SOUTHAMPTON
Join Date: Dec 2011
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Great to see some new routes and especially finally the appearance of Barcelona! Will be booking a visit as soon as possible 
.
The Norwich one could be interesting, certainly one hell of a drive. Has this route been served before does anyone know?
.The Norwich one could be interesting, certainly one hell of a drive. Has this route been served before does anyone know?
Join Date: Nov 2006
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Norwich
Regarding the Norwich route, I work for Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises in the Port of Southampton and we do have a substantial amount of guests that come from the East Anglia area.
Flybe work very closely with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises with guests entitled to discounted domestic flights and a shuttle coach service directly from outside the airport terminal to the ship.
East Anglia is not covered by our large coach network direct rom the Port of Southampton so this Saturday flight could be a sucess as it is a long journey by car around the M25 or by train where you have to change in London which is not good if you have several large bags to carry.
And at long last the BCN flight has been confirmed by Vueling, I will for sure be flying them this summer!
Lets hope both routes are a succes as they are very welcome additions to the route portfolio at SOU.
Flybe work very closely with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises with guests entitled to discounted domestic flights and a shuttle coach service directly from outside the airport terminal to the ship.
East Anglia is not covered by our large coach network direct rom the Port of Southampton so this Saturday flight could be a sucess as it is a long journey by car around the M25 or by train where you have to change in London which is not good if you have several large bags to carry.
And at long last the BCN flight has been confirmed by Vueling, I will for sure be flying them this summer!
Lets hope both routes are a succes as they are very welcome additions to the route portfolio at SOU.
Indeed Canberra, as I illuded in my original post, BE are very much aiming the NWI flights at cruise pax. I am booked on a P&O cruise myself in April, and although not relevant for me as I am approx. 40 miles from SOU, there were a lot of offers available on flights into SOU from regional airports with BE.
Incidentally, this flight could easily be identified from the outset as a franchised operation (ie, Loganair or Suckling) - the flight number format (BE6xxx) is the giveaway.
Incidentally, this flight could easily be identified from the outset as a franchised operation (ie, Loganair or Suckling) - the flight number format (BE6xxx) is the giveaway.
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Obviously any new route is welcome but surely another domestic French route such as Tours will only merely dilute the other existing routes? I guess if it runs on alternative days to Limoges etc then its worth it?
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Flybe
Flybe need to expand a bit further afield from SOU rather then saturate there French portfolio, maybe try a Lyon or Marseille route but I am surprised they have not ventured into Italy with the likes of Milan, Bergamo, Turin, Venice, Pisa, Florence also further into Germany with Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and also Copenhagen, Madrid, Vienna and Zurich.
I am not saying they should fly to all of these destiantions but they are in reach of SOU and important business and leisure destainations.
Maybe Lufthansa flying to Frankfurt twice daily with a morning and early evening flight and with a mid day Munich flight they seem to be expanding in the UK regions, also an Air Nostrum (Iberia) flight to Madrid perhaps 3 times a week would work.
I work in the cruise industry in the Port of Southampton and a large amount of German guests come to the port to join their ships especially from the Hamburg area, sometimes upto 500 at a time and many fly via LHR or even coach over so I honestly think a Hamburg service would be viable even if it was a summer only route.
Same with Madrid and and the amount of language students that come from Spain and in particulary Madrid to the Southampton/Bournemouth areas, I know they would not exactly make the route viable but with inward and outward tourism as well as business travellers I could see this route work well with flights 2 or 3 times a week.
Same again with Zurich, with Zurish Insurance having their UK HQ being based in Portsmouth, I know this route was previously flown by BA but SOU is a different place now and this is another route I think would work.
Perhaps Easyjet might move there winter only flight from BOH to GVA to SOU they may even expand to further routes if they did and make it a year around operation, I can't see there being any operational performance problems with their A319s from SOU and if not why the case for them to be flying from BOH when surely SOU would be more of an advantage to them as it has a larger cathcment area along with better transport options.
BAA should be looking at expanding apron space and extending the taxiways at SOU.
I am not saying they should fly to all of these destiantions but they are in reach of SOU and important business and leisure destainations.
Maybe Lufthansa flying to Frankfurt twice daily with a morning and early evening flight and with a mid day Munich flight they seem to be expanding in the UK regions, also an Air Nostrum (Iberia) flight to Madrid perhaps 3 times a week would work.
I work in the cruise industry in the Port of Southampton and a large amount of German guests come to the port to join their ships especially from the Hamburg area, sometimes upto 500 at a time and many fly via LHR or even coach over so I honestly think a Hamburg service would be viable even if it was a summer only route.
