LUTON -8
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Dublin
I've often wondered why DUB is only served 3 x daily by FR? It is one of the most popular destinations from Luton and has in the past been served on a more frequent basis and could surely sustain 4 or 5 flights per day and must be profitable, so am surprised FR don't make more of the route.
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For La Compagnie - I think adding maybe 3 extra services to EWR a week + a 3x weekly service to either IAD or DXB. It's good that they are sorting things out, but can't help that a partnership with an American carrier would be good for feed. Maybe JetBlue (Mint) or Virgin.
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I've often wondered why DUB is only served 3 x daily by FR? It is one of the most popular destinations from Luton and has in the past been served on a more frequent basis and could surely sustain 4 or 5 flights per day and must be profitable, so am surprised FR don't make more of the route.
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The only problem is them getting more 757's which ain't easy now a days. If there did I don't think we would see more than 3 planes at LTN in 5 years.
ILFC have six parked up at Lasham looking for new homes and Im sure Thomson will be happy to source them another 757 as they gradually wind down the fleet.
If La Compagnie do expand, I think it will be modest... Maybe an additional 757 will be used to add additonal frequencies from both Luton and Paris with maybe like 10 flights a week to Newark.
To be taken seriously as a business carrier they need to secure better slots into Newark, a 9pm arrival is pretty awful!
At the moment I get the impression they are attracting more the wealthy tourists going to New York, who would usually travel premium economy with the likes of BA/VS and are happy to splash a similar amount for the luxuries of this airline, while not paying mainstream airline business class fares.
The airline also really needs to source another aircraft in any case as a back up, as they are very vulnerable with only a fleet of two aircraft and if one goes tech they are buggered. Leasing a back up aircraft with business configuration next time, might not be so easy, especially as we go into peak flying season.
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La Compagnie
Many of us were writing them off with good reason, it has been a catalogue of issues since they started ops at LTN but hopefully now they are starting to find their feet and giving themselves a fighting chance.
I do agree about the slot times, currently awful. Hopefully they can bring the departure time forward and arrive into EWR at a better time, though I imagine for such a small airline, securing decent slots at EWR is very hard.
It would be nice to see them eventually open up new routes but their focus must surely be making LTN-EWR first before they expand onto other routes
I do agree about the slot times, currently awful. Hopefully they can bring the departure time forward and arrive into EWR at a better time, though I imagine for such a small airline, securing decent slots at EWR is very hard.
It would be nice to see them eventually open up new routes but their focus must surely be making LTN-EWR first before they expand onto other routes
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Seems to be a new route for LTN.
Direct flights from Luton to St. Helena was translating from a website. The airline would be Atlantic star airlines using a 757 but not sure on a start date.
Direct flights from Luton to St. Helena was translating from a website. The airline would be Atlantic star airlines using a 757 but not sure on a start date.
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Two things to note - the La Compagnie flight is cancelled tonight due 'operational problems'.
Also, Atlantic Star Airlines to St Helena. Aiden Walsh, who is the VP of La Compagnie UK is also the director of Atlantic Star (now there is a coincidence). They are building a new airport on St Helena, and I think they were talking about a start date winter 15/16.
Also, Atlantic Star Airlines to St Helena. Aiden Walsh, who is the VP of La Compagnie UK is also the director of Atlantic Star (now there is a coincidence). They are building a new airport on St Helena, and I think they were talking about a start date winter 15/16.
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La Compagnie
Should La Compagnie have an additional aircraft as cover for its others when they are unable to fly, which seems a very costly standby aircraft to potentially have sitting idly around most of the time or bring in another aircraft and put it also into service leaving them with no cover, effectively the same position they have now? I guess being such a small airline it's very tricky but the danger with cancelling or delaying flights with any regularity is that you put people off from becoming regular passengers and that limits your chances of success. Who'd want to run an airline 
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They certainly did. I remember flying EZY to Amsterdam not long after the route was launched and my return flight was cancelled. The airline had a technical issue and no slack in the fleet. I ended up returning with Air UK to Stansted and EZY refunding me. So absolutely, these are the issues that small airlines like La Compagnie face and it's a real challenge. Hopefully they can overcome them and build a strong platform on which to build and grow their operation
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Today's Newark flight, which was amalgamated with yesterday's flight, that was cancelled for "operational reasons", still managed to be delayed by some 80 mins. Not good for those already affected by Friday's cancellation.
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A few observations
Called in at the airport in early June. The new arrivals seem to be coping fairly well although locating the train ticket purchase machine in its present place is not good. When there is a queue this meanders back to the main arrivals part and also shields the National Express bus desk. Not good. I cannot see a solution to passengers having to use the zebra crossings as the old arrivals hall is now being demolished the health and safety mob would not like people walking nearby. Talking to a friend who works at the airport and on Friday 5 June they expected 21,500 passengers through in the 24hr period. This is of course before the start of the busy three months of July, August and September. There was quite a number of special executive flights i.e. England team, Foo Fighters and trips to the European Cup Final in Berlin using a mixture of B757s, B737s, 146s and a VLM Fokker F27. My friend also said on the New York service there was a large number of Americans using the service which has to be a good thing. All in all the airport did seem to be coping but cannot comment on arrivals, security etc. as I did not fly this time (leisurely drive through Spain and France).