LUTON -8
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Transavia flights to Orly now only seem to be double daily on Mon & Frii. Midweek flights have been cut back to daily, so a reduction on their original schedule. Winter 17 flights are even less.
Paxing All Over The World
My friends who went out early last Saturday morning were appreciative of the advice and got there good and early. They heard stories from other pax of delays.
However, the delay they encountered was at Gate 1. Pax all queued and ready to go but no bus. "Since we can see the aircraft 100+/- yards away, can we not walk?" Apparently not. So the flight left late and would have started knock on delays for the rest of the day.
Is this an 'Elf n Safety gone mad' moment, or thoroughly good reason? I walked to/from the gates dozens of times in the last 30 years.
However, the delay they encountered was at Gate 1. Pax all queued and ready to go but no bus. "Since we can see the aircraft 100+/- yards away, can we not walk?" Apparently not. So the flight left late and would have started knock on delays for the rest of the day.
Is this an 'Elf n Safety gone mad' moment, or thoroughly good reason? I walked to/from the gates dozens of times in the last 30 years.
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The case for a smaller drop off zone
I have been told that at the entrance to the drop off zone a matrix sign has been has been put up encouraging drivers to use the return lane but despite the sign most passengers are dropped off or picked up as close to the entrance as possible. This isn’t really holding the traffic up but just slows it down as cars squeeze into small spaces while the return lane has masses of room.
What does stop the traffic every few seconds are the 2 pedestrian crossings that will soon become 4. When the traffic stops some people see this as an opportunity to get into or out of cars in the middle of the road plus load or retrieve luggage from the boot but before they have finished the traffic has moved on but nothing can then get by. Can’t say it was major a problem on my last visit but it happens enough times to have an impact.
I am already thinking that the new drop off zone isn’t going to work even when finished by the very fact that there are always plenty of spaces even now on the return leg so the zone already has enough space for the very restricted traffic flow. The issue is those pedestrian crossing points within the zone. Of course the pedestrian crossing point to the short term car park is having a major impact but even without it the traffic flow would not increase due to the queue of traffic trying to drop off. By comparison the foot traffic to the short term car park is only a very small fraction of what the drop off zone handles yet it is the first point where traffic grinds to a halt with tailbacks going back a couple of miles at peak times so it is clear that the much busier crossing points within the zone are a much bigger issue.
Actually when finished the length of the drop off zone could cause more problems than it fixes. This is because the lane will loop under the foot bridge before returning so there won’t be a route to the terminal from the most popular left hand entrance lane without using 2 crossings. If the lane was a little shorter passengers would not need to cross the 2 lanes at all but could just walk along the pavement before turning towards the terminal. This means the two crossing points on the inbound lane could be removed. So the question is would the loop for the return lane be better if it was put in just before the bridge? Ok it makes the drop off zone smaller but the traffic would flow better.
Last edited by LTNman; 4th Aug 2016 at 06:09.
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Thought I would take my point and shoot camera to work today as the sun was out so I got in early and took these snaps.
Just for info a new passenger route from the left hand inbound drop off lane has been put in so passengers using this pavement and the short term car park now don't have to cross the drop off lanes to get to and from the terminal. The centre island can now only be reached from one crossing point in the direction of the terminal as the other one has been fenced off. Also more cars are using the outbound lane after a matrix sign was installed.
Just for info a new passenger route from the left hand inbound drop off lane has been put in so passengers using this pavement and the short term car park now don't have to cross the drop off lanes to get to and from the terminal. The centre island can now only be reached from one crossing point in the direction of the terminal as the other one has been fenced off. Also more cars are using the outbound lane after a matrix sign was installed.
Last edited by Spanish eyes; 7th Aug 2016 at 06:27.
Just had the missfortune to Luton
Out not too bad as bag drop was at 04.15 but back in daylight, what a fiasco
Anywhere you look it is a accident waiting to happen
impatiant running late drivers and pedestrians dont mix
Are there any plans for a high level walkway to separate vehicles and walkers?, looks like eventually there will be
Hay ho back to using Stansted
Out not too bad as bag drop was at 04.15 but back in daylight, what a fiasco
Anywhere you look it is a accident waiting to happen
impatiant running late drivers and pedestrians dont mix
Are there any plans for a high level walkway to separate vehicles and walkers?, looks like eventually there will be
Hay ho back to using Stansted
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Actually the traffic has improved a little since one of the crossings was closed a few days ago.
