SOUTHEND - 3 The new beginning
For 2 centuries, Dresden was known as "Florence on the Elbe", the Elbe being the local river
Then in 1945, we made a really good job of trashing it. The Soviet Union took over for 44 years, travel there became difficult and the communists took their own political standpoint over restoration of the city. Finally in 1990, the locals began a major effort to restore the old city - they finished the job a few years ago
It's a city for culture vultures - not really a place for stag dos and hen parties hoping for cheap booze and other forms of vice.
Went there last month - was surprised at how little English was being spoken by tourists on the streets, but strongly recommended
Then in 1945, we made a really good job of trashing it. The Soviet Union took over for 44 years, travel there became difficult and the communists took their own political standpoint over restoration of the city. Finally in 1990, the locals began a major effort to restore the old city - they finished the job a few years ago
It's a city for culture vultures - not really a place for stag dos and hen parties hoping for cheap booze and other forms of vice.
Went there last month - was surprised at how little English was being spoken by tourists on the streets, but strongly recommended
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 6th Sep 2012 at 14:51.
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Essex
Posts: 800
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Easyjet summer 2013 flights on the booking system. no surprises as yet. similar timetable Bcn not operating on Wednesday to make way for Vienna flight. jersey looks 3 x weekly next summer.
I've been having a dig through the low fare calendar for the SEN-SCN and SEN-DRS routes. I note that for every day a flight operates from October to March, fares are available for 49 euros on each route in either direction.
I realise that SEN-SCN doesn't start for almost 4 weeks, while the SEN-DRS doesn't start for 6 weeks, but I'm still a little concerned for 2 reasons:
1 - Could someone reassure me that as the dates of the flights approaches, fares will definitely go up ?
2 - Why is there no apparent differentiation in price for flights between different dates, even around dates (e.g. just before Xmas) when demand is likely to be higher ? I know there is no past data, but a bit of intelligent guesswork should be possible here...
It's not that I have a secret desire to pay lots of my cash to an airline, just that I want to know OLT Express has a good grip on revenue management, has a decent chance of not losing a fortune, and that the routes have a fair chance of long term survival.
I realise that SEN-SCN doesn't start for almost 4 weeks, while the SEN-DRS doesn't start for 6 weeks, but I'm still a little concerned for 2 reasons:
1 - Could someone reassure me that as the dates of the flights approaches, fares will definitely go up ?
2 - Why is there no apparent differentiation in price for flights between different dates, even around dates (e.g. just before Xmas) when demand is likely to be higher ? I know there is no past data, but a bit of intelligent guesswork should be possible here...
It's not that I have a secret desire to pay lots of my cash to an airline, just that I want to know OLT Express has a good grip on revenue management, has a decent chance of not losing a fortune, and that the routes have a fair chance of long term survival.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: In the sticks
Posts: 9,862
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Might be sound advice to pay at least £100, pay by credit card, go sooner rather than later and don't book any accommodation until the night before travel.
Last edited by LTNman; 7th Sep 2012 at 05:22.
As far as SCN-SEN is concerned, having a basic entry fare of 49 euros available for all dates is probably as good a way as any of gauging demand. Profit/loss for the first few months is less important than ensuring that you get a transfer of pax onto the route from those who currently use other departure points to London. It should also help identify the strength or otherwise of the potential for leisure traffic and the weighting for each day of operation with a view to schedule adjustments as appropriate.
With DRS-LON being only a recently vacated route it might have been expected that there would be more variable fares from day one. I'm not aware of what the fare levels were when bmi/LH operated DRS-LHR until March this year.
One would expect Panta to have budgeted for losing a reasonable amount of money on their new OLT routes with the initial aim being to establish a good client base. I would assume they have the resources as well as "a good grip on revenue management" in view of their previous industry experience.
With DRS-LON being only a recently vacated route it might have been expected that there would be more variable fares from day one. I'm not aware of what the fare levels were when bmi/LH operated DRS-LHR until March this year.
One would expect Panta to have budgeted for losing a reasonable amount of money on their new OLT routes with the initial aim being to establish a good client base. I would assume they have the resources as well as "a good grip on revenue management" in view of their previous industry experience.
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Essex
Posts: 101
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Air Berlin used to have the same 'lowest fare' available across every route when they went on sale, no matter what time, day of the week, distance or time of year. Maybe it's a German thing.
I keep looking at OLT Express' new routes from Southend and am growing a little puzzled.
