LUTON -8

[davidjohnson6]

Good scheduling by Wizz of an aircraft overnight using the time zones. An overnight on an LCC lasting 3h25 is a bit grim (done something similiar before) but many people in the likely target customer base will probably accept it.

[musicmike]

Ezy

Originally Posted by planedrive

EZY get an extra based aircraft from early spring 2017 so I would suggest that none of the new routes have been released yet - normally happens a week or two after the schedule relase. Very shocked about CPH being finished, although with such strong competition from Ryanair it was only a matter of time before one of the two blinked.

Does anyone know when Vueling/Transavia release new destinations etc, as I have heard both (but mostly the latter) have big plans for LTN.

Don't know why u say shocked about CPH. If you read my earlier response they most definitely are continuing and will be night stopping too

[Boeing737-8]

Does this mean CPH will go to 5 daily with an aircraft night stopping. Also is this where the extra aircraft will be going. I believe Easyjet are at 21. Heard they wanted 23 aircraft for summer 2017.

[EKCH2730]

Originally Posted by musicmike

Don't know why u say shocked about CPH. If you read my earlier response they most definitely are continuing and will be night stopping too

So the reason for the missing release of the LTN-CPH flights for S17 is that the (new) schedule hasn't been finalized yet? I suppose Night-stop at CPH is to compete directly with Ryanairs early morning departure from CPH to LTN.

[Buster the Bear]

Luton-Munich would be the only non Dutch route to a current Transavia base.

Vueling also should have plenty of spare capacity

Vueling Airlines (VY, Barcelona El Prat) is to close its bases in Brussels National, Palermo, and Catania this winter as part of a restructuring of its operations.

From the Belgian capital, the IAG International Airlines Group low-cost carrier currently serves Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma Son Sant Joan, Santiago de Compostela and Valencia Manises. From Catania and Palermo, Vueling operates to Barcelona, Florence, Paris Orly and Rome Fiumicino. In addition, it also offers a weekly Catania-Zurich service.

Airline sources, who spoke to Spain's EFE news agency on condition of anonymity, said the Spanish LCC is shifting its focus to the strategically important markets of Spain, France, and Italy.

As such, the closure of the two Sicilian bases is expected to facilitate greater emphasis on the carrier's mainland Italian operations - Rome Fiumicino and Florence Peretola in particular.

Despite the move, the number of seats on offer the winter season will remain on par with those offered from the same period last year.

Vueling suffered an embarrassing summer season this year when a shortfall in capacity resulted in the cancellation of numerous flights at its Barcelona El Prat hub.

[planedrive]

Originally Posted by musicmike

Don't know why u say shocked about CPH. If you read my earlier response they most definitely are continuing and will be night stopping too

You've gone from 'may well be starting to night stop' to 'will be night stopping' in a matter of hours? Do you have a source for your statements or are you just postulating?

I would be very amazed if a company as savvy as easyJet had decided to not load one of its most competitive routes on the day it loaded every single other route from Luton that will be continuing throughout the summer - although I would be very happy if you were to be proved right!

[Lee Baker Street]

Copenhagen and London 3rd runway

Originally Posted by planedrive

You've gone from 'may well be starting to night stop' to 'will be night stopping' in a matter of hours? Do you have a source for your statements or are you just postulating?

I would be very amazed if a company as savvy as easyJet had decided to not load one of its most competitive routes on the day it loaded every single other route from Luton that will be continuing throughout the summer - although I would be very happy if you were to be proved right!

I personally can not see EasyJet giving up this service when the route shared with Ryanair from Luton will possibly generate around 600 thousand passengers a year if not more.

With STN being run almost exclusively for Ryanair and LGW reaching saturation point it will be interesting to see if LHR wins the 3rd runway and what possibilities LTN could have with a further few hundred million pounds investment?

One thing I do know is that Wigmore Park has dozens upon dozens of acres of unused land only used by illegal motorbike riders and the odd dog walkers. In fact I would say 60% of that park / wasteland could and should be used for the airport to expand. And with some tunnelling work and a new terminal with proportionate stands Luton could double its passenger levels.

[wallp]

I also notice that for some weekdays, the first easyJet arrival from EDI isn't until early afternoon which I find strange. Is that because the entire schedule has yet to be confirmed?

