SOUTHAMPTON
Join Date: Oct 2004
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SOU always a non-starter really. I thinks its 6 times in six years.
New management seem to have a much better grasp of what bases/routes should be operating.
It's just a bit sh>tty for the crews involved.
New management seem to have a much better grasp of what bases/routes should be operating.
It's just a bit sh>tty for the crews involved.
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Eastern Airways are still operating SOU-ABZ. Flights are availabe for a long time, even into next year I think.
However they appear to be pulling out of Bristol on 19th April. No doubt the BMI Regional move onto the route has something to do with that!
However they appear to be pulling out of Bristol on 19th April. No doubt the BMI Regional move onto the route has something to do with that!
Join Date: Nov 2006
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BMI
It would be good for SOU if BMI did commence flights from the airport to give some sort of competition to Flybe and to restart the former Flybe
routes to Brussels and Frankfurt as well as adding destinations that they currently offer from other UK airports to the likes of Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Zurich as well as an Aberdeen route probably to start off with but I know the stands are in short supply at SOU but if BMI timed there flights I am sure they could fit in a sizeable operation from the airport.
routes to Brussels and Frankfurt as well as adding destinations that they currently offer from other UK airports to the likes of Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Zurich as well as an Aberdeen route probably to start off with but I know the stands are in short supply at SOU but if BMI timed there flights I am sure they could fit in a sizeable operation from the airport.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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Eastern are still doing the Aberdeen just in reverse, i.e a/c based in Aberdeen. Brussels will be a problem for anyone because of slots available in Brussels at the right time. Flybe F**** the operations of a lot of airlines who operated there about about 6 years ago.
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Once again I am reading on several threads destination wish lists from well meaning contributors. However economic reality means these lists will continue to be that, a wish! If airlines thought there was money to be made the routes would be flown. Yield is the key to success and to achieve that you need enough people wanting to fly from A to B at a viable price.
V.
V.
Join Date: Sep 2006
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vectisman
Eastern 7 years ago operated 3 daily southampton - Brussels flights. The first departed at about 0700am the next 2 1400 and 1730ish. This regular service meant that business people which Eastern attract rather than cheap tourists could do a days work and return the same day, avoiding expensive hotel stays.
This worked until Flybe began domestic domination by jumping on existing routes by other carriers and swamped the routes with oversize aircraft and services to get the competitor off the route at any cost, which has proved to be putting nails in their own coffin but thats another story.
Once the competitor was gone they then reduced the number of services back down to one daily at inconvenient times which the business man/woman did not like any they dissapeared to London and would also include expensive overnight Brussels accommodation if they flew from Southampton. The passengers left in droves and eventually Flybe pulled off the route. Eastern then try to resurrect the route but the only slot times available were the crappy mid morning/early afternoon which nobody wanted. Hence pull of route which was opearating quite nicely
I hope this explains thing clearly
Eastern 7 years ago operated 3 daily southampton - Brussels flights. The first departed at about 0700am the next 2 1400 and 1730ish. This regular service meant that business people which Eastern attract rather than cheap tourists could do a days work and return the same day, avoiding expensive hotel stays.
This worked until Flybe began domestic domination by jumping on existing routes by other carriers and swamped the routes with oversize aircraft and services to get the competitor off the route at any cost, which has proved to be putting nails in their own coffin but thats another story.
Once the competitor was gone they then reduced the number of services back down to one daily at inconvenient times which the business man/woman did not like any they dissapeared to London and would also include expensive overnight Brussels accommodation if they flew from Southampton. The passengers left in droves and eventually Flybe pulled off the route. Eastern then try to resurrect the route but the only slot times available were the crappy mid morning/early afternoon which nobody wanted. Hence pull of route which was opearating quite nicely
I hope this explains thing clearly
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Thank you Wellington Bomber for your very clear response.
However I would say that if Eastern were doing so well and were supported by the business types why was the service withdrawn? They managed to hold their own against Flybe on the Newcastle-Aberdeen route from which Flybe did withdraw.
V.
However I would say that if Eastern were doing so well and were supported by the business types why was the service withdrawn? They managed to hold their own against Flybe on the Newcastle-Aberdeen route from which Flybe did withdraw.
V.
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Eastern's problems were the timing of the slot which was inconvenient and their pricing. Arriving in Brussels about 1330 and leaving at 1400 meant that all business trips had to include a night stop. They also charged about twice the price of Flybe and that was for a discounted non-flexible seat. The full price flexible ticket was ridiculous and with businesses tightening belts very few were willing to pay for it.
In my opinion they totally ignored the tourist market which would have filled the aircraft on Friday and Sunday/Monday if the prices had been attractive, their marketing was poor. It was cheaper to take a taxi to Heathrow and fly with BA than it was to use Eastern.
