BRISTOL - 4

[santito]

Yeah departures is hell at the moment- never seen it quite as crowded as it was earlier this week when I was there. The queues for the gates snaking everywhere is just a little bit silly.

Western Walkway opens next month, but as I am sure you know, has no seating or other facilities (As the airport is not allowed to put them in there!)

Some of the toilet facilities have been upgraded, but they are taking their sweet time about it...

The new walk-through Duty Free shop also looks really good, and I believe the work there should be completed next month sometime.

I think that covers the current round of improvements... No idea when the yay/ nay decision is on the big expansion though.

[BleadonHell]

I did hear there wouldn't be facilities at the Western gates and thought at the time the Ryanair rush and the Easyjet shuffle would take on a new dimension as everything would now be preceeded by a canter or more likely a gallop down the walkway; gawd help anybody coming the other way or with kids!

Maybe they'll start annoucing boarding gates sooner and at least it will do away with some of those ridiculous snaking queues in the main terminal which on Easter Thursday afternoon were just hideous.

However, what an marvellous position to be in, a busy airport, a growing list of destinations and a full apron - this will doubtless be the envy of many.

[MerchantVenturer]

Welcome Bleadon. It's always good to have a new local poster on the BRS thread.

The western walkway was built as general permitted development under the Town and Country Planning Order 1995 which means that formal planning consent was not necessary, although North Somerset councillors tried to say it was but eventually realised the error of their ways.

This means the walkway cannot be treated as an extension of the terminal in the sense that it will increase floor space so the airport can only use it as an alternative way of getting passengers to the stands on the western apron. That's the reason why the airport is limited in its options for furnishing the walkway, though I believe there may be some provision for people with limited mobility.

I suspect the airport will use the new facility 'imaginatively' and it ought at least to remove some of those snaking queues in the main departure lounge, though wait for the inevitable moans about having to walk over 400 metres to reach an aircraft. It should certainly be more user-friendly than the current metal-wrapped partly open corridors on the eastern apron.

You are right about the problem of overcrowding being in some ways a nice one to have (a bit like a football club with a ground not big enough to accommodate all its fans), though I still maintain that there are too many retail outlets taking space originally occupied by public seating. The snag may be that if the overcrowding is not addressed some people may decide to go elsewhere.

According to the BEP this week, the major expansion planning application will be heard by North Somerset councillors on 28 April, not that I expect their decision to be the final one. Appeals, legal challenges or even a public enquiry are likely from one 'side' or the other depending on the councillors' decision.

A change of national government might also have a bearing on whether the expansion goes ahead.

[Bristol_Traveller]

Was out on CO77 this morning. Great flight (as ever), made better by being up front. And early landing.

The Crew seemed genuinely sad that Bristol is ending, and as bewildered as we are. I had a good chat with a couple of them, and they were wondering if the intermittent schedule over the winter had done more harm than good. From an operational point of view, apparently they have to be taken over to LHR to be got home again?

One of the crew was stocking up on butter from the West Country!

[santito]

What are the load factors normally like from your POV?

[Bristol_Traveller]

I'm not sure I've got the best view of load factors, and load factors don't always translate into yield and profit.

I used the service intermittently in the last 5 years, and using it more now that CO are in Star (Star Upgrade Awards are a very very good thing), and because I have more business in the States.

However, if the Biz cabin isn't filling, that is a problem, more or less regardless of the number of bums in seats down the back. And from the times I've looked, there's been a lot of C9 D9 J9 Z9 in the inventory, which means no more than 7 people in business. (Today was 6 of us, and I was on an upgrade from an admittedly deliberately expensive economy fare).

[santito]

So averaging about 40-50% in Bus? (14 seats I think?) Doesn't sound great.

[Bristol_Traveller]

16 seats in Biz on the 757s.

You can also infer demand from the availabilities over time. Z is the lowest business fare, C the highest. A flight showing C9 D0 J0 Z0 probably means they have got strong demand, and really genuinely only have 9 seats left. C9 D4 J0 Z0 means they've sold a few, but are still discounting to fill a few more.

Seeing C9 D9 J9 Z9 a couple of days before a flight goes often means there's not much evidence of demand, and possibly only a couple of seats sold.

