BIRMINGHAM - 4
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Thomson 2011 adjustments
Agadir summer 2011 has been dropped on Mondays with schedule filled by Bodrum (moved back) and the Bodrum slots filled by an extra Ibiza. Well
extra to what was initially released but similar to last year.
Winter 2011 sees Hurghada re-instated but with the same time and flight number as the new Marsa Alam.
Shelm on Friday seems to be moved to Thursday as there are now two on the same day! Djerba remains in the drop-down but not bookable.
Long-haul is similar with Bridgetown replacing La Romana - Thomson is one airline BHX does want to keep sweet.
As for the recent posts about long-haul I agree, as I alluded to a few pages back, concentrate on short-haul.
Pete
extra to what was initially released but similar to last year.
Winter 2011 sees Hurghada re-instated but with the same time and flight number as the new Marsa Alam.
Shelm on Friday seems to be moved to Thursday as there are now two on the same day! Djerba remains in the drop-down but not bookable.
Long-haul is similar with Bridgetown replacing La Romana - Thomson is one airline BHX does want to keep sweet.
As for the recent posts about long-haul I agree, as I alluded to a few pages back, concentrate on short-haul.
Pete
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As soon as LH announce a new route out of DUS/FRA/MUC then BHX has a new route, as soon as KL announce a new route out of AMS then BHX has a new route, SK out of CPH, SR out of ZRH, SN out of BRU, AF out of CDG etc.
The irony is that the airports I have mentioned 10 years ago boasted very few of the European destinations that BHX did serve, yet now they do and BHX does not. Something somewhere has gone very badly wrong. Hve EMA, BRS and LPL got stronger inbound tourist destinations or have they not suffered as badly in the recession? I do not want BHX to become dominated by one or two low cost carriers but at the same time would like to see more European flights. Maybe solid and dependable BE with their new EMB175's could be the answer (I can't actually think of any other answers!)
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Long Haul Charter Traffic
It is a bit grim all round. Just putting it out there for discussion (I am no expert), will the introduction of the 787 into the uk charter market bring an increased range of long haul destinations from airports like BHX or is it just wishful thinking on part of the airlines and aircraft manufacturers.
Obviously in terms of range more exotic destinations will become logistically possible, however in the current climate are such routes economically viable?
Also I am sure there is a debate to support the fact that Virgin could fill summer weekly flights to Vegas and Orlando (similar to Man) using one of its new 330s from BHX. I know Manchester is not far away but rather than just saturate the market, it could expand it? Probably won’t happen so let’s just be grateful for Armavia. Bang!
Obviously in terms of range more exotic destinations will become logistically possible, however in the current climate are such routes economically viable?
Also I am sure there is a debate to support the fact that Virgin could fill summer weekly flights to Vegas and Orlando (similar to Man) using one of its new 330s from BHX. I know Manchester is not far away but rather than just saturate the market, it could expand it? Probably won’t happen so let’s just be grateful for Armavia. Bang!
BHX-BER
GayFriendly:
Berlin is a difficult one, although it's the political capital, most business is done in the Ruhr, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich so a sustainable daily service might be difficult to justify, especially when there's already a cheap and (not very) cheerful option down the road at EMA.
If I was looking to get from BHX to BER I'd fly to FRA and take the ICE train - I'd wager that was as quick as using the UK road network to another airport, to fly to a Berlin airport, then take the DB or S Bahn to destination.
As regards inbound tourism, four mop-heads who started their careers at the Cavern make Liverpool a more viable inbound tourism destination than BHX!! As for LPL and BRS, are they (the airports) actually making money from these cheap airlines, or just enjoying the kudos of people going through their terminals in large numbers? Before anyone mentions Shakespeare and Straford as being reasons to fly to BHX, would you go to a German city to visit Goethe's, Albrecht Durer's birthplace - I think not. To European tourists Shakespeare means little.
Berlin is a difficult one, although it's the political capital, most business is done in the Ruhr, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich so a sustainable daily service might be difficult to justify, especially when there's already a cheap and (not very) cheerful option down the road at EMA.
If I was looking to get from BHX to BER I'd fly to FRA and take the ICE train - I'd wager that was as quick as using the UK road network to another airport, to fly to a Berlin airport, then take the DB or S Bahn to destination.
As regards inbound tourism, four mop-heads who started their careers at the Cavern make Liverpool a more viable inbound tourism destination than BHX!! As for LPL and BRS, are they (the airports) actually making money from these cheap airlines, or just enjoying the kudos of people going through their terminals in large numbers? Before anyone mentions Shakespeare and Straford as being reasons to fly to BHX, would you go to a German city to visit Goethe's, Albrecht Durer's birthplace - I think not. To European tourists Shakespeare means little.
