Flybe-V1
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: BMA
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It varies. My experience was paying nearly £200 to fly on a tired Q400 to NQY and still need to add bags and snacks. And at the end Social media was full of people who had flown out with no problem and then another airport said their bag was too big and charged them £50.
The biggest problem will be when someone says “I’m thinking of booking Flybe” and then the other person says “didn’t they go bust?” And they will google Flybe bankrupt or whatever and get scared of booking with them.
Not insurmountable but an extra expense. Hopefully they have deep pockets. If they do there has probably not been a better time to launch with airports desperate for pax.
The biggest problem will be when someone says “I’m thinking of booking Flybe” and then the other person says “didn’t they go bust?” And they will google Flybe bankrupt or whatever and get scared of booking with them.
Not insurmountable but an extra expense. Hopefully they have deep pockets. If they do there has probably not been a better time to launch with airports desperate for pax.
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Belfast UK
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I flew with Flybe many times, almost weekly and certainly didn’t hold them with high regard. You’d watch them land early and yet still they’d manage to take off late. Did they not base their excellent time keeping stats on certain routes on certain days of the week rather than all flights? I’ve had countless delays, diversions and cancellations meaning an unscheduled night away from home with little or no assistance from their ground handlers. The crew were more often than not knackered from covering flights they weren’t scheduled to be on. The aircraft were often knackered too and dirty! They weren’t cheap either, £300 + fares were the norm. The “New” Flybe would need to be a hell of a lot different from the old one to get me booking anything any time soon.
If they do there has probably not been a better time to launch with airports desperate for pax.
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Aalborg
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The oversize bag saga was a nightmare and inconsistency between airports, flights from the same airport or even passengers in the same aircraft was shocking. At that time Flybe was loosing lots of cash and needed to make cash anyway it could to avoid bankruptcy and hold for the Connect deal - not it’s finest moment but it’s history. The connect lot were turning things around but it cost a fortune. I think when it became connects baby COW and team had spent 80 mil of the connect cash just staying afloat…. and then COVID struck.
COW - she inherited a pile of poo and can’t be blamed for its demise in my view - they were desperate times. There was a long history of bad management decisions and at the end of the day she brokered the deal with connect which kept it flying and staff employed. It’s too simplistic to just say she’s crap.
As for its reputation I didn’t think most people will care, right price and right time and most people will book. I think there’ll be some good deals coming up - well good for the customer. It’s going to be interesting………
COW - she inherited a pile of poo and can’t be blamed for its demise in my view - they were desperate times. There was a long history of bad management decisions and at the end of the day she brokered the deal with connect which kept it flying and staff employed. It’s too simplistic to just say she’s crap.
As for its reputation I didn’t think most people will care, right price and right time and most people will book. I think there’ll be some good deals coming up - well good for the customer. It’s going to be interesting………
UlsterFly
Yes, very similar to my own experience and that of many of my friends. Why on earth they chose to relaunch using the old brand name is beyond me and frankly baffling.
Yes, very similar to my own experience and that of many of my friends. Why on earth they chose to relaunch using the old brand name is beyond me and frankly baffling.
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Warwickshire
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Not sure domestically what's left observed, I think most routes are covered?
Internationally certainly from BHX there are quite a few left un-served: Berlin, Stuttgart, Milan, Lyon, Knock, Toulouse and Nantes plus summer only to Bordeaux, Avignon and Biarritz.
Doubt some of these will ever return but surprised no one has looked at Berlin and Milan.
I think the new Flybe, if it indeed ever takes off, will have a tough job in terms of network. Just 2 or 3 key bases might work, one of their many mistakes was so many costly bases and the amount of HOTAC, taxis, hire cars and positioning flights needed to crew the shortfall of crew that seemed to affect every base. Having so many bases, they were trying to be jack of all trades but master of none.
Internationally certainly from BHX there are quite a few left un-served: Berlin, Stuttgart, Milan, Lyon, Knock, Toulouse and Nantes plus summer only to Bordeaux, Avignon and Biarritz.
