CORK - 5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Leeds, UK & Cork, Ireland
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Flew to KEF this week on WOW Air. Flights were on-time, on a very comfortable A320 each way. Loads both ways were very weak. ~70 each way, with about half that American voices. I notice that ORK-KEF is not bookable for the winter but DUB is already on sale. The in-flight magazine suggests ORK is year-round, so perhaps KEF won't be staying around, which is a shame.
Iceland itself was an stunningly beautiful visit, fantastically isolated and wild. In many ways not highly different to some of the west coast of Ireland. KEF is incredibly efficient and easy to navigate - despite on-line horror stories.
Iceland itself was an stunningly beautiful visit, fantastically isolated and wild. In many ways not highly different to some of the west coast of Ireland. KEF is incredibly efficient and easy to navigate - despite on-line horror stories.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Leeds, UK & Cork, Ireland
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KEF is not on sale beyond the summer season, so it doesn't look good. I imagine with light loads over the summer WOW don't have enough red ink to sustain the service over the winter. Will be interesting to see if it comes back next summer.
I see photos of Volotea A319s on Instagram - are these charter services, or substitutions on the VRN?
I see photos of Volotea A319s on Instagram - are these charter services, or substitutions on the VRN?
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Ireland
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If anything, WOW should preform just as well in Winter, as more people take a winter break to Reykjavik offsetting the lower US transit pax.
However, numbers are very low, flights running with about 70-80pax most flights.
However, numbers are very low, flights running with about 70-80pax most flights.
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Liverpool
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Would have had a much better chance of surviving if Had a summer of transatlantic flying to itself - Norwegian starting certainly didn't help the route - Shame if gone
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Snn
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Leeds, UK & Cork, Ireland
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Norwegian in the booking engine twice weekly from November to March, so surviving over the winter. Hopefully a frequency increase for next summer and possibly NYC too - barring performance issues.
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: LV
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thats great news, DY on a smaller narrowbody twice weekly is probably about perfect for winter regional NYC. Lets see how the off-peak loads hold up over the winter. DY seem to have a reasonable product.
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Leeds, UK & Cork, Ireland
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Incidentally, has the MAX operated any of the ORK flights yet?
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Ireland
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Not as far as I know, there's only 2 MAX in the fleet and one of them has been having tech issues.
They've been placed on the flights with the highest loads so to lessen the effect of payload restrictions.
They've been placed on the flights with the highest loads so to lessen the effect of payload restrictions.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ireland nowadays
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Regarding the Wow flights, it looks like a number of other airports are being put in the same situation as Cork, with Bristol, Dusseldorf and Lyon all suspended for the Winter and not showing for next summer. It's also worth noting that frequency to Dublin seems to be reduced.
The main problem seems to be an imbalance in seats out of KEF to North America and Europe. What that has meant is that those airports where there is limited point-to-point demand to KEF suffer because there aren't enough available seats (or maybe enough available seats at a reasonable price).
They seem to be remedying that by using the freed up capacity to introduce new destinations in the US Mid-West (although not at times that are great for connections in KEF, so we'll see how that goes).
With extra aircraft on order and new North American destinations to be opened up, I wouldn't rule out the route returning at some point in the future. I doubt it will be in summer 2018 though and at that point they may as well wait to 2020 when the clock resets on route incentives.
The main problem seems to be an imbalance in seats out of KEF to North America and Europe. What that has meant is that those airports where there is limited point-to-point demand to KEF suffer because there aren't enough available seats (or maybe enough available seats at a reasonable price).
They seem to be remedying that by using the freed up capacity to introduce new destinations in the US Mid-West (although not at times that are great for connections in KEF, so we'll see how that goes).
With extra aircraft on order and new North American destinations to be opened up, I wouldn't rule out the route returning at some point in the future. I doubt it will be in summer 2018 though and at that point they may as well wait to 2020 when the clock resets on route incentives.
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Dublin
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Regarding the Wow flights, it looks like a number of other airports are being put in the same situation as Cork, with Bristol, Dusseldorf and Lyon all suspended for the Winter and not showing for next summer. It's also worth noting that frequency to Dublin seems to be reduced.
The main problem seems to be an imbalance in seats out of KEF to North America and Europe. What that has meant is that those airports where there is limited point-to-point demand to KEF suffer because there aren't enough available seats (or maybe enough available seats at a reasonable price).
They seem to be remedying that by using the freed up capacity to introduce new destinations in the US Mid-West (although not at times that are great for connections in KEF, so we'll see how that goes).
With extra aircraft on order and new North American destinations to be opened up, I wouldn't rule out the route returning at some point in the future. I doubt it will be in summer 2018 though and at that point they may as well wait to 2020 when the clock resets on route incentives.
The main problem seems to be an imbalance in seats out of KEF to North America and Europe. What that has meant is that those airports where there is limited point-to-point demand to KEF suffer because there aren't enough available seats (or maybe enough available seats at a reasonable price).
They seem to be remedying that by using the freed up capacity to introduce new destinations in the US Mid-West (although not at times that are great for connections in KEF, so we'll see how that goes).
With extra aircraft on order and new North American destinations to be opened up, I wouldn't rule out the route returning at some point in the future. I doubt it will be in summer 2018 though and at that point they may as well wait to 2020 when the clock resets on route incentives.
The 8 and 9th weekly DUB-KEF were only added 6 weeks in advance while it's daily over winter is up. It's safe to say ORK is cut, it was always a major ask when they came in at 4 weekly. They should of started a twice weekly service which would of given them a better chance.
Problem is with Wow they sound great until you do the booking.......
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ireland nowadays
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I don't want to get side-tracked into a discussion on Dublin, but the Tuesday and Saturday flights are cancelled there in the latter half of September and October.
As you point out, WOW's scheduling can be very reactive, so it's probably a case of Watch This Space for November.
Completely agree that 4x weekly was an insane level to launch Cork. The Wednesday flights in particular had rubbish loads. If it was just Monday and Friday, it might have done OK, but there are probably all sorts of routes all over the world where that statement applies.
As you point out, WOW's scheduling can be very reactive, so it's probably a case of Watch This Space for November.
Completely agree that 4x weekly was an insane level to launch Cork. The Wednesday flights in particular had rubbish loads. If it was just Monday and Friday, it might have done OK, but there are probably all sorts of routes all over the world where that statement applies.