BRISTOL - 4

[MerchantVenturer]

mrloop,

I can empathise with you on some of the points you raise.

The taxi monopoly is similar to some other regional airports and I have had your experience at BRS more than once. The answer the airport gave me is that there are peaks and troughs and with aircraft sometimes experiencing delays it is next to impossible to have sufficient taxis available at all times. I understand this but still think better arrangements could and should be made, albeit it will never be perfect.

As for the Flyer coach, like the airport it has experienced a phenomenal increase in passengers in recent years (up 27% in May over the previous May for example) and will carry over half a million this year.

It should be a 15-minute frequency from the airport to Temple Meads and vice versa. The service is actually two routes, viz, 331 Airport-TM Stn-Bus/Coach Station and 330 Airport-TM Stn-Central Hotels-Clifton.

The section between the airport and Temple Meads is the most heavily used (through rail tickets are available) with the bus/coach station section also fairly well patronised.

However, the 330's section between TM and Clifton is very lightly used and is allowed around an hour for the full journey in each direction from/to the airport. This seems to be one of the problem re delays. Another is the necessity of having to stow big cases in a compartment under the coach. I've noted the Flyer taking over ten minutes to load at busy times which again doesn't help time-keeping.

I think they should concentrate on the TM-airport section and increase it to a ten-minute frequency at peak hours. At present the service is often like Bristol buses in general - nothing for a while then two at once.

As to the departure lounge, at busy periods I always make for the mezzanine level. I flew out in the morning rush recently and found the mezzanine level was a relatively tranquil area compared to the crowds below - note I say relatively.

The terminal building is operating at full capacity and the airport has plans to double its size BUT these have been delayed and delayed in the face of a very well organised anti-expansion lobby.

I no longer find travelling by air a pleasure and a crowded departure lounge is just another cross to bear as far as I'm concerned. If the lounge wasn't crowded it would mean there were few flights which is how Bristol once was of course.

On balance I am prepared to put up with most of the hassle for the convenience of local departures but I accept that not everyone will agree.

[Bristol_Traveller]

On the other hand, a good long hard prolonged economic downturn will probably clear the lounge out a bit. And some of the stands.

Having been denied access to the Cabot lounge on Friday night (thanks to SK for being too cheapskate to allow entry for *G), I had to sit in the throng, and it's clearly uncomfortably full at times. I must admit, I haven't really noticed ripped seats, and I'm sure the level of rubbish fluctuates.

Maybe EZY, FR and charters would like to take control of gates 4-9 and the bus satellite, and create a separation to gates 1-3 for the remaining airlines to offer a more sedate and spacious experience? (LH seem to have taken up residence at Gate 4, sponsored by Claires Accessories).

[Confirmed Must Ride]

KL Canx again today!

[WATABENCH]

Hamburg International will be operating both Gambia Experience flights on tuesday and friday in winter, no more Astreus and FCA on that route as it stands. I'm guessing 737-700 operating.

[Avalon]

The new MD

I am sad to see a once happy thriving popular airport disintegrate so swiftly into just another cr@ppy unhappy transport interchange.

The New MD (when appointed) must regain what Bristol has lost and realise that a successful airport (punching well above its weight in everybody's book) relies massively on a dedicated, motivated, happy and loyal work force. The new MD will be wise enough to take on board that the support of the local community (business and residential) is crucial too to the well being of the airport and its growth. That support has to be earned and nurtured. The new MD should persuade shareholders from the banking world that their demands for short term returns will damage their investment and that they should focus on longer term goals, other than the next round of refinancing (from which they all seem to personally benefit hugely!!) The new MD should stand up for quality too, particularly with infustructure improvements. If a cheap cr@ppy travel experience is what you're after - go east along the M4.

The new MD has to re-establish the belief within all "stakeholders" at Bristol International that we do have something special here and it is worth working hard for, worth supporting and worth looking after for all our futures.

Otherwise, we might as well re-name the place Luton-West..........

[Giddy]

The new MD should persuade shareholders from the banking world that their demands for short term returns will damage their investment and that they should focus on longer term goals

Good luck if that is the Macquarie Money Grabbers. BHX has never looked back since they thankfully sold their shareholding.

[Capt Alcock]

Avalon

You have all the answers why don't you apply!