You can also look at what inventory has been dumped into R (which is Star Upgrade) and I (which is Star Award). BRS-EWR is usually available in both on weekdays. EWR-BRS usually not, but that seems to be general CO policy not to give away the night flight inventory to anywhere (not just BRS).

[bravoromeosierra]

Having seen the new walkway a few times, it does interest me as to whether it'll be heated/insulated as if just part of the terminal; and allow passage in and out both ways in regards to arrivals.

[Standard Noise]

From what I saw during construction, it was insulated but as for heating, I have no idea. I shall ask a contractor on the way in today. Looking at the glass section which crosses over the main gate road, the walkway appears to be partitioned (as many long walkways are), presumably to separate the inbound and outbound hordes.

No doubt, as MV says, there will be moans about the 'long walk'. Well, it'll be just as long a walk for I and my colleagues to get to Starbucks, but I'm sure we'll cope!

Oh, and the miserable beggars haven't put enough windows in the north side of it, so the travelling public will be spared the sight of a 'full moon'.

[bravoromeosierra]

Ah right, thanks for your input. Have they connected it to the tower?

[Bartlett1]

I am a simple surgeon and know nothing about airport/airline management, these are just my thoughts.

I studied at Bristol university and then worked in Plymouth for 6 years and so Bristol was the closest reasonably large airport and I used it a lot. Since moving to Birmingham I still use Bristol often if I find a flight at a better price/more convenient time. I certainly love Bristol as a city and like am quite fond of the airport.

However, I think it has been a victim of it's own success. When the new terminal opened it was spacious, airy but also empty and lacking in facilities. It now has much better facilities in terms of shopping/catering but nowhere near sufficient room for current passenger numbers let alone the predicted increase.

The terminal needs expansion and fast - not just adding little bits here and there as they've done the last few years, but major expansion to at least twice its size.

I have never flown the continental route to New York, but was planning to next year. Obviously I won't be able to now. However, I can see that the major users (ie business people) as well as many leisure users would be put off by the lack of facilities at the airport. Particularly for potential passengers that live on the London side of Bristol, why would you go there and spend a couple of hours in an overcrowded terminal with relatively few facilities and few seats, where you have to join a queue for the gate that snakes the length of the building rather than a dedicated gate waiting area, and then catch a bus or walk outside through what looks like a partially completed metal air raid shelter. Why wouldn't you go to a larger London airport where you have a good choice of shops and eateries, decent seating, and airbridges right up to the aircraft.

Will the Western walkway really improve things? I understand they cannot really add additional facilities such as seating areas due to planning. Will there be conveyers to ease the long walk? Are there air bridges? There certainly should be both of these, but I suspect it will be done on the cheap without either.

I would consider Birmingham airport as the sort of airport Bristol should aspire to. I personally think Bristol needs a runway extension to handle larger aircraft, and I'm amazed that this isn't in the major expansion plan (as far as I know - I may be wrong). On a longer flight, such as to New York, I would personally rather fly on a bigger aircraft than the 757 used from Bristol.

I think Bristol should also be looking at route via Dubai as this is a hugely growing area. My wife is from Malaysia, and we fly regularly via Dubai with Emirates. I would love to see something like an Emirates 777-300ER flying from a much improved Bristol in the future and, as I plan to move back to the Southwest, would certainly use it.

I just hope this expansion goes ahead.

[Standard Noise]

I understand they cannot really add additional facilities such as seating areas due to planning. Will there be conveyers to ease the long walk? Are there air bridges?

There's always one joker. No conveyors from what I'm told even though it's ever such a long walk. It is fully insulated and heated with a partition full length. I was surprised when I was told that a limited amount of seating has been installed, but there you go.

It's not connected to the CTB, but we apparently will have access to the walkway through the external doors.
There's always a possibility that airbridges will follow in time, but for now it appears that ducting has been installed for ground power at the head of the stands.

Oh, and I may be wrong, but I thought the Masterplan had something in it about knocking the old terminal down and extending the main taxiway eastwards to create a starter extension which would give a longer take off run which would accomodate larger aircraft on longer sectors.

