BRISTOL - 4

[ADC2604]

Thanks for the info rampboy767 -I was aware of the merger and I too can remember the day when you could see 2 or 3 TOMs in at once. Like you said its funny how things can change so much!

[Anodyne]

ADC2604 I can back up birdscarers comments: As the BACON management told it not too long before the takeover; the established European routes made a profit (especially the CDG which was one of, if not the, most profitable route in the airline), the Scottish routes were holding their own against Easy, the new start up routes were doing surprisingly well considering how long they'd been going, and the ground operation was profitable in its own right.
Suddenly ‘Feels like you're Being exploited’ comes along and the Bristol base isn't viable anymore and apparently hasn't been for some time. Now I might not have the sharpest business brain but it seems to me that since those two positions are mutually exclusive somebody must be being 'economical with the truth'. I leave it others to decide who.

[cym]

Wake up and smell the coffee

Have been involved in yield management for airlines for more years than I care to remember and have yet to come across a situation where a 'for profit' airline closes down 'highly' profitable routes especially if slots are protected.

Costs of route development are well understood and chances of future profitabliity are key decision making factors in deciding to carry on with / withdraw a route.

Flybe may have disappointed some with their choices re ex BRS routes acquired from BACON but commercial suicide I am sure is not one of their drivers

[ADC2604]

Well said "cym"

Anodyn - it is clear you don't have a business brain. It seems to me that there are too many people who hold a grudge against Flybe (making silly names and definitions - these people have too much time on their hands) because of the route cuts and job losses. I am sorry to say this but get over it....thats what the aviation industry is all about.

I am not at all confident that there are many BE employees on this particular thread however as one myself, I can assure you that at the time of the takeover the BAcon routes were not performing as well as people seem to think, nor were they making enough profit as BAcon were making out. I would urge the likes of Anodyn to ensure their comments are factual before making such posts.

Anyway my initial post was not intended to start of another lead which has been covered time and time again elsewhere on Pprune. So if we could move on to the next BRS news it would be good. One question I do have is why did the Teeside flights stop alltogether (T3 operated them last year? or the year before.....)

[danielhobbs]

Perhaps because they were loosing money and crap load factors.

Thats the reason why most airlines stop routes.

[LGS6753]

The discussion about 'profitability' above shows a lack of business understanding.

You can define 'profit' in lots of ways, and it depends on each company's definition of 'profit' as to whether a particular route, or base, is profitable.

For instance, BACon's view of profitability may have been revenue less direct costs (Gross Profit, some may call it). This 'profit' is passed to the company, which takes out it's management and infrastructure costs and may call what's left 'operating profit'. This is then passed to the Group which deducts its own management and infrastructure costs, and perhaps calls what's left 'net profit'. Then the bean-counters deduct things like interest and extraordinary costs before converting the figure to 'earnings', which is what the shareholders may get a share of (if it doesn't go to support the deficit in the Pension Funds!).
Whatever is left is 'retained profit' which is re-invested in the business for the future.

A simple guide to a very complex matter. So was BACon's Bristol base profitable? You tell me!

[Standard Noise]

Star Alliance, mmm, now there's a rumour.

Yes, yes, I know The Luftwaffe are members, but the latest from 'over there', is BMI/Luftwaffe coming in. You just can't trust some people these days.

[ADC2604]

danielhobbs - what I was getting at was why did they not reduce the frequencies as opposed to stop them altogether.

The flight I believe was 3x daily on a J31........I do think there is room at BRS for T3 to expand. Would be good to have a Norway route at BRS and Stavangar I think could possibly work.

[Bristol_Traveller]

A third of a way through September, and the "end of August" announcement hasn't materialised.

I know that deadlines slip, and I know that timing of announcements can be dependant on a lot of other announcements and changes happening first, but I'm becoming a little despondent.

Following the assumption that a *A carrier would come in to operate the German routes, it seems that all the likely suspects have made their winter timetable announcements, and none of them appear to leave any space for Bristol.

We're just over 6 weeks away from the start of the Winter timetable, and it looks like I'm going to be spending a dark, cold, wet winter trudging to and from LHR. (It's times like this I almost have the crazy idea of relying on KL again.... no, no, the moment has passed...)

[airvanman]

My Two Euros Worth...

I can see Ryanair picking up some Deutschland routes from Bristol (the new Stansted)
WOW should be having a pop on the closer German cities. MGL could be a good 'un?

I still can't believe no Canadian flights have started up

All you Bus spotters must be loving the new bendy Bus. How much did that cost? They should get the bendy airside over the weekend and help get the SFB pax off a bit quicker

[Flap Track 6]

Yes, the new bendy bus is great but it was needed airside on Saturday lunchtime. 10 minutes wait on the a/c after a delayed arrival from Nice because no busses were available.