Yes a high level walkway will cross the approach road and drop off zone from the multistory car park and short term car park which will also remove a temporary pedestrian crossing from the approach road.
The new CTA layout with new duel carriageway should be finished later on this year but I share your pain at the moment.
Yes a high level walkway will cross the approach road and drop off zone from the multistory car park and short term car park which will also remove a temporary pedestrian crossing from the approach road.
The new CTA layout with new duel carriageway should be finished later on this year but I share your pain at the moment.
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Just had the missfortune to Luton
Out not too bad as bag drop was at 04.15 but back in daylight, what a fiasco
Anywhere you look it is a accident waiting to happen
impatiant running late drivers and pedestrians dont mix
Are there any plans for a high level walkway to separate vehicles and walkers?, looks like eventually there will be
Hay ho back to using Stansted
Out not too bad as bag drop was at 04.15 but back in daylight, what a fiasco
Anywhere you look it is a accident waiting to happen
impatiant running late drivers and pedestrians dont mix
Are there any plans for a high level walkway to separate vehicles and walkers?, looks like eventually there will be
Hay ho back to using Stansted
Luton has stepped the drop off/pick up charge up from £2.50 for up to 10 mins then reasonable increments for 20 and 30 mins. It is now £3 for 10 mins, and £1 FOR EVERY MINUTE AFTER. This immediately panics drivers and will lead to an accident.
People "doing friends a favour " cause congestion by stopping anywhere when they realise the potential cost of this "lift to the airport" and try to get rid of their charges soonest.
The airport should have held all charges as a gesture to the inconvience suffered by passengers. The replacement of the licensed Taxi service by Addison Lee Private hire will not help. Although Luton Airport Taxis were the most expensive Taxis in the Country, Addison Lee have surpassed them. The current cost to my village in Northants, Bozeat computes as £94.60 one way. This is Double what Local Licensed firms charge.
I am seeing increased bookings for Other London airports Ba are benefiting at LCY and LHR. EMA and BHX are also proving increasingly popular. People are realising that the airport experience is part of their trip. I really feel sorry for Easyjet who have made Luton what it is today. Now despite giving up their on airport parking, Their staff are late for work stuck on bus`
s in the traffic.
Luton Council Kick the Spanish and APCOA backsides please.
They have had £48m of public money for the 3 mile extension of the A1081. Think they should be giving something back.
People "doing friends a favour " cause congestion by stopping anywhere when they realise the potential cost of this "lift to the airport" and try to get rid of their charges soonest.
The airport should have held all charges as a gesture to the inconvience suffered by passengers. The replacement of the licensed Taxi service by Addison Lee Private hire will not help. Although Luton Airport Taxis were the most expensive Taxis in the Country, Addison Lee have surpassed them. The current cost to my village in Northants, Bozeat computes as £94.60 one way. This is Double what Local Licensed firms charge.
I am seeing increased bookings for Other London airports Ba are benefiting at LCY and LHR. EMA and BHX are also proving increasingly popular. People are realising that the airport experience is part of their trip. I really feel sorry for Easyjet who have made Luton what it is today. Now despite giving up their on airport parking, Their staff are late for work stuck on bus`
s in the traffic.
Luton Council Kick the Spanish and APCOA backsides please.
They have had £48m of public money for the 3 mile extension of the A1081. Think they should be giving something back.
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It is rip-off Britain Itchen, look what hospitals charge for car parking and the price of petrol and diesel, could not believe it when coming off the ferry recently for a short stay hopefully!
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Luton has stepped the drop off/pick up charge up from £2.50 for up to 10 mins then reasonable increments for 20 and 30 mins. It is now £3 for 10 mins, and £1 FOR EVERY MINUTE AFTER. This immediately panics drivers and will lead to an accident.
One way around those £1 a minute charges, if applied, would be after leaving the drop off zone is to drive into the short term car park, which has a number plate reader and is before the pay barrier for the drop off zone and pay the minimum charge for the use of that car park and then leave via the different exit.
Of all the charges levied by airports the drop off charges are the most universally detested, I mean £3 to open your car door and let somebody get out.
Most people see that any drop off charge is a rip off but is it really. Assuming that each car carries an average of two passengers the airport could make the drop off free and add £1.50 to passenger charges, which the airlines would pick up and who would then add that fee to the ticket price. In that scenario no one would complain yet they have still paid the extra fee but so would passengers arriving by public transport.
So lets look at why the airport charges fees to use the drop off:
It reduces airport charges to airlines so the ticket price is lower so stimulates demand.
