LUTON -8
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EasyJet
A quick look at the easyJet summer schedules and whilst no new routes yet, there seems to be some increased frequencies & all the new winter routes continuing with some frequency increases like to Rome & Lyon. Will summer 2015 mean extra aircraft at Luton compared to this summer?
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Dubrovnik, Cagliari, Porto & Jersey added in due course
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Dubrovnik, Cagliari, Porto & Jersey added in due course
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Jersey ain't happening. There's no market for it especially as they've gone to town (in relative terms) on the Gatwick-Jersey route three times daily. Look what happened to the Southend-Jersey as soon as the Gatwick service was announced.
I personally flew loads of 6-12 people on the 78 seater Q400 from Luton to Jersey and in the opposite direction. Granted Flybe overcharged but that to me still indicates the appetite isn't there.
I personally flew loads of 6-12 people on the 78 seater Q400 from Luton to Jersey and in the opposite direction. Granted Flybe overcharged but that to me still indicates the appetite isn't there.
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Indeed. I think partly the decline of the tourism industry in Jersey and partly (for the islanders anyway) there's pretty much nowhere that you can get to from Luton that you can't from Gatwick.
(Plus Flybe's dubious pricing and lack of marketing of course but even with that fixed I don't think it's a sustainable route)
(Plus Flybe's dubious pricing and lack of marketing of course but even with that fixed I don't think it's a sustainable route)
Last edited by RexBanner; 3rd Sep 2014 at 18:38.
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What I don't understand is why EZY added MUC to LTN when it already flies from STN.
Sure EZY do fly some routes from 3 LON airports. However as a route which will have business appeal, why do they fly a once daily midday service from STN and a service that isn't even daily from LTN?
If this area of the market has that level of demand for flights to MUC, why didn't they just keep it at STN and increase it to twice daily (or at least 11 / 12x weekly) with morning and evening flights? (Or if STN is really that bad for them, move the route entirely to LTN as they have with CPH and LYS). That way it would be of some use to business passengers.
They don't seem to give two hoots about potential (or existing) customers they may be losing by stupid decisions like this, so long as their bottom line is better!!
Sure EZY do fly some routes from 3 LON airports. However as a route which will have business appeal, why do they fly a once daily midday service from STN and a service that isn't even daily from LTN?
If this area of the market has that level of demand for flights to MUC, why didn't they just keep it at STN and increase it to twice daily (or at least 11 / 12x weekly) with morning and evening flights? (Or if STN is really that bad for them, move the route entirely to LTN as they have with CPH and LYS). That way it would be of some use to business passengers.
They don't seem to give two hoots about potential (or existing) customers they may be losing by stupid decisions like this, so long as their bottom line is better!!
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easyJet to Munich
FRatSTN, whilst I totally get your point that a twice daily service to MUC from either LTN or STN might seem a more logical option than splitting the route across both airports & potentially diluting the ability to attract business passengers, I find it hard to believe that easyJet haven't done their research into how to get the best out of the route, so your suggestion that "they don't seem to give two hoots about potential (or existing) customers they may be losing by stupid decisions like this, so long as their bottom line is better" seems a bit strange to me. Why would they go out of their way to lose potential passengers from a route they are trying to grow?
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wallp - I think FRatSTN makes a fair point about losing passengers.
As an example look at the example of KRK from SEN. Consistently it has achieved load factors in the very high 90s. Numbers on their services from LGW are reportedly remaining equally high. Yields from SEN appear no lower than LGW. Yet the route will cease later this month. The SEN schedule has more than enough slack over the winter to service the route, so the loss of an aircraft at the base can't be the reason.
Additionally at SEN, the AMS route which has been a roaring success drops down to 2 daily next summer.
Possibly they have put too much emphasis on LGW, and have neglected other London opportunities. LTN has gained routes certainly, but few it seems are conducive to the needs of business travel. If their strategy is to focus on south (LGW), East (SEN) and north (LTN) thats fine, but the offer for non-sunshine routes between SEN, LTN and STN just seems a bit muddled
As an example look at the example of KRK from SEN. Consistently it has achieved load factors in the very high 90s. Numbers on their services from LGW are reportedly remaining equally high. Yields from SEN appear no lower than LGW. Yet the route will cease later this month. The SEN schedule has more than enough slack over the winter to service the route, so the loss of an aircraft at the base can't be the reason.
Additionally at SEN, the AMS route which has been a roaring success drops down to 2 daily next summer.
Possibly they have put too much emphasis on LGW, and have neglected other London opportunities. LTN has gained routes certainly, but few it seems are conducive to the needs of business travel. If their strategy is to focus on south (LGW), East (SEN) and north (LTN) thats fine, but the offer for non-sunshine routes between SEN, LTN and STN just seems a bit muddled
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Perhaps in part it depends how easyJet view a particular route. AMS for example is obviously seen as both a business and leisure destination and the timings of flights from LTN for instance at the beginning & end of the day attract passengers on business or leisure trips.