I know it was a busy Saturday, but it took us 45 minutes from weight on wheels to outside the terminal. I'm used to it being much quicker through the airport than that. Late night flight in from Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago and it was only 55 minutes from touchdown to home in Sadly Broke.

[JulietNovemberPapa]

I flew BRS-DUB on Monday and DUB-BRS last night. As always, it was excellent.

I find flying to/from BRS simple, quick, and effortless. After disembarking after landing from DUB, I was out of the terminal in under 5 minutes. I haven't yet been able to achieve that at LCY.

[easyJet Galley King]

I find flying to/from BRS simple, quick, and effortless. After disembarking after landing from DUB, I was out of the terminal in under 5 minutes. I haven't yet been able to achieve that at LCY.

Thats 'cos you more than likely parked on Stand 1-5 - Ryanair seem to always get those stands although Im sure that it'll change once Ryanair are at BRS full time. Just wish they'd stop parking us Orange guys in Weston Super Mare.
On another note, dare I say it, as easyJet dont seem to be too keen on Scandinavian routes, lets see Stockholm/Skavsta, Oslo/Torp, Tampere and Malmo added to the Ryanair route network. Following SAS's summer only, twice weekly service, im sure there's demand there?

[birdscarer]

Its funny how when Bristol was developed there was a lack of stands directly outside the terminal. Was this planning constraints or a lack of fore-thought on future development? Most airports have alot more don't they. EXT, NCL, JER and LGW all spring to mind and have grown in a Linear direction or with satalites.

[bristolflyer]

The Terminal was never designed with LCC's in mind and I don't think anybody at the time could have envisaged the explosive growth of scheduled traffic. If you look at Cardiff they handle slightly less charter traffic than BRS, but far less scheduled. It was assumed passenger growth would be akin to the pattern of growth seen at Cardiff and therefore the Terminal would take years to reach capacity. It would be good to see WOW expand into Germany. They are a great regional airline. They have indentified, and are currently evaluating, BRS, Newquay and Plymouth for route development. The only problem is that they aren't part of any alliance and any new route would be point to point.

[JulietNovemberPapa]

"Thats 'cos you more than likely parked on Stand 1-5"

Certainly. But I also fly EZY to/from BRS (indeed, I've just booked BRS-EDI), and I've used some less convenient stands. Still, I always find BRS simple, quick, and effortless.

[redfield]

Easyjet galley King: "Ryanair always seem to get those stands." That's because their aircraft are bigger than yours and don't fit on as many stands as yours do, a fact that many Easyjet staff seem to forget about. Also, they turn-round in 25 minutes, when some of your a/c are on the ground for forty or fifty minute turns. Hmmmm.....

[Silvertop]

stand allocation at BRS

I think I am correct in saying that a B737-800 can park on any stand that an Airbus 320 variant can,(Also the XL -800 is often parked on the western apron so I reckon the Ryans -800 will fit as well) so I think that one reason for some of "easys" longer turnarounds is waiting for busses, ambulift etc (waited 25 mins for the ambulift to pitch up the other day!!), so any airline allocated stands 1-5 stands at least a fighting chance of meeting their schedule Hmmm.
Cheers Silvertop

[easyJet Galley King]

That's because their aircraft are bigger than yours and don't fit on as many stands as yours do, a fact that many Easyjet staff seem to forget about

OK, so maybe not Stand 6 onwards, but why do they never get put on the western apron? They do fit there, because XL 800's can be found there often enough?

The majority, if not all our turnarounds are supposed to be 25 minutes aswell. Its even just 20 minutes in Scotland! We are getting 40-45 minute turns, due to the sheer distance between the weston apron and terminal - and also the logistics involved inbetween.

I understand, 757's need 1-3, and arriving flights of this variant need to be pre-allocated these, It just seem's unfair that Ryanair always seem to be allocated premium spots too, whilst easyJet gets the bum deal, and buses.

Im sure that when Ryanair arrive full time - we easy boys can kiss goodbye to our on time performance, and to stand 1-5.

[redfield]

Galley King: You misunderstand me. Ryanair DO get parked on the Western apron, especially if parking them on the front stands means creating delays in the tunnel. At busy periods Easyjet flights that are scheduled to have 40-50 minutes on the ground will get parked remote a) because of the larger a/c on the ground which need the larger stands and b) because NO Ryanair flights are EVER scheduled to be on the ground for longer than 25 minutes. Too many people complain about stand planning these days, but they don't appreciate that several hundred passengers can be moved through the terminal by parking short-ground-time flights on the front stands in the same time that a longer turn-round flight is on the W apron. If it was done the other way round, more flights would be parked remote, more flights would get delayed (lack of coaches, see previous) which would give more people cause for complaint. What do you expect, every Easyjet flight to be parked on the front stands? Impossible. The logistics of the airport simply don't allow for it. The Excel 738's are frequently on the ground for two or three hours, which is why you see them on the W apron. And one final point: where is stand 6? Last timed I looked it had a coaching lounge built on it.....