[terrier21]

I must admit I am slightly saddened by some of the posts I have read recently. Some of you may remember several years ago when I was working at the airport (MV does I'm sure after recieving a call from him regarding his navigator details) how the airport under the leadership of Skippy still had a family-esque feel to it. I still view this thread from time to time as I spent many happy hours working there.

I left at a time where an independant report was released internally stating that profitabillity needed to be increased by a high percentage, hence the reason why seats were removed (if people are standing they will be looking around shops and buying!!!) I also remember getting a rollocking after a night shift because I had checked the internet for a Rovers fan who had just landed and wanted to know the score of a match that had been played that night. It was these times that reinforced the fact that the 'Llsgate' airport had gone and that Bristol International had been turned solely into a buisness.

I still know many people who work there and I am sure that a lot of airports are the same but when consession stores lose over half of their profits to the fat cats who own the airport it just goes to show that staff are treated as two a penny. You can't look after staff when working on thoose smaller margins.

I used to sit and have a ciggy with Andrew Skipp in both the 'old' and 'new' terminals chatting about everything from new routes to golf to god knows what I also used to do the same with every other member of staff and I know A.S would too. This is what Brs seems to be lacking. The care needed for every cog in the system for without one EVERYTHING fails to work.

I hope BRS can find someone who takes the feel of the airport back to the old days for the sake of the staff the passengers and the south west region as a whole.

I understand these are just my views and probably not those of everyone but hey.

Rant over

T21

[WATABENCH]

787 still in TUI travel plans for BRS, in a recent press release Tim Williamson from First Choice has said that the 787 should allow new routes quickly and he used BRS-CUN(already a route on 767 via GLA) and CWL-SFB as examples, future sounds ok for both BRS and CWL in the TUI travel longhaul plans, good news, just need to wait til 2010 to see it shooting along 027!!

Terrier - your comments are spot on, BRS is punching above its weight but still small enough to be able to maintain a friendly non corporate working atmosphere, lets hope the new MD can bring this back, because it seems to of gone out the window from the day Kehoe took charge, lets hope the regimented feel goes with him.

[BRS_flyer]

Terrier 21:

Check your PM's

[yeo valley]

it needs another late great les wilson, with lots of flair and passion. I often think if he were alive today would he still be in charge of the airport. Also would we have seen as much lcc as there is now??
Who ever takes over the helm at bristol has passion and go ahead thoughts, with the point of being a freindly airport, with profits being made, but not at the expense of the punters.

[Bristol_Traveller]

Passenger Service Charge?

I went to book a BRS-FRA flight, going out one day and back the next, and braced myself. As expected, whilst the fare was a reasonable £59, the taxes were a horrendous £121. (LH's YQ surcharge is now €35 a sector...).

Out of interest, I compared the taxes with BHX-FRA, and was surprised to see they were much lower - under £100.

At this point, I have to say I don't have complete confidence in the validity of these numbers, but here are some PSC figures for comparison:

• BHX(LH)FRA - £11.30
• BRS(LH)FRA - £34.22
• BRS(BD)FRA - £15.80
• BRS(AF)CDG - £15.80
• BRS(KL)AMS - £16.90
• BRS(CO)EWR - £16.90

What's interesting is that the PSC differs between the LH ticketed BRS-FRA and the BD ticketed BRS-FRA (on the codeshare). Mind you, I wouldn't trust BD to be getting it right.

So is this another LH error, or is there a good reason why BRS is charging them an extra £20 to handle passengers compared to everyone else?

[MerchantVenturer]

Good to see you're still around, Terrier.

I know the airport is a business and is there to make money but I feel it is in danger of losing public goodwill in the way it is trying to achieve this.

First the £1 for a luggage trolley, now the Weston Mercury reports that from 5 August passengers will be able to pay a fiver to go through a fast-track security channel - see below link. I have not read a denial from the airport.

I am retired and my wife and I are the sort of people with time and the means to travel for leisure that airports and airlines would want because we don't necessarily always look for the cheapest flight - if the date and destination suits us we will travel.

We have supported BRS loyally and regularly for thirty years and still fly fairly frequently on leisure trips, sometimes even on day trips.