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GayFriendly,
One (airport) is never going to keep all of the people happy and all of the time!
BHX was my most convenient airport, having worked at aiports most of my career I hate airports with a vengeance ..... but I loved BHX for it's ease of transitting thru, it's smallness, etc.
You say my statement doesn't rack-up for European flying, you are both right and wrong, you cite Berlin, I had a few business trips to Riga to be made, from BHX it was either KLM or SAS but neither had anywhere near perfect schedules. But ..... I also had several MXP and/or FCO business trips to make, now just check out the fares on a certain swiss dot com website, good fares, excellent service, and quick connections in ZRH, one connection I managed all of 9 minutes in the ZRH terminal and even then because I dragged my heels whilst smoking a very quick cigarette., it does work, it doesn't work, one can't, and never will, serve everybody perfectly!
One (airport) is never going to keep all of the people happy and all of the time!
BHX was my most convenient airport, having worked at aiports most of my career I hate airports with a vengeance ..... but I loved BHX for it's ease of transitting thru, it's smallness, etc.
You say my statement doesn't rack-up for European flying, you are both right and wrong, you cite Berlin, I had a few business trips to Riga to be made, from BHX it was either KLM or SAS but neither had anywhere near perfect schedules. But ..... I also had several MXP and/or FCO business trips to make, now just check out the fares on a certain swiss dot com website, good fares, excellent service, and quick connections in ZRH, one connection I managed all of 9 minutes in the ZRH terminal and even then because I dragged my heels whilst smoking a very quick cigarette., it does work, it doesn't work, one can't, and never will, serve everybody perfectly!
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What BHX needs are 2 things:
-a good routes team who dare to be bold and go after anyone and everyone. With the right terms, there will be some who say yes
then
-a good advertising team telling everyone about where they can go from BHX.
MAN has just had a good advertising campaign demonstrating the connections from MAN, which is working well according to a news report (cant remember where I read it, but will attempt to dig it out).
MAN even has a simple yet very effective adertising idea which is working well too, and that is their pig-a-pault game on face book. Basically, it subliminally shows all of MAN's destinations as the user plays, and the user can win prizes which draws them in. Again, this is proving a hit, as some friends and family have played and commented things like 'I never knew you could get to Rome from Manchester?''
Things like this, using multimedia like Face book and so on is what BHX needs to do.
Its not so much about bringing new people to the area, its also about keeping what you have, and BHX currently only has 40% of its cathment comming through its doors.
-a good routes team who dare to be bold and go after anyone and everyone. With the right terms, there will be some who say yes
then
-a good advertising team telling everyone about where they can go from BHX.
MAN has just had a good advertising campaign demonstrating the connections from MAN, which is working well according to a news report (cant remember where I read it, but will attempt to dig it out).
MAN even has a simple yet very effective adertising idea which is working well too, and that is their pig-a-pault game on face book. Basically, it subliminally shows all of MAN's destinations as the user plays, and the user can win prizes which draws them in. Again, this is proving a hit, as some friends and family have played and commented things like 'I never knew you could get to Rome from Manchester?''
Things like this, using multimedia like Face book and so on is what BHX needs to do.
No issue with Midlanders but I just cannot imagine there is anything to look at once you get there
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Posted the same thing in the MAN thread, but PIA may well be ending BHX ops:
Taken off PIA operations to shrink after MoU with Turkish Airlines | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online
PIA passengers for New York and Chicago will now be carried by its own aircrafts up to Turkey, from where they will proceed to their destination after change of aircraft to THY aircraft for onward flights. The same will be the case for PIA passengers booked to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Birmingham, Manchester etc.
If PIA say goodbye to BHX and MAN my gut feeling is it leave EK in a much stronger position with a virtual monopoly on the ISB route. They will be watching what happens very carefully on the European operations. Maybe BHX will get a 3rd service.
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Well, like MAN, either TK will have to expand ops, maybe put an A330 on the 4 days PIA serve BHX, or like you say, EK add a frequency. That capacity has got to go somewhere!
As ive said in MAN thread, if Airblue go for the OA A340's, maybe they could open BHX say 3-4 weekly?
When government services go tits up, its the private sector who step in, so this is where Airblue could come into their own.
As ive said in MAN thread, if Airblue go for the OA A340's, maybe they could open BHX say 3-4 weekly?
When government services go tits up, its the private sector who step in, so this is where Airblue could come into their own.