The Saarbrucken route begins on 2nd October - i.e. 19 days time
A Google for the airline name still throws up plenty of links on the first page to the bankrupt Polish namesake and related negative press articles
The airline still does not have an English language website
Southend airport's website has no mention that OLT even will serve Southend, never mind publicising their existence - I find this astonishing.
Dresden airport's website makes good mention of OLT's new routes, but OLT on Saarbrucken's website is very low profile.
The flights do not appear to be listed on any GDS or major retail flight booking websites.
Has anyone seen any marketing by the airline in the UK (apart from an article in the Southend Echo) to start sales going ? There seems to have been some noise in the German media, but very little in the UK apart from aviation trade press.
Alternatively, are the flights aimed pretty much entirely at Germans wanting to come to London ?
The Saarbrucken route begins on 2nd October - i.e. 19 days time
A Google for the airline name still throws up plenty of links on the first page to the bankrupt Polish namesake and related negative press articles
The airline still does not have an English language website
Southend airport's website has no mention that OLT even will serve Southend, never mind publicising their existence - I find this astonishing.
Dresden airport's website makes good mention of OLT's new routes, but OLT on Saarbrucken's website is very low profile.
The flights do not appear to be listed on any GDS or major retail flight booking websites.
Has anyone seen any marketing by the airline in the UK (apart from an article in the Southend Echo) to start sales going ? There seems to have been some noise in the German media, but very little in the UK apart from aviation trade press.
Alternatively, are the flights aimed pretty much entirely at Germans wanting to come to London ?
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 12th Sep 2012 at 23:10.
I would guess that SEN don't want to promote the routes until there is an English reservations system in place on the airline's website to avoid getting things thrown back at them when people try to book on the German language system.
Probably German originating traffic will predominate on those two routes, at least initially, but the airline has told me that an English language reservation system will be in place "soon". I told them that I wanted to book for October on the SCN route (which I do) but that I wouldn't be doing so until that was in place.
Probably German originating traffic will predominate on those two routes, at least initially, but the airline has told me that an English language reservation system will be in place "soon". I told them that I wanted to book for October on the SCN route (which I do) but that I wouldn't be doing so until that was in place.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On another forum a poster has said:
More definite (sort of) news about OLT Express. I imagine everyone has seen this reply from SEN to a Facebook query today:
"London Southend: We are currently in discussions with OLT Express GERMANY about flying out of London Southend Airport. Once all the plans have been finalised we will be able to provide further information about the service via. our website ."
So I guess there is real substance to this, and I imagine it is aimed at Germans flying to London rather than Brits flying to Saarbrucken - unless they have a Ford connection I suppose.
More definite (sort of) news about OLT Express. I imagine everyone has seen this reply from SEN to a Facebook query today:
"London Southend: We are currently in discussions with OLT Express GERMANY about flying out of London Southend Airport. Once all the plans have been finalised we will be able to provide further information about the service via. our website ."
So I guess there is real substance to this, and I imagine it is aimed at Germans flying to London rather than Brits flying to Saarbrucken - unless they have a Ford connection I suppose.
Spoke to PR today at Southend. The stated reason for a non-committal response on OLT Express is that while talks are in progress and likely that service to Saarbrucken and Dresden would come to fruition, no contract has been signed yet between airline and airport, so the airport are reluctant to make any definitive noise to the public at this stage.
While plausible, I have no idea if this stated contract status is true or not...
While plausible, I have no idea if this stated contract status is true or not...
Last edited by davidjohnson6; 13th Sep 2012 at 20:04.
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: In the sticks
Posts: 9,862
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Might well be the case that they are talking to more airports than just Southend and Southend is the lever to get a good deal elsewhere.
The airline will have to weigh up the probable free landing fees Southend might offer against lost passengers because they are using Southend against a more recognized London airport.
The airline will have to weigh up the probable free landing fees Southend might offer against lost passengers because they are using Southend against a more recognized London airport.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Essex
Posts: 1,109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Luton was certainly listed on the German website initially, but it has changed to Southend since and Southend features in several articles in the German media. Flying time to SEN would be less than to LTN and I'm not sure that many passengers will be put off because they've never heard of an airport if it's called "London". They'll be comforted by the direct train service.
Express - if fliggts are on sale I would imagine a contract has been signed. It puzzles me though that the PR bod(s) are under the impression that it has not and they are acting and advising the public on the basis of no contract being signed.
Nothing about the way PR people act surprises me anymore - and I don't mean specifically at SEN. They only tell you something based upon the last update from their commercial people and add their own spin. They are not always totally up to speed on the current commercial situation and are often using a 'script' that's a bit out of date.