However, we have both become wearisome of the aviation environment in recent times - the security hassle including what you can and can't take, queues and wondering that if a return flight is cancelled (especially with locos, the main carriers at BRS) whether you will be left to fend for yourself at a foreign airport.

So much so that we are holidaying in Switzerland this year and travelling out and back by train when normally we would have flown which would in fact have been considerably cheaper.

We haven't completely given up on air travel or BRS but if the airport carries on with its what to us are money-grabbing measures we may review our outlook. It's not the amount - we could well afford a fiver each if we felt the need to be fast-tracked - but the principle.

I accept this is a personal view but I suspect that others in our position may think likewise.

I shall let the airport management have my opinion on the reported security initiative as soon as they are announced officially.

The Weston Mercury - Passengers to fly through security queues

[Bristol based Taffy]

Fast track security

Totally agree with M.V.

whilst not a 'regular' user of BRS, I've certainly come to regard it as 'first' choice whilst searching for flights.

Think the management at BRS should read M.V.'s posting and rapidly put the idea of an additional charge for fast tracking security to bed.

Talk about killing the goose etc

[MerchantVenturer]

Fly Thru - paying a fiver for fast-track security at BRS

BbT, there is now an item on the airport's website confirming the newspaper report I mentioned at #684.

The airport justifies the initiative in this way: The introduction of Fly Thru follows research showing 60 per cent of business passengers would consider using a service designed to speed their progress to the departure lounge.

Being an old cynic I cannot help thinking that the 'normal' security queues will operate at a slower speed than they might need to in order to attract punters to the fast-track scheme.

I've got nothing further to add on this. I'm still considerably less than impressed.

[Confirmed Must Ride]

The problem is that whilst you might not have to queue initially, as soon as you get round the corner you find that they feed all the 'normal' passengers into the 'fasttrack' lane to use the same x-ray machines.

[Capt Alcock]

Average security Qs at Bristol have been reduced to less than 7 mins from the 20 mins or so last year and 40 mins in March.

I think management are responding to customers/passengers' needs - so if you want fast track - you can buy a biz class ticket or now you can buy fly thru. I was told by mgmt that Pax asking why they can buy easy "speedy board" (of course in BRS case it's "speedy bus"!) but couldn't use fast track.

Given that 20% of BRS traffic on business and 75% loco then easy to see there is going to be a market to serve. So a significant number of biz pax are flying loco and they are probably prepared to pay. What's the difference between that and say first class and standard class on the same train. It's called choice. I personally don't want to pay £500 to go biz class and fast track to Paris or wherever some do but If I could improve my journey by having some paid for improvements I would.

The key for BRS is not to let main Qs return to the bad days of only a few months ago.

CA

[symphonyangel]

The Fast Lane security channel has been running at Liverpool since July 7th last year. It operates no differently than fast track at say Manchester Airport where you do also go through the same equipment and cut to the front of the queue. Only difference is at Manchester and other airports you have to buy it as part of a so-called Business Class ticket whereas at Liverpool and now Bristol you can buy it separately.
The process is just like eurodisney and following Liverpool's success with it it was only a matter of time before others offered this service. Works because the standard queue is no worse in queue time than it was prior to fast lane. Nice to have choice. But maybe £5 is too expensive to get significant take-up.

[Bristol_Traveller]

I think £5 might be a bit ambitious for the leisure traveller who wants to cut the corner off security, and jump in on scanner #1.

It might appeal to the business travellers on EZY who also pay for speedy boarding. Knowing that you can check in on-line, and turn up 30 minutes prior to the flight is reasonably valuable at 07:00 when you're only off to EDI or GLA for the day.

It would appear that *G fliers get a Fast Track sticker when flying on a *A airline. Myself (*G) and Mrs. BT (*S) were stickered when flying on SK a couple of weeks ago.

Mind you (as noted above), when we fly LH we appear to be paying £20 more for the privilege of using the same facilities, so maybe it's only fair?

[mustrum_ridcully]

I travel a lot through BRS and I'd be more than happy to pay £5 (even out of my own pocket) especially for those early morning flights, check-in online, get into the building 5-10 before boarding, jump the queue. I think an extra half hour in bed when catching a 6-7am flight is worth £5, I'm based in Cardiff so you can imagine what time I have to get up at.