[Andy_S]

Originally Posted by Lee Baker Street

I personally can not see EasyJet giving up this service when the route shared with Ryanair from Luton will possibly generate around 600 thousand passengers a year if not more.

It doesn't matter how many passengers the route generates if the yields are low. If the aircraft can be deployed more profitably on other routes then Easyjet would be foolish not to do so.

[inOban]

wallp

The only days without an early service are Sunday and Friday. Red-eye flights are for business meetings, and they aren't usually held on a Friday. Some LCY flights are dropped on a Friday.

[Alloy]

As mentioned above, to me Dalaman looks quite a brave move while Pegasus is offering its whole fleet of 73 aircraft for wetlease due to the state of the Turkish market.

[Lee Baker Street]

Copenhagen

Originally Posted by Andy_S

It doesn't matter how many passengers the route generates if the yields are low. If the aircraft can be deployed more profitably on other routes then Easyjet would be foolish not to do so.

I can see that from April 2017 Ryanair has now increased it's fares by double on the route.

[Andy_S]

Originally Posted by Lee Baker Street

I can see that from April 2017 Ryanair has now increased it's fares by double on the route.

If they've got no competition then they can afford to!

[inOban]

LTN CPN

I wonder whether EZY have decided that the high value business market is greater at LGW than LTN. This market is more likely to be heading into London, and will prefer to complete their journey by rail. They are unlikely to appreciate Luton as described by your contributors.

I notice from EDI there more flights to LGW than to STN, and fewest to LTN.

[LTNman]

There wasn't many suits on my Copenhagen flights this week but the Ryanair flights in both direction were all but full. Booking just a week in advance the fares in both direction were £4.99 including all taxes and charges, which is cheaper than a single to London by train. I should have hung on because it then went down to £4.50. Flights can now be had for £3.49 but not in both directions on the same day.

[_aax1]

Not surprised by easyJet ending CPH at Luton. With most flights being offered for £9.99, the yields must of been terrible. easyJet should never of moved CPH from STN. I can't help but wonder if in the future they'll move the CPH back to STN as with no competition there they could gain higher yields and load factors.

[LTNman]

Construction update

The first foundations have already gone in for the new pier which is somewhat surprising as the contractor has only just started to work on the area after working on the link building foundations for months.


A tarmacking machine has been at work on the first layer of tarmac for the new service road this week. After it left to work on the exit road from the pay barriers this crash barrier topped with fencing was installed. It all looks rather temporary but it might be the airports permanent solution but it is taking quite a chunk of pavement away.


Foundations are going in for part of the covered walkway from the passenger foot bridge. Passengers heading for the drop off zone are being rerouted over part of the service road to allow the pavement around all of the core to be raised.


Work has started on the window frames of the second infill of pier A while the first infill has now received glass at the apron level.


With half the landside terminal and departure lounge covered in builders hoardings pier A hasn't escaped their attention either.


Check-in desks 201 to 210 have been removed and replaced by the out sized x ray baggage machine.

[FRatSTN]

I'm sure EZY will agree retrospectively that they shouldn't have switched CPH from STN. It turned out to be what looked like a failed attempt to try and squeeze out slightly higher yields.

If EZY have ditched the route, it wouldn't surprise me now to see FR switch their CPH flights over to STN, perhaps not for S17 but possibly beyond that. As such I'd be surprised to see EZY reinstate STN-CPH.

I firmly believe what FR say in that any price war with them (and LTN-CPH is one of the hottest price wars we've seen between FR and EZY for quite a while), FR will always be the winner. They have the lowest cost base so they can afford to reduce fares further than anyone else.

Of course if the rumors going around that EZY will be night stopping in CPH then that's a very interesting and brave move in my view - but can't see it happening myself, and they already night-stop in CPH on the LGW route.

[Powerjet1]

Surprisingly, easy don't seem to be night-stopping from CPH to LGW for S17, like they do at the moment, but as far as LTN is concerned, it does seem they have thrown in the towel.

[inOban]

This CPN discussion is wandering off LTN, but Norwegian also fly several times a day from CPN to LGW, including an early morning flight, so little time point in EJ night stopping in CPN.