Same with Madrid and and the amount of language students that come from Spain and in particulary Madrid to the Southampton/Bournemouth areas, I know they would not exactly make the route viable but with inward and outward tourism as well as business travellers I could see this route work well with flights 2 or 3 times a week.
Same again with Zurich, with Zurish Insurance having their UK HQ being based in Portsmouth, I know this route was previously flown by BA but SOU is a different place now and this is another route I think would work.
Perhaps Easyjet might move there winter only flight from BOH to GVA to SOU they may even expand to further routes if they did and make it a year around operation, I can't see there being any operational performance problems with their A319s from SOU and if not why the case for them to be flying from BOH when surely SOU would be more of an advantage to them as it has a larger cathcment area along with better transport options.
BAA should be looking at expanding apron space and extending the taxiways at SOU.
I can't see there being any operational performance problems with their A319s from SOU
Last edited by Groundloop; 19th Jan 2012 at 11:03.
JSCL said:
Well, plenty of people have, as BE some years back operated a Bergamo route on the Dash, and last year I believe Verona was on the Dash aswell.
I find the Dash quite acceptable in terms of space and comfort for a few hours flying, which is what these sectors are. The view is often also more interesting from FL250 than it is from FL370
Would you really want to sit on a Dash 8 from SOU to Italy?
I find the Dash quite acceptable in terms of space and comfort for a few hours flying, which is what these sectors are. The view is often also more interesting from FL250 than it is from FL370
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JSCL - I don't think the majority really care. I personally don't like sitting on a 747 for 12 hours but I do. Its a plane and it gets you there.
Groundloop - Yes but what yeilds do they get at Bournemouth? The point is a plane with 20 less pax probably makes as much money or if not more then a full plane at Bournemouth. Just the facts, don't shoot the messenger.
Groundloop - Yes but what yeilds do they get at Bournemouth? The point is a plane with 20 less pax probably makes as much money or if not more then a full plane at Bournemouth. Just the facts, don't shoot the messenger.
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Flybe
I am aware of Flybe flying from SOU to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Hannover but with Lufthansa expanding their UK presence I would not be surprised if they would operate from SOU to FRA, with more conveniant timings then Flybe and use their FRA hub for worldwide connections something lacking at SOU since Flybe moved the Paris flight from CDG to ORY although Flybe do fly from SOU to AMS another hub offering worldwide connections from SOU can't be a bad thing especially.
Groundloop - Yes but what yeilds do they get at Bournemouth?
Anyway, concentrating on "yield" is not the best way for an airline to make money - the total "revenue" from the flight is more important. Yield management and revenue management are not the same thing.
Plus with 20 more pax you have 20 more people to spend on board.
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'Do people who fly from SOU have more money and are willing to pay more?'
Yes, they are predominately business customers rather then families looking for a cheap getaway.
'Anyway, concentrating on "yield" is not the best way for an airline to make money'
Ok then, with this in mind, why is Bournemouth (the so called proverbial apple waiting to be picked) not being touched with a barge pole by any airline looking to create a base? Maybe this is pure speculation but I reckon it has something to do with that word "yield". Ok having a 90% load factor but if they have all paid £10?
Yes, they are predominately business customers rather then families looking for a cheap getaway.
'Anyway, concentrating on "yield" is not the best way for an airline to make money'
Ok then, with this in mind, why is Bournemouth (the so called proverbial apple waiting to be picked) not being touched with a barge pole by any airline looking to create a base? Maybe this is pure speculation but I reckon it has something to do with that word "yield". Ok having a 90% load factor but if they have all paid £10?
Join Date: May 2009
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BAA seem to be in no hurry to update the website with the new routes! Norwich is on the timetable but there's no sign of Tours and Barcelona or press releases for any of them. Also no sign of the TCX Ibiza on the charter timetable and the TOM flight has yet to be removed. In addition to this Dijon was never added to the timetable and Alghero and Varna are still on it along with the route map, and neither of these has operated for years!!
C'mon BAA, it can't be that hard to put a press release together and update the timetables!
C'mon BAA, it can't be that hard to put a press release together and update the timetables!
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Air France to Lyon?
I noticed on SOU's wiki page a seasonal Lyon has been added by Air France operated by its regional subsidy starting from the 30th June.
I am well aware of how inaccurate wikipedia can be at times but could there be any substance behind this?
After all Lyon seems to a logical and fairly significant French destination to add especially when you consider some of the desinations Flybe fly to in France from SOU!!
I am well aware of how inaccurate wikipedia can be at times but could there be any substance behind this?
After all Lyon seems to a logical and fairly significant French destination to add especially when you consider some of the desinations Flybe fly to in France from SOU!!