Doubt some of these will ever return but surprised no one has looked at Berlin and Milan.
I think the new Flybe, if it indeed ever takes off, will have a tough job in terms of network. Just 2 or 3 key bases might work, one of their many mistakes was so many costly bases and the amount of HOTAC, taxis, hire cars and positioning flights needed to crew the shortfall of crew that seemed to affect every base. Having so many bases, they were trying to be jack of all trades but master of none.
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Dorset
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Milan was historically one of the best performers in the network until LCC competition (I think from Ryanair) came along. Before Flybe it was one of the strongest for Birmingham European and Maersk. It should do well again provided it has no LCC rival, as should Stuttgart.
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: BMA
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Given they will apparently be using the Q400 I can’t see that being an enjoyable flight to Milan. Plus Ryanair is well known for starting a fight just look at Luton-Copenhagen which went crazy a few years back just because EasyJet launched it.
Nope, done it before and it was a bloody nightmare. Ploughing through the Alps at 26,000ft getting bounced around by the summer cbs was really not pleasant. And it took an age!
Similarly Berlin, Hamburg and Hannover as well as Lyon and Toulouse.
EZY could step in and nick the Berlin leisure market, and has been mentioned Milan is a long way on a Dash 8 - I too have endured it!
EZY could step in and nick the Berlin leisure market, and has been mentioned Milan is a long way on a Dash 8 - I too have endured it!
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Dorset
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Having seen a lot of their historic data, BHX-Stuttgart was the highest yield route in the Flybe network for a long time. Berlin and Hamburg were never anywhere near as strong at any time. Hannover did well for a while but I guess the conference and trade fair market will be one of the slowest to recover.
Lyon was OK, BHX-Toulouse wasn’t really worth doing.
Lyon was OK, BHX-Toulouse wasn’t really worth doing.
Join Date: Aug 2020
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I had to do Southampton - Alicante on the Dash a few years back. Wasn't the most enjoyable but then neither is a flight to Spain on some other low cost carriers. Does the average punter care what the aircraft is? As long as the price is competitive and the product strong it shouldn't matter too much.
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Oban, Scotland
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I'm surprised no-one has pointed out that a major unnerved traffic flow is from EDI/GLA to LCY. There used to be several red-eye flights south by both flybe and BACF, but the latter have closed their Scottish base; tomorrow the first flight southbound from Edinburgh will get you to the City about lunchtime. I'm sure that the market will never recover to the same size, but I would have thought there was enough to make the route viable.
Admittedly when Crossrail finally opens the journey from LHR will be much quicker than now but still..
Admittedly when Crossrail finally opens the journey from LHR will be much quicker than now but still..
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: South East
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Those early morning Cityflyer GLA-LCY flights were never normally operated by the EDI base, and even the EDI-LCY earlies were sometimes operated with LCY crews. They are only temporarily not operating due to reduced demand, back in the schedules from 6th September. Earliest southbounds from that date as follows;
0625 departure EDI-LCY
0630 departure GLA-LCY
0645 departure BHD-LCY
0625 departure EDI-LCY
0630 departure GLA-LCY
0645 departure BHD-LCY
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: UK
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A great shame that "taking the much-loved flybe brand into a new era" involved removing it from the South West, another hammer blow for the local economy.
This new venture seems a very confused one to move it to another part of the country to supposedly start afresh, but then recycle pretty much everything from the former company in terms of operation and brand.
Either they want a clean slate or they don't, but it would have meant a great deal to the many folks in the old head office who were devastated to lose their jobs last year on account of the deficiencies of senior management to have a chance to rebuild the company they loved.
This new venture seems a very confused one to move it to another part of the country to supposedly start afresh, but then recycle pretty much everything from the former company in terms of operation and brand.
Either they want a clean slate or they don't, but it would have meant a great deal to the many folks in the old head office who were devastated to lose their jobs last year on account of the deficiencies of senior management to have a chance to rebuild the company they loved.