I watched the passenger numbers dwindle over the last 4 years as firstly the Flybe slot times became unattractive then the Eastern price rises put them out of the market. When I first started on the route we would have 60 passengers on Flybe, but that reduced to about 20 when they dropped the route. The numbers who took up with Eastern stared at about 15 but that had dropped to 5 when they closed the route.
I must admit that I was willing to pay for the convenience compared to my current 7 hour commute by Eurostar.
In my opinion they totally ignored the tourist market which would have filled the aircraft on Friday and Sunday/Monday if the prices had been attractive, their marketing was poor. It was cheaper to take a taxi to Heathrow and fly with BA than it was to use Eastern.
I watched the passenger numbers dwindle over the last 4 years as firstly the Flybe slot times became unattractive then the Eastern price rises put them out of the market. When I first started on the route we would have 60 passengers on Flybe, but that reduced to about 20 when they dropped the route. The numbers who took up with Eastern stared at about 15 but that had dropped to 5 when they closed the route.
I must admit that I was willing to pay for the convenience compared to my current 7 hour commute by Eurostar.
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Eastern Airways are still operating SOU-ABZ. Flights are availabe for a long time, even into next year I think.
However they appear to be pulling out of Bristol on 19th April. No doubt the BMI Regional move onto the route has something to do with that!
However they appear to be pulling out of Bristol on 19th April. No doubt the BMI Regional move onto the route has something to do with that!
Join Date: Apr 2007
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...But Eastern appear to be keeping the Sunday evening departure to ABZ on the Saab 2000 albeit via MME. So its going to be just a single weekday return ABZ/SOU/ABZ direct flight on the J41's..is there room here for another carrier to come in with a more moderate pricing policy that might also appeal to the leisure traveller or is ABZ really only for the business traveller?
Join Date: May 2009
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I hope BMI Regional can spare an aircraft to operate the route, they would be a fairly ideal compromise between being business friendly but also not too expensive for leisure travellers assuming they operated something like a 12 weekly schedule (Early morning/Late evening on weekdays + early Sat and late Sun flights). Of course, this is assuming Flybe stay away from it, as they know it hasn't worked from past experience.
Join Date: Apr 2010
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"Eastern appear to be keeping the Sunday evening departure to ABZ"
there's a big market for people who work in Aberdeen but base themselves somewhere (ANYWERE) civilised - Friday afternoon/evening ABZ is packed with people desperate to get home and they come back late Sunday or first thing Monday
there's a big market for people who work in Aberdeen but base themselves somewhere (ANYWERE) civilised - Friday afternoon/evening ABZ is packed with people desperate to get home and they come back late Sunday or first thing Monday
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Deep fried Mars
Nice one Richard I had a chuckle at that :-)
Obviously no real offence to those from Aberdeen though!
But on a different note during the summer there must be a certain amount of demand from Aberdeen to Southampton, working in the cruise industry in Southampton I have come across a considerable amount of passengers coming from the Aberdeen area and many fly from Edinburgh due to the cost of the Eastern flights or there schedules on ABZ to SOU.
I personally would love BMI Regional to consider taking up the ABZ to SOU route along with possible further expansion from Southampton in particular to Brussels and Frankfurt and a few others.
Although I have mentioned this before I seriously think that if BMI Regional enter the SOU market it would give them a good business opportunity plus a southern gateway and SOU needs the prime European city business links so lacking at the moment with only Paris presently served albeit Orly.
Obviously no real offence to those from Aberdeen though!
But on a different note during the summer there must be a certain amount of demand from Aberdeen to Southampton, working in the cruise industry in Southampton I have come across a considerable amount of passengers coming from the Aberdeen area and many fly from Edinburgh due to the cost of the Eastern flights or there schedules on ABZ to SOU.
I personally would love BMI Regional to consider taking up the ABZ to SOU route along with possible further expansion from Southampton in particular to Brussels and Frankfurt and a few others.
Although I have mentioned this before I seriously think that if BMI Regional enter the SOU market it would give them a good business opportunity plus a southern gateway and SOU needs the prime European city business links so lacking at the moment with only Paris presently served albeit Orly.
Last edited by canberra97; 15th Apr 2013 at 02:26.
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Richard
if you are lucky we'll have a whip-round and buy you a bus ticket south...........
I can remember a copy of the P&J with the headline
"Aberdeen bakes in 68F heatwave..."
if you are lucky we'll have a whip-round and buy you a bus ticket south...........
I can remember a copy of the P&J with the headline
"Aberdeen bakes in 68F heatwave..."
Last edited by Heathrow Harry; 18th Apr 2013 at 12:33.