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PIA
I have posted a couple of articles on the Manchester thread as I have been following this story for a few days.
Most articles state that UK ops will stay the same except for the Glasgow service which ends this month.
I actually see this as fantastic if BHX keeps ISB four a week, as transfers from KHI & LHE will be routed through on to the BHX-IST service hopefully.
I have no idea what the BHX - KHI or LHE market is and how they currently route to BHX (EK?) but anything that adds to the BHX-IST must be good such as TK's new link to Bangladesh.
Pete
Most articles state that UK ops will stay the same except for the Glasgow service which ends this month.
I actually see this as fantastic if BHX keeps ISB four a week, as transfers from KHI & LHE will be routed through on to the BHX-IST service hopefully.
I have no idea what the BHX - KHI or LHE market is and how they currently route to BHX (EK?) but anything that adds to the BHX-IST must be good such as TK's new link to Bangladesh.
Pete
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Astra Airlines Summer 2011
Following Olympic Holidays and Monarchs little spat, the former has removed
all their Monarch flights from their website for BHX by the look of it.
Astra Airlines of Greece (AZI) is the replacement - same times but I would imagine these will change.
Opportunities for BHX: -
1) Astra Airlines (AZI) - more flights to fill the gaps in the schedule
2) Potentially more Monarch schedule flights for the based aircraft
Flights showing: -
AZI1261 CFU 06.30 14.15 MONDAY
AZI8611 HER 08.15 17.45 TUESDAY
AZI8631 RHO 19.30 04.50 WED
AZI6601 ZTE 23.30 07.45 THUR
Friday HER is still Viking VKH130 10.20/09.20
Wednesday Papfos is showing a based Cyprus Airways
which will be Astra I presume CY480/1 07.45/18.30
There website mentions Salonika and leasing in two
A320's due to demand!!!
Pete
all their Monarch flights from their website for BHX by the look of it.
Astra Airlines of Greece (AZI) is the replacement - same times but I would imagine these will change.
Opportunities for BHX: -
1) Astra Airlines (AZI) - more flights to fill the gaps in the schedule
2) Potentially more Monarch schedule flights for the based aircraft
Flights showing: -
AZI1261 CFU 06.30 14.15 MONDAY
AZI8611 HER 08.15 17.45 TUESDAY
AZI8631 RHO 19.30 04.50 WED
AZI6601 ZTE 23.30 07.45 THUR
Friday HER is still Viking VKH130 10.20/09.20
Wednesday Papfos is showing a based Cyprus Airways
which will be Astra I presume CY480/1 07.45/18.30
There website mentions Salonika and leasing in two
A320's due to demand!!!
Pete
Last edited by OltonPete; 11th Jan 2011 at 22:11. Reason: remove link
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The Air India Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham-Toronto route was moved to Heathrow for slot protection, not for demand.
About Hellenic Imperial Airways, have they ever suggested leasing aircraft that can be used on the Jeddah-Athens-Birmingham route? I'd suggest a Boeing 757 or 767 for now, I wouldn't like to see a 737 as we get enough of those at BHX.
PIA's loads are about 80%, but shockingly, Air India's were about 85%. More Indians than Pakistani's in this area. I think PIA have done a KHI and LHE route before from BHX, using A310's and the route was a fuel stop at BHX before going on to YYZ/ORD.
QR seem to be close to coming to BHX, need an international route to compete with Emirates.
About Hellenic Imperial Airways, have they ever suggested leasing aircraft that can be used on the Jeddah-Athens-Birmingham route? I'd suggest a Boeing 757 or 767 for now, I wouldn't like to see a 737 as we get enough of those at BHX.
PIA's loads are about 80%, but shockingly, Air India's were about 85%. More Indians than Pakistani's in this area. I think PIA have done a KHI and LHE route before from BHX, using A310's and the route was a fuel stop at BHX before going on to YYZ/ORD.
QR seem to be close to coming to BHX, need an international route to compete with Emirates.
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About Hellenic Imperial Airways, have they ever suggested leasing aircraft that can be used on the Jeddah-Athens-Birmingham route?
I'd suggest a Boeing 757 or 767 for now, I wouldn't like to see a 737 as we get enough of those at BHX
You want to see a B767 purely because there are too many B737's at BHX already. Is this why you want AA to bring the B777 to BHX rather than the more likely and more sustainable B757?
Viking hellas manages MAN-ATH-Erbil on an MD80/A320/B737, so Im sure a B737 could manage BHX-ATH-JED quite easily, and more sustainably too. If a B737 is the best for a said route, then that is what they will use.
QR seem to be close to coming to BHX, need an international route to compete with Emirates.