[Bristol_Traveller]

I'm not sure how much the airport facilities would affect a business travellers decision on whether to use the airport. In all the people I've spoken to, the primary factors have been lack of awareness, door-to-door travel times, flight times, or choice of destinations. Facilities at BRS haven't been mentioned as a significant disincentive. (And bear in mind most "Business Class" fliers and those of us with FF Status escape to the Cabot lounge, and survey the thronging crowds from above).

They could be better - they should be better. BRS should be allowed to invest in better facilities if they think there's a commercially viable case. The way to reduce flights is to dampen demand, not constrain supply.

On an Asian/Middle Eastern route. I think it's going to be a long shot to make a BRS-DXB/KUL/BKK work with a 330-type if CO are finding BRS-EWR hard on a 757-200. EWR is a hub for North America, with CO/UA/US/AC. DXB is pretty much an EK only affair.

Flying west has a perceptual benefit that you're not double-backing on yourself (as you would going to LHR, or transiting AMS/BRU/FRA). Flying east not so.

TATL flights tend to go in the morning, which makes for a grindingly early 06:00 flight to AMS/BRU/FRA or drive to LHR, compared with a relaxing 10:30 from BRS.

Going east, most flights leave around 22:00. For my money, I'd rather get a connector out of BRS at 17:00 and pick up at AMS/BRU/FRA than slog to London at 18:00 (!!). (Coming back works better too - a 06:00 arrival at FRA means a 10:00 arrival at BRS. An 06:00 arrival at LHR means arriving in BRS at 09:30 via a jam-packed M4/M32).

[Random Flyer]

I'm not sure how much the airport facilities would affect a business travellers decision on whether to use the airport.

I fully agree with you on this. As they say in business; "time is money". The Continental option from Bristol is obviously the quickest way to the USA, however there just cant be enough business passengers using the service to make it viable. Unfortunate really.

I don't think lack of awareness can be used as the reason for the route failing. The route was heavily advertised and its now in its fifth year of operating. If people don't know about or use the route now, there is not much more Continental and indeed Bristol Airport can do.

As others have suggested, perhaps the "Heathrow effect" is what brought this route to its knees.

Unfortunately it does not bode well for future scheduled long haul flights, east or west bound. Disappointing really as I thought Bristol could have been on Emirates radar after Newcastle.

[Bristol_Traveller]

I don't think lack of awareness can be used as the reason for the route failing. The route was heavily advertised and its now in its fifth year of operating. If people don't know about or use the route now, there is not much more Continental and indeed Bristol Airport can do.

I was thinking more coming in the other direction. I was talking to someone this afternoon (currently in LAS) who's flying to the UK soon, to go to somewhere near Bath. He had no idea he could fly to BRS - he just assumed he'd fly to LHR and drive from there.

That may be another problem. Whilst *we* know that getting to BRS is easier than getting to LHR, the distance appears so small from other side of the pond, you might not even think to consider there would be two airports 120 miles apart both with TATL flights....

[MerchantVenturer]

The Terminal

A brief look at the history of the terminal might explain its current shortcomings in that no-one could have forecast, or could have been expected to forecast, how the airport would have massively exceeded the passenger estimates that were the basis of planning the terminal in the 1990s.

* Bristol Airport News Issue No 1 of early 1993, is an impressive newspaper format of 16 pages. The planned new terminal is discussed at length. It had been approved by the local authority but was to go to public enquiry later in 1993. The terminal was designed for up to 2 mppa which total was expected to be reached at BRS in 2003 (a doubling of the 1992 figure).


* Following the public enquiry permission was given for the terminal to be built but because the then local authority-owned airport could not afford to build it the matter was deferred until First Group took a controlling share in the airport's ownership later in the decade.


* Airborne issue 3/winter 1999 (the successor to Bristol Airport News) carried an article and drawings of the new terminal that was then under construction and which it was said would have a capacity of 3 mppa.


* The 3 mppa capacity terminal was opened in spring 2000 by which time the airport was handling 2 mppa. Apart from the Ryanair Dublin service there was no low-cost airline seemingly in prospect, let alone a major lo-co route network.