It encourages passengers to conciser using public transport.
By offering 2 hours free parking in the long term car park and 15 minutes free in the mid term car park it encourages drivers to pick up and drop off outside the CTA so reducing the traffic in the CTA.
With a bill of £110 million for the terminal redevelopment and another £200 million for a rail link plus the day to day costs of running an airport Luton Airport is not a charity. If they didn't make money from the drop off they would still have to get the money from the passengers by other means.
Last edited by LTNman; 9th Aug 2016 at 12:28.
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Some amazing figures there that really show the growth of the airport. Copenhagen from 0 ppm in Oct'14 to over 60,000 per month for the last 7!
Also the Orly figures are interesting for July. Working on 2 flights per day every day they average 214 passengers so not sure this is correct??
Also the Orly figures are interesting for July. Working on 2 flights per day every day they average 214 passengers so not sure this is correct??
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Orly
July 2016
Per the various aviation flight logs 48 morning sectors and 38 evening sectors which I make 155 per flight (13316 pax) if the sources I have used are correct which is around 83% load factor based on 186 seats.
One thing that I am certain of is how fantastic that link is to the Luton stats. Just hope it inspires my local as waiting for the CAA these days is tedious.
Pete
Per the various aviation flight logs 48 morning sectors and 38 evening sectors which I make 155 per flight (13316 pax) if the sources I have used are correct which is around 83% load factor based on 186 seats.
One thing that I am certain of is how fantastic that link is to the Luton stats. Just hope it inspires my local as waiting for the CAA these days is tedious.
Pete
Last edited by OltonPete; 9th Aug 2016 at 21:16. Reason: added info
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Looking very positive, Vueling's new services have near doubled the amount of passengers traffic on LTN-BCN & LTN-AMS. Does anyone feel confident in analysing this data to produce some information to see if they are performing well or not?
Some examples of routes to assess;
Newark
Jersey
Vienna
Some examples of routes to assess;
Newark
Jersey
Vienna
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I looked at Newark last night and calculated an average load factor of 77% for July 16. That's based on 52 sectors I could count on FL24 history.
Of course, we have no idea about the yield.
Of course, we have no idea about the yield.
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The public's view of the airport...
There was an interesting phone in on BBC Three Counties Radio this morning, asking for people's opinion on the airport and if they love or loathe their local airport...
The phone in was prompted after the RAC published a report today confirming Luton is the most expensive airport to drop off at and park at, also has the worst congestion.
The phone in, on the JVS show was only meant to last 1 hour, but ended up going on 1hr 45mins, due to the number of calls. There was barely any positive callers and the presenter was asking for people with good experiences to call in to try and make the conversation balanced.
Tim Jeans the former MD of Monarch also was on the show and he wasn't much more complimentary either. Saying how the council and the airport operators of past, have been creaming off the profits and has lacked years of investment, which was long overdue.
Interesting phone-in from the publics view, which while I am sure many on here will disagree with. But you need to bare in mind these people calling in, do not work in the industry or are Av-Geeks, but this is the average person who uses the airport.
The airport refused to come on the show, which does them no favours and just put up their usual press release spouting about the £110 million investment.
BBC Three Counties Radio - The JVS Show, Luton airport, Down's syndrome test, unemployed Muslim women plus the consumer hour
The phone in was prompted after the RAC published a report today confirming Luton is the most expensive airport to drop off at and park at, also has the worst congestion.
The phone in, on the JVS show was only meant to last 1 hour, but ended up going on 1hr 45mins, due to the number of calls. There was barely any positive callers and the presenter was asking for people with good experiences to call in to try and make the conversation balanced.
Tim Jeans the former MD of Monarch also was on the show and he wasn't much more complimentary either. Saying how the council and the airport operators of past, have been creaming off the profits and has lacked years of investment, which was long overdue.
Interesting phone-in from the publics view, which while I am sure many on here will disagree with. But you need to bare in mind these people calling in, do not work in the industry or are Av-Geeks, but this is the average person who uses the airport.
The airport refused to come on the show, which does them no favours and just put up their usual press release spouting about the £110 million investment.
BBC Three Counties Radio - The JVS Show, Luton airport, Down's syndrome test, unemployed Muslim women plus the consumer hour
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With no plans to provide any sort of cover for the drop off zone, which is really exposed to the elements and with the drop off zone well away from the terminal with its future canopy the writing is already on the wall for future complaints when the redevelopment work is finished as families wait to be picked up.