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would you go to a German city to visit Goethe's, Albrecht Durer's birthplace - I think not.
But I done a lot of other stuff aswell... lets not forget the shopping aswell, and Coventry, Britains equivalent of Dresden or Leipzig.
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Armavia/Astra/Air India
crewmeal
Not heard anything more about Armavia, still in the drop-down box on
their website but could not get any flights to come up. Until Christmas
the first flight bookable was 2-3 three weeks in advance of the date
of the search. As another week went by the closest date would be
removed and it would be another 2-3 weeks in advance.
Now I can't find a single flight although I did not try hard.
Astra
They are operating now but with 2 x ARJ's out of SKG but the site
mentions leasing in 2 x A320's. Perhaps they have seen an opportunity
and took it but these type of arrangements always seem worrying.
I assume it will have to be BHX based due to the different destinations
if they only have a couple of aircraft.
Air India
PIA's load factor varies from 75-90% but all O & D, where as AI had
the majority of the aircraft as transits ATQ-YYZ although I don't doubt
that if 100% of the seats were available for BHX-ATQ they would have
filled. AI's prices on ATQ-BHX were not the cheapest which is always a
decent sign.
Pete
Not heard anything more about Armavia, still in the drop-down box on
their website but could not get any flights to come up. Until Christmas
the first flight bookable was 2-3 three weeks in advance of the date
of the search. As another week went by the closest date would be
removed and it would be another 2-3 weeks in advance.
Now I can't find a single flight although I did not try hard.
Astra
They are operating now but with 2 x ARJ's out of SKG but the site
mentions leasing in 2 x A320's. Perhaps they have seen an opportunity
and took it but these type of arrangements always seem worrying.
I assume it will have to be BHX based due to the different destinations
if they only have a couple of aircraft.
Air India
PIA's load factor varies from 75-90% but all O & D, where as AI had
the majority of the aircraft as transits ATQ-YYZ although I don't doubt
that if 100% of the seats were available for BHX-ATQ they would have
filled. AI's prices on ATQ-BHX were not the cheapest which is always a
decent sign.
Pete
Last edited by OltonPete; 12th Jan 2011 at 16:58. Reason: added text
Thanks Pete - My gut feeling is Armenia is a non starter. Whilst I appreciate that communications in that part of the world are sometimes difficult they would have committed themselves by now.
If there was any credible effort to start the route then they would have budgeted for marketing and advertising to tell the world they're about to launch a new route.
I also believe Air India will not bother with BHX, again if there was something about to happen then they would have said so by now - petition or not . Which leaves Emirates, the only loyal carrier serving BHX from the Middle East and beyond. Whilst Mahan Air have a limited market for their services their timekeeping is proving very unreliable. The rumblings of Pakistan going into deals with Turkish won't necessarily be a good thing because of the extra time it will take to get there. For now there is a direct service to ISB which takes around 7.30 hours, with a transit in IST then the whole flight could take around 10 hours or more. Not the way forward me thinks.
By the way what are the BHX marketing team up to at the moment? Anything exciting?
If there was any credible effort to start the route then they would have budgeted for marketing and advertising to tell the world they're about to launch a new route.
I also believe Air India will not bother with BHX, again if there was something about to happen then they would have said so by now - petition or not . Which leaves Emirates, the only loyal carrier serving BHX from the Middle East and beyond. Whilst Mahan Air have a limited market for their services their timekeeping is proving very unreliable. The rumblings of Pakistan going into deals with Turkish won't necessarily be a good thing because of the extra time it will take to get there. For now there is a direct service to ISB which takes around 7.30 hours, with a transit in IST then the whole flight could take around 10 hours or more. Not the way forward me thinks.
By the way what are the BHX marketing team up to at the moment? Anything exciting?
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Ryanair Malta Summer 2011
It seems that BHX-MLA is going to operate this summer after all.
There has been a change in the booking engine today with the aircraft enclosed in the circle appearing usually meaning that it could be about to be released.
Days indicated are Monday & Friday and again I assume BHX based
aircraft now that Krakow and Porto have been cleared from the schedule?
Quote
"By the way what are the BHX marketing team up to at the moment?"
Interesting concept that one - will it ever work
Pete
There has been a change in the booking engine today with the aircraft enclosed in the circle appearing usually meaning that it could be about to be released.
Days indicated are Monday & Friday and again I assume BHX based
aircraft now that Krakow and Porto have been cleared from the schedule?
Quote
"By the way what are the BHX marketing team up to at the moment?"
Interesting concept that one - will it ever work
Pete