Stansted-3

[southside bobby]

Thanks for the insight which together with earlier input regarding the R/W ops issues does help to explain the manifold factors that were in play.

[SWBKCB]

How many threads come back to this same point - the low fare revolution has meant that all the slack in the system has been cut back to reduce costs, so anything outside the norm and the system can't cope.

[Cuillin Hills]

Would’ve been the same at Heathrow in steady snow showers, a contaminated runway and a strong crosswind.

Plenty of examples of BA being a shambles when snow hits LHR.

Please don’t try and turn it into a ‘lo-cost’ thing.

Have you ever passed through Dubai when the fog arrives in the UAE once or twice a year? A dreadful experience and not one to be repeated.

Changeable weather conditions are what they are.

A large number of passengers take air travel for granted and are unaware of it’s complexities. Safety comes first in this part of the world.

An airline’s reaction to all this is heavily affected by EU261 legislation - the passenger can’t have it both ways.

[vrb03kt]

I think it is very much a ‘low cost thing’. Not that the runway was SNOCLO - I think even the armchair experts have hopefully now deduced that the runway was closed for good reason. Rather the omnishambles that develops inside the airport when things aren’t going to plan and that’s by no means limited to STN. The point I think SWBKCB is making, and that I agree with fully, is that staffing levels in airports are cut so much to the bone due to the ‘low fares revolution’ that when things go even slightly off plan (eg. Snow, wind, slot delays) there isn’t sufficient operational resilience built in to cope. So then you have no ground staff to meet and disembark the aircraft, not enough baggage handlers to offload, not enough staff to adequately manage the expectations/provide information to delayed passengers etc etc. All because just the absolute bare minimum of staff are provided to get through a normal day, in the pursuit of low fares.

[caaardiff]

A big part of the issue of staffing levels is automation. Examples here of FR and BA in LHR. More automation at check-in/bag drop means less staff required and bigger cost savings. It's unlikely many of those check-in staff would be ticketing trained for FR and even BA, but they are still people that can offer assistance and advice, and be a face for the Airline. I can't imagine FR would be paying handling agents for an abundance of ticketing agents that would only really be needed in situations like this. Usually 1 or 2 people manage these desks on a daily basis.
Labour savings are great, until it goes wrong in these situations.
Secondly many Airlines are outsourcing their ticketing (this is reference to full service Airlines, not EZY and FR that tend to still have ticket desk presence at most Airports)
With a more "remote" style of ticketing, Airlines don't have the people on the ground with the expertise. I've seen this in action and a lot of the time it works and is more efficient. A person at the end of a phone or behind a computer screen not even near passengers can rebook a whole flight in a fraction of the time, mainly because they haven't got someone stood in front of them wanting all the options, arguing, chatting and basically distracting.

[southside bobby]

Insightful post from Cuillin Hills.

[southside bobby]

Re a post & prediction a few months ago on (as I recall) the Doncaster thread, B733 G-TGPG arrived STN a couple of days ago to be based for 2Excel Aviation.

[southside bobby]

A subsidiary of Ryanair,Ryanair UK lodged an application with the CAA on 21.12.17 for an AOC to continue flying UK domestics to Belfast,Edinburgh & Glasgow from STN in the event of a "hard" Brexit.

[Skipness One Echo]

They did this when PIK-STN was launched in late 1995, not sure how far they got as it launched with EI- B737-200s. Perhaps they wound it up as they had no need of it. See also Ryanair Europe, the former London European.

[southside bobby]

Surprised you didn't mention Buzz..

[southside bobby]

Primera have extended both the AGP & ALC season for 2018 from STN.

Both now commence 9.4.18 daily,were originally due to commence 23.4.18.

AGP now bookable through to 9.12.18.

ALC now bookable through to 2.12.18.

Both were originally available to 27.10.18.

[1sky]

Boeing 737 or A320 family operated?

[USERNAME_]

Using their current 737's, with their current Danish crews.

[southside bobby]

Another route from Primera for STN.

Crete/Chania CHQ.

Weekly on a Friday between 27.7.18 & 7.9.18.

[daz211]

I guess more to follow, I can’t see just a Friday route, maybe going to see a Greek operation for the remaining days, who knows but it’s getting rather interesting.

[STN406]

I would say this is going to be on a ‘W Pattern’ from Copenhagen from these flight times on their website.

CPH 07:00-11:30 CHQ
CHQ 12:30-14:30 STN
STN 16:00-21:40 CHQ
CHQ 22:40-01:15 CPH

Do they have crew bases in at current destination or will we be seeing a Airbus and Boeing crew base at STN?

[southside bobby]

Now 6 destinations in STN`s destination window on the Primera website,comprising 3 short haul & 3 transatlantic.

The Alicante & Malaga have recently had their seasons extended too making the B738 based now at least until late 2018.

The newly added Chania is with B738 & with timings 1430/1600 indicate this then is to be flown by a non based a/c.

Omitting ATH,Primera fly to 3 other Greek destinations from Scandinavia namely Kos with 2 Scandi connections,Zakynthos with 1 & Rhodes with 3 so hopefully potential from these for services to STN.

On present planning on Fridays STN during the height of Summer will see 4 different Primera a/c.

[Keanaga]

Good news,also another cargo extra. Asiana are addind a Tues rotation to their schedule making it now three a week.

[southside bobby]

Excellent...

Flying today...inbound flight number appears to be AAR7931...ie original flight number with a 1 on the end.

[_aax1]

List of new and resumes routes from STN 2018. Frequency based on last week of August.

Air Corsica
Ajaccio (3 weekly, eff May)
Bastia (3 weekly, eff May)
Figari (2 Weekly, eff May)

Emirates
Dubai (1 daily, eff June)

Jet2
Almeria (2 weekly, eff May)
Bodrum (2 weekly, eff May)
Kefalonia (2 weekly, eff May)
Malta (2 weekly, eff March)
Naples (3 weekly, eff May)
Nice (6 weekly, eff May)
Thessaloniki (2 weekly, eff May)
Verona (2 weekly, eff May)

Primera
Boston (4 weekly, eff May)
Alicante (daily, eff April)
Chania (1 weekly, eff July)
Malaga (daily, eff April)
New York/Newark (daily, eff Apr)
Toronto (3 weekly, eff May)

Ryanair
Belfast Intl (3 daily, eff March)
Glasgow Intl (resumes 3 daily, eff March)
Edinburgh (resumes 5 daily, eff March)
Rimini (2 weekly, eff March)

Thomas Cook
Enfidha (1 weekly, eff May)

TUI
Burgas (1 weekly, eff May)

Widerøe
Kristiansand (4 weekly, eff August)

WOW
Reykjavík KEF (daily, eff April)

Most new routes outside FR in years I believe.