUB instead. Thats fine, his decision but he is left with an impression that the flight was expensive end of story.

Then again, he may be happy to travel any time in February he just wants to go over for a few days. He has a look, and he can get it for euro 70 return. He saves hassle in getting to DUB, along with time and money and has bagged himself a nice little deal flying from his local airport. Joe is a happy man and tells all his friends how easy it was to travel from NOC.

Its swings and roundabouts

[liffy2A]

Sorry 330 but its make no sense what so ever. I think people have forgotten your travelling in a plane!! there are 78 seats in an Q 400 if everyone pays the price you want of 30 or 40 euros one way make that up. €2340 or €3120 per sector repectfully.I'll add for a FULL plane! A Q400 would burn approx 1 ton of fuel on the route which could be anything from €700 to €1000 depend on the price/ Fuel heged with that airline. Take the taxes and airport charges out of that you'll see what an airline is left with. Ryanair would never do a route like that out of Knock and realistically there are probably loosing money on PIK EDI routes from Dublin against Aer lingus Regional but they will keep it going to protect there turf. The days of cheap flights are dead. Your car probably burns € 20 to 3 30 euro return from Athlone to Dublin yet people want to fly from Knock to Gran Canaria for € 5 euros, Then wait in a hotel at 80, 90 euros a night where they will probably only sleep. I'm not having a go at you personally,but so many people have an attitude like this and people in the industry are feeling the brunt of it. its a mind set, and people will have to change because change is coming.

[sawtooth]

FlyBE aren't operating NOC-EID for first 3 weeks of Feb, so the high fare listings may be showing 2 flights connecting via MAN. They start again 17th, and just had a look a typical weekend break:

Fri 17th - Sun 19th Feb
BE NOC-EDI-NOC (16:00/14:05) €140.48 +handling
FR DUB-EDI-DUB (06:30/18:25) €131.84 +handling
EI DUB-EDI-DUB (06:40/19:50) €174.98 +handling

So BE Knock:
Flight €140.48
CC Handling €14.00
Airport Fee €10
Parking: €18.00
= €182.48

FR Dublin:
Flight €131.84
CC Handling €12.00
Fuel €30x2 ([email protected] liter)
N4 Toll €2.80 x2
M50 Toll €3.00 x2
Parking €20
= €235.44

So it's not clear cut on price, you can find cheaper deals mid week from DUB but you'd want to be saving at least €70 on the fare to make the drive worth it.

[Locker10a]

LGW - NOC

So i belive EI are to close gatwick base ! So i persume the Noc service is being operated on a W pattern! But from where? Will a DUB or ORK based aircraft operate the flight ?

Also does anyone know if any FR W pattern flights this summer will be operated by a BRS based aircraft ?

[mart901]

When was that announced? It wouldn't be a huge suprise as it has been wittered down reguarly to only Irish routes.

[EI-A330-300]

Also heard about LGW, Both ORK and NOC from LGW are being done by DUB aircraft next summer with the LGW aircraft only doing DUB. So its hard to say weather it will stay or be dropped.

[EI-BUD]

I wonder with the recent closure of some of the charter airlines at LGW would Aer Lingus go after I.T work ex LGW? Probably not for this forum...

[Kinocker]

654,500 was the final passenger total for NOC in 2011 according to this report:

Knock airport to grow passenger numbers by 9 percent in 2012 | MayoToday.ie - Mayo News Updated Daily

If the airport achieves the predicted 9% increase in 2012 it would take the numbers to over 710,000.

[Jamie2k9]

If the airport achieves the predicted 9% increase in 2012 it would take the numbers to over 710,000.

Why have revised the growth for 2012. When Ryanair announced the routes they said passenger numbers would increase to 725,000 next year.

[sawtooth]

They mention economic conditions, so they may be more cautious given continued decline in the domestic economy. Or further cuts to the charter routes expected. Either way better to under promise than make big claims a year out when a few weeks weather or ash disruption can have a big hit on numbers at a small airport as in 09.

[Locker10a]

ohh ok! So LGW will just operate LGW - DUB and over night in Dublin and a DUB crew and aircraft will fly NOC and ORK on a W pattern ! Doesnt make much sense really! Why not have a DUB based crew operate fly DUB - LGW and LGW a/c fly the NOC and ORK route!
Anyway hope fully the NOC route will remain, fingers crossed this isint the begining of the end for EI @ NOC

[DannyKelly22]

it does make sense, EI want to be the number 1 choice for gatwick, so they want an early morning rotation from gatwick to dublin and vice versa, while the gatwick based aircraft will like rotate as follows,
lgw-dub-lgw-dub-lgw-dub-lgw-dub-lgw

whereas the dublin based aircraft could operate
dub-lgw-ork-lgw-noc-lgw-dub or something similar.

it gives them that all important early morning departure to hit the first wave of travellers which tend to be business pax, so therefore highier yelding pax as they book late.

If it wasn't going to be profitable for them they wouldnt be doing it. Plus they can then use the spare lgw crews on flights from DUB to euro destinations therefore elimination last years shortage of crew,

as well as potentially hiring new crew as advertised on their website.

[sawtooth]

Had planned to use NOC-EDI route in Feb but Flybe are so expensive.

BE must have been listening, EDI flight on previously discussed date now €33 e/w.

[Locker10a]

Well that does make sense but i wonder why EI just dont over night a crew at LGW ? Surly it would be more cost effective . Unless they plan doing something else from gatwick, like charter as mentioned above !

Thanks for the insight , makes things clearer anyway!

[Locker10a]

Ohh didnt know that!! Thanks for the info!!
So im persuming EI are keeping a crew based in LGW to avial of charter opertunities as well as operate DUB .

[johnrizzo2000]

Re: LGW crew

Incorrect infortmationabout LGW crew overnighting in Dublin!

It makes no sense at all to overnight LGW crew in Dublin, EI's largest base. Why would you spend money overnighting crew, paying hotel/expenses, when there are hundreds of crew based there?

LGW base is useful for operating the early morning LGW-DUB service, as it saves them having to overnight crew. Other than that, the base is redundant. Its a matter of 'when', not 'if' Gatwick base is closed. All routes can be operated by Dublin based crews, and the early LGW-DUB flight can be operated by overnighting a crew, with Knock and Cork easily operated on a W pattern

The shortages experienced in Dublin last summer, will be combatted by the current recruitment drive; not by overnighting LGW crew