Perhaps with a route such as MUC, its not seen primarily as a business route from LTN or STN hence the flight timings they have gone with?
You're right that the focus of easyJet's business is clearly around LGW and perhaps more could be done elsewhere. LTN does seem to be benefitting from more routes & frequencies. Hopefully as the airport expands, this will increase and maybe more flights and routes timed for business travellers will be the result. Time will tell.
Perhaps with a route such as MUC, its not seen primarily as a business route from LTN or STN hence the flight timings they have gone with?
You're right that the focus of easyJet's business is clearly around LGW and perhaps more could be done elsewhere. LTN does seem to be benefitting from more routes & frequencies. Hopefully as the airport expands, this will increase and maybe more flights and routes timed for business travellers will be the result. Time will tell.
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Wasn't Easyjet's LTN expansion pretty much guaranteed with the expansion of the airport. It is pretty much a given that more and more flights will head this way over the next few years.
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I wouldn't be surprised if easyJet come in and mop up the routes Monarch are dropping next year...
They already serve Corfu, but we might see the frequencies increase on that, currently at four times a week...
I wonder if we might see them try and operate Antalya and Bodrum, maybe on like a twice weekly schedule. Antalya is only flown from Gatwick, so might be an opportunity and Bodrum from Stansted and Gatwick.
Turkey is now nearly as popular a summer destination as Spain and seeing these two routes missing from Summer 2015 airport schedule is quite a shame.
There is always AtlasJet too! Im sure there have been rumours on here for a while of them adding Antalya.
Lets not be all too dissapointed by the Summer 2015 schedule so far, it is only bookable until 2015 with easyJet, from what I can see. When they try new routes from the airport, they have previously only operated them for the peak season, June to September.
We might also be drip fed any new routes over the coming months, they usually try to get the exisiting routes on sale first, and any new routes could take to be announced from now right up until February time. Only some of the new Winter routes were announced no sooner than four months before they are due to commence.
They already serve Corfu, but we might see the frequencies increase on that, currently at four times a week...
I wonder if we might see them try and operate Antalya and Bodrum, maybe on like a twice weekly schedule. Antalya is only flown from Gatwick, so might be an opportunity and Bodrum from Stansted and Gatwick.
Turkey is now nearly as popular a summer destination as Spain and seeing these two routes missing from Summer 2015 airport schedule is quite a shame.
There is always AtlasJet too! Im sure there have been rumours on here for a while of them adding Antalya.
Lets not be all too dissapointed by the Summer 2015 schedule so far, it is only bookable until 2015 with easyJet, from what I can see. When they try new routes from the airport, they have previously only operated them for the peak season, June to September.
We might also be drip fed any new routes over the coming months, they usually try to get the exisiting routes on sale first, and any new routes could take to be announced from now right up until February time. Only some of the new Winter routes were announced no sooner than four months before they are due to commence.
Sometimes another London airport (e.g. STN or LGW) gets a route and after a few years, LTN supporters want to see a route to that same city. After all, if STN is deserving, surely LTN should be as well... so the argument seems to be.
I'm wondering if this is perhaps a risky strategy to follow, particularly as we have gone from 1 very dominant London airport operator with 2 much more minor players, to now having 6 London airports each with a different and independent owner. More competition between airports likely means major airlines can play airports off against each other to an airline's (not the airport's) best advantage.
If, for example, Easyjet serve a destination from LTN, LGW and STN, then each of the 3 London airports effectively has 2 competing routes from the start. For those travelling to an airport by train / coach, an open jaw (e.g. fly LGW - BCN - LTN) becomes very possible if price and flight times are suitable. Given Easyjet is much larger at LGW than at LTN, LGW perhaps has a ready made profitability advantage, and LTN is fighting from a disadvantage (unless LTN wants to offer very cheap airport fees).
Perhaps LTN might have a slightly stronger position seeking routes which are not already served from an alternate London airport ? While Ryanair has done this in a big way at STN, there's no reason why LTN can't take this approach as well in part. Routes to some of Wizz's more minor airports (e.g. Craiova or Poprad) where there is no competing London route look rather more stable...
I'm wondering if this is perhaps a risky strategy to follow, particularly as we have gone from 1 very dominant London airport operator with 2 much more minor players, to now having 6 London airports each with a different and independent owner. More competition between airports likely means major airlines can play airports off against each other to an airline's (not the airport's) best advantage.
If, for example, Easyjet serve a destination from LTN, LGW and STN, then each of the 3 London airports effectively has 2 competing routes from the start. For those travelling to an airport by train / coach, an open jaw (e.g. fly LGW - BCN - LTN) becomes very possible if price and flight times are suitable. Given Easyjet is much larger at LGW than at LTN, LGW perhaps has a ready made profitability advantage, and LTN is fighting from a disadvantage (unless LTN wants to offer very cheap airport fees).
