SOUTHEND 5

[yeo valley]

lets see how this goes. in southend in a few weeks, so is there anything new going on.

[Planespeaking]

Great to have SEN back, let's keep the posts sensible this time.

If my info is correct new route to Antwerp begins tomorrow with Flybe/Stobart Air.

[virginblue]

How is the general feeling at SEN about the new BE routes started in early June? Over here in Germany, lot of whining about poor loads on the FMO route - wonder if Stobart are happy with the loads after five weeks of operation.

[8674planes]

Antwerp does indeed begin tomorrow. EI-REM will fly in on the Dublin rotation this evening and REL will fly out to Antwerp this evening ready for tomorrow's service.

[NickBarnes]

virginblue will be interested to see the CAA statistics for June when they come out in mid July, bit worrying tough you say people over in Germany complaining about low loads

[PPRuNe Pop]

That's the way to go!


PPP

[Planespeaking]

Thanks PprunePop

[Nextprop]

Although FMO may appear to be off to a slow start, two additional weekly rotations have been added to the CFR route over the peak summer period.

[SENChris]

I think the problem with somewhere like Munster is that it is in close proximity to the likes of Dortmund which have well established links to "London" airports. Given a choice between an hour on a train in Germany and just under an hour on a train in the UK, many Germans are likely to take the former, at least that was the tone of many of the comments made in the local press and FMO's Facebook page around the time of the announcement. I have no knowledge of the figures, but a quick look at the Flybe booking pages (and throughout the last month or so) reveals many flights still at or not too far above the base price. Not scientific I know, but hardly encouraging.

On the other hand, Rennes and Groningen seem much more promising. I have deep reservations about Antwerp however, particularly twice daily and with Cityjet continuing to offer flights to LCY.

In other news, the Dublin flight situation still seems as clear as mud with nothing available on the Aer Lingus website, so presumably that means the flights will be stopping in October. There are 8 rotations a week currently on the Flybe website but no provision to book through connections onto Aer Lingus transatlantic services and the announcement seems to have been spectacularly badly handled with nothing on the SEN website. The mid-morning arrival time for the weekday flights and only daily service means this will be of no use whatsoever to business travellers so presumably they are targeting tourists to and from Dublin only. A real shame.

More encouragingly, Skywork announced that they will move their Bern services to Southend from London City in October, although flights are not bookable. This should be a good bellwether to see how services go after moving from City, and whether they are able to tempt some of their (presumably mostly business) travellers to make the trip to the Essex riviera rather than using the Zurich to LCY services. Interesting times ahead...

[EssexMan61]

The Winter 2014/15 schedule has now appeared on the Skywork website. Bern - London Southend is shown as operating 2 x daily Monday - Friday and once on Sunday. No Saturday flight.

[claron]

I still cannot understand why Stobart allowed themselves to be bullied out of the CGN flights, by the Irish airline operating out of STN. I have spoken to a number of people who would have made us of the route.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by claron

I still cannot understand why Stobart allowed themselves to be bullied out of the CGN flights, by the Irish airline operating out of STN.

It seems a perfectly rational decision to me. SEN's selling point on most of the rest of the Stobart Air network is that it's the only London airport served from those particular destinations (ANR is an exception but Cityjet is rocky enough to make it worth a go.) Launching a new London route with an ATR up against Ryanair doesn't seem a very smart move.

[virginblue]

But Cologne is Germany's fourth largest city and not a more or less provincial city like FMO, GRQ, RNS, MST etc. Add to that Bonn and other larger cities for which CGN is closer than DUS and we are looking at a big catchment area that currently has no access to London with a legacy carrier and no link to a "smallish" London airport like LCY or SEN. All there is in Cologne is three low-costers going to LGW (U2), LHR (4U) and STN (FR/4U).

I don't see the problem of some additional capacity to SEN, particularly as Germanwings has reduced capacity to STN that partly offsets the additional capacity Ryanair will provide.

Southend would have been attractive for all passengers who
- don't like to transit through a behemoth like LHR or LGW,
- have business to do east of central London,
- resent using Ryanair,
- have been waiting for a LCY link from CGN for a long time

I would not complain, however, if part of the bigger picture would be a new route from CGN to LCY looming by Flybe, given that their new CGN-BHX service appears to be doing rather nicely...

Must I mention that I am from the Cologne area and currently have to use DUS-LCY to cover my travel needs?

[FRatSTN]

But look at it like this:


Southend would have been attractive for all passengers who
- don't like to transit through a behemoth like LHR or LGW, (Then fly from STN)
- have business to do east of central London, (Then fly from STN)
- resent using Ryanair, (Then fly EZY or 4U)
- have been waiting for a LCY link from CGN for a long time (Not sure why SEN compares to LCY much more than the other LON airport currently served from CGN other than the general size)


I think it's only common sense for Stobart Air as a new operation to play it safer if you like for the time being.

[EssexMan61]

The Flybe schedule is now showing an additional afternoon journey London Southend - Dublin on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays following commencement of the service in October 2014. (Departs SEN at 1450hrs. and departs DUB at 1700hrs). With the recently added Sunday evening service that now makes a total of 12 return flights per week. Good News!!

[tws123]

Indeed good news! Is the aircraft based then or positioned in from elsewhere?

[SENChris]

The later flights have 4 digit flight codes which seem to be the same format of those operated by Stobart Air, and indeed a test booking shows "Operated by Stobart Air". Whether or not this is replacing any of the European routes is unclear.

That is better news but it's about time they made a proper announcement as to what's going on and the fact that these flights are bookable through Flybe as opposed to Aer Lingus.

[NickBarnes]

Just wondered people's opinion whether Easyjet are likely to expand further at Southend in the near future, or have they reached what they feel is their maximum at this moment in time?

[claron]

I would like to think that Easyjet haven't finished expanding. In addition some of the more popular destinations already being served could I feel do with increasing. Would BCN twice a day could work?

[EssexMan61]

The SEN website is now showing that there will be "up to 4 flights a week" with Flybe from SEN - DUB in Winter 2014/15. The Flybe schedule shows 12 per week!! I am totally confused!!!


Also - nothing yet on the SEN website about Skywork - although flights are now bookable from October 2014 onwards. Why would this be?


I am a massive fan of SEN and use it as often as possible but - I must say - the info and updates on their website would seem to leave a little to be desired. If anyone connected with SEN happens to read this - please confirm whether 12 x DUB - and Skywork from Oct - are now definitely confirmed.


Thank you!!!!