* Go arrived in May 2001 and with it and its later absorption into easyJet the huge growth in passenger numbers and flights began.


* By 2008 annual passenger numbers had risen beyond 6 mppa but the only real increase in terminal size since its opening is a relatively small extension at the eastern end built on the ground floor which has added room for extra check-in desks and a catering outlet.


* Despite in excess of £20 million subsequently spent on amelioration schemes such as turning much of the existing landside above ground floor level into airside, significantly increasing/altering the size and layout of the security area, revamping retail/catering outlets and building the western walkway, the fact remains that the terminal was designed for a throughput of 3 mppa.


* The much-needed major expansion of the main terminal and other infrastructure was first put into the public domain in autumn 2005 through the draft master plan. After public consultations the master plan was published in early 2006 with a stated time scale of of submitting the planning application in the spring of that year.


* Because of the well-orchestrated campaign of opposition to expansion the master plan has been revised more than once since then following yet more public consultations and studies into various aspects of it, with the result that the planning process is now four years behind the original schedule.


* Passenger numbers continue to burgeon with the exception of the 2009 hiatus and congestion grows, though the airport in evidence to a Competition Commission investigation into neighbouring regional airports under separate ownership reckons the current airport could handle 8 mppa 'with some tweaking of facilities'.


* BRS will always be physically constrained in expanding much beyond the current boundary unless it spreads onto Felton Common at its eastern end, and this will have immense environmental ramifications as the airport recognises in its master plan which, in part, is why it believes an extended runway is not thought viable or even necessary. The airport is bordered mainly by downward sloping ground on its other three sides.


* Its major expansion plans do include provision for air bridges to some stands.

From this it can be seen that the airport is aware of the need to expand, wants to expand, presumably is confident about access to funds to expand but is being slowed down, some might even say obstructed, by the democratic planning process with all that entails, including the peripheral barrier of well-funded, well-connected and well-briefed opponents standing on the sidelines whilst figuratively waving red cards.

I acknowledge that the airport may have to compromise when it negotiates contracts with airlines, especially aggressive low-cost ones, and therefore has to try to recoup some of this money through other revenue streams such as car parking and retail/catering outlets.

It's a balancing act but I'm not sure the airport has got it quite right yet, at least from its passengers' viewpoint.

[bristolflyer]

I agree with many of the previous posts. I cannot see any airline filling the CO route. The original business plan of CO was to serve the regions with a 757 when they did not have access to LHR. It was a innovative plan. Times have changed and they now have full access. It no longer makes business sense for them to operate from BRS when they have 5 departures a day at LHR. My experience of the route has been similar to others. Business is quite thin on numbers, but economy quite full. The only hope I can see is that CO comes back when the economy picks up, on a summer basis. AA were the other airline originally in the mix for BRS and announced they were going to launch a service from Newcastle, but got cold feet. I can't see any airline that operates from LHR to the States looking at BRS. I can't see EK coming either. BRS already has two hub connections at CDG and AMS. The Lufthansa route is the most important to get back. The plan for the airport appears to divide it in two. The western walkway will be basic for Lo-co whilst the revamped eastern end will have airbridges and be more full service. The new walkway may not have moving walkways, but it will be a vast improvement on the Eastern Anderson Shelter. The Terminal experience is crowded, but the airport has to maximize revenue. It's no different to Gatwick or Heathrow. Both have cut back on seating to provide retail floorspace. It is a blow that CO have pulled out, but it must be put in perspective. Passenger numbers are rising again and the airport has a comprehensive network. It is the largest airport outside of London, bar BHX, MAN and EDI and GLA, and that's something to be proud of!

[PeterP]

Sadly, the demise of BISON has left Bristol without a grass-roots voice. In fact, no such voice now exists for any SW/West Country airport.

Anyone interested in getting a region-wide organisation up to support the West's air industry, please PM me. But only if you are prepared to put some effort in!

[Bristol_Traveller]

I would just like to briefly share with you the irony of the fact that I am trying to fly back EWR-BRS on 14-APR, and business class is now full.

Drat.

An enforced "Econybed" beckons. (And economy is looking pretty full too).