Perhaps LTN might have a slightly stronger position seeking routes which are not already served from an alternate London airport ? While Ryanair has done this in a big way at STN, there's no reason why LTN can't take this approach as well in part. Routes to some of Wizz's more minor airports (e.g. Craiova or Poprad) where there is no competing London route look rather more stable...
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I don't think MUC is a slot issue. When flights only went from STN there used to be 3 flights a day but flights have been switched to LGW for business with STN focussed more on leisure. Isuspect LTN might just be a seasonal ski flight thing and an opportunity to kick Monarch while they're down.
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4You Airlines - New Route to Lodz
Seems like the airport has attracted another new airline...
This looks like a brand new Polish start up, with the airline called 4You Airlines and will be operating from their new base at Lodz and will be flying twice weekly with an A320...
They will be operating a number of routes within Europe from Lodz and Rzeszow, all commencing from the 2nd November.
Seems a brave move by this airline to be operating Luton to Lodz, as they will be competing directly against Ryanair from Stansted and is one of the few airports in Poland without a Wizzair service, which is bound to happen some time in the near future!
Even though their is very little information on the new route here in the UK or the airline for that matter, but they seem genuine and not some pie in the sky airline! They have already received three A320's, and have a website taking bookings (in Polish only). Also Lodz and Rzeszow airport websites are marketing the airline and their new routes.
There is however one mystery in the schedule, the return flight back to Lodz is 7-8 hours after its arrival... Also the flight numbers for the outward flight to Luton does not correspond with the return flight, which makes me think if we are going to see them operating a "W" flight from the airport which is yet to be announced... Maybe Rzeszow their other base for example - Lodz-Luton-Rzeszow-Luton-Lodz.
Schedule as it currently is:
Twice Weekly Days 2 and 6 of the Week.
(Not sure which days they are, as some consider Sunday's and others Monday's the start of the week!)
AMQ131 - Lodz 0600 ---> Luton 0815
AMQ134 - Luton 1510 ---> Lodz 1735
The schedule on the airlines booking engine website, is slightly different times, but I don't speak or read Polish, so stuck with the English version on the airports website.
Sources
Airline Fleet - 4YOU Airlines Fleet of A320 (Active) | Airfleets aviation
Flight Schedule - Flight timetable - Port Lotniczy ?ód? im. W?adys?awa Reymonta
Airline Website - Bilety Lotnicze - 4YouAirlines
This looks like a brand new Polish start up, with the airline called 4You Airlines and will be operating from their new base at Lodz and will be flying twice weekly with an A320...
They will be operating a number of routes within Europe from Lodz and Rzeszow, all commencing from the 2nd November.
Seems a brave move by this airline to be operating Luton to Lodz, as they will be competing directly against Ryanair from Stansted and is one of the few airports in Poland without a Wizzair service, which is bound to happen some time in the near future!
Even though their is very little information on the new route here in the UK or the airline for that matter, but they seem genuine and not some pie in the sky airline! They have already received three A320's, and have a website taking bookings (in Polish only). Also Lodz and Rzeszow airport websites are marketing the airline and their new routes.
There is however one mystery in the schedule, the return flight back to Lodz is 7-8 hours after its arrival... Also the flight numbers for the outward flight to Luton does not correspond with the return flight, which makes me think if we are going to see them operating a "W" flight from the airport which is yet to be announced... Maybe Rzeszow their other base for example - Lodz-Luton-Rzeszow-Luton-Lodz.
Schedule as it currently is:
Twice Weekly Days 2 and 6 of the Week.
(Not sure which days they are, as some consider Sunday's and others Monday's the start of the week!)
AMQ131 - Lodz 0600 ---> Luton 0815
AMQ134 - Luton 1510 ---> Lodz 1735
The schedule on the airlines booking engine website, is slightly different times, but I don't speak or read Polish, so stuck with the English version on the airports website.
Sources
Airline Fleet - 4YOU Airlines Fleet of A320 (Active) | Airfleets aviation
Flight Schedule - Flight timetable - Port Lotniczy ?ód? im. W?adys?awa Reymonta
Airline Website - Bilety Lotnicze - 4YouAirlines
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Brave indeed, presumably it will mean Wizz taking them on & if that happens there can surely only be one winner?
Good to see new airlines at Luton but I have a hunch this one sadly may not last too long
Good to see new airlines at Luton but I have a hunch this one sadly may not last too long
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An airline flying a route twice a week is always going to find it tough going competing with Ryanair flying a route 6 times a week as the flexibility of flying on the day of the passengers choosing is a big factor when booking a flight.