Birmingham-8

[Mooncrest]

Originally Posted by ATNotts

Absolutely, but the target audience for PRG/BHX is the UK short break market to Czechia rather than vice versa. Sadly, Birmingham isn't a big city-break destination for a number of factors including poor promotion by those who promote England abroad who sit in London, live close to London and believe the only draw for inbound European tourists is, yes you've guessed it, London!

Manchester, thanks to having two really successful football teams that always play on the European stage, and places like Liverpool with a high profile footie team plus their musical heritage and a fantastic waterfront to boot are far bigger draws on inbound tourism, but again thanks to their own efforts rather than "Visit England" or whatever the quango is called this week. (Non) events like the Commonwealth Games have really done little to raise the city's profile across Europe. It always staggered me when I worked a lot in Germany that my colleagues would often express their desire to visit England, but then immediately said "London" as though anywhere North or indeed west didn't exist, or at least had little to attract them to visit. When they did venture north to the East Midlands they were amazed by what we had to offer in the "frozen north"!

There's a job to be done in raising Birmingham and environs as a leisure destination which is going to be important as business travel declines and inbound tourism will be required if the airport is to retain the number of non bucket-and-spade destinations that it enjoys currently, let alone build additional ones.

Does Stratford on Avon not still have any touristy pull, given it is the birth town of William Shakespeare?

[ATNotts]

Originally Posted by Mooncrest

Does Stratford on Avon not still have any touristy pull, given it is the birth town of William Shakespeare?

Indeed, but probably more for anglophone tourists, particularly Americans, Canadians, etc - the 'usual suspects' although the Japanese and Chinese also visit in numbers.

Put it another way; would I visit Bayreuth for the Wagner connection, or say, Nuernberg because of Albrecht Durer? As a normal bloke looking for a short break probably not. There has to be a wider appeal which if Birmingham were properly promoted would enhance the city's appeal. The attractions are there, be it shopping, architecture, food and nightlife, the Jewellery Quarter, canal waterfront.

[chinapattern]

TUI’s short haul based 787 (TUID) is heading off to AMS this morning, seemingly replaced with an Air Tanker A330 which has already positioned in from BZZ and a 789 (TUIO) which is coming up from LGW later. A long haul 787 positions out to BRS as usual for a few days.

[CabinCrewe]

Originally Posted by chinapattern

TUI’s short haul based 787 (TUID) is heading off to AMS this morning, seemingly replaced with an Air Tanker A330 which has already positioned in from BZZ and a 789 (TUIO) which is coming up from LGW later. A long haul 787 positions out to BRS as usual for a few days.

Sounds a bit of a logistical and expensive ‘mess’

[chinapattern]

Wizz

New route to Tirana, x2 weekly from 21 December 2023. Nice to see Wizz adding a new route.

[OltonPete]

Wizz

Originally Posted by chinapattern

New route to Tirana, x2 weekly from 21 December 2023. Nice to see Wizz adding a new route.

This in addition to the already known winter increases on Warsaw 2-3, Krakow 2-3, Bucharest 4-5 & Craiova (2/3-4)

Pete

[OltonPete]

easyjet winter

Some changes showing.

Amsterdam to remain 2 daily except Saturday 1 but up from last winter of 4-6 per week although still some January reductions

Edinburgh increases from 10/12 weekly last winter to 20 - three per day with 2 on a Saturday (changed in the last hour)

Belfast up to 25 per week - up some weeks down others

Lisbon- three week suspension in January

The biggest loser in this batch is Glasgow which is down to 8 per week double daily only Monday & Friday and no Saturday service

Milan - nothing still

Pete

[ib26uk]

Oltonpete, Regarding easyJet, do you know any of the based plane routes?

[OltonPete]

easyjet

Originally Posted by ib26uk

Oltonpete, Regarding easyJet, do you know any of the based plane routes?

Hi ib26uk

I have no idea at all, not even a hint but there was an article stating it would only be 5 weeks before we would know although I am not sure if that fits in with the usual time for the easyJet's April release

I would be disappointed to see any of the 3 domestic early inbound flights to move to BHX based aircraft but perhaps one of the later Edinburgh or Belfasts might get changed.

I think Amsterdam might benefit from a switch in the morning but it if the seat-maps are an indication the first early inbound does okay but definitely the weaker of the 4 sectors.

Still plenty of routes either new or under-served to pick from to fill 3 based without hopefully moving too many of the existing away based flights

Pete

[Flightrider]

I would be disappointed to see any of the 3 domestic early inbound flights to move to BHX based aircraft

I'm not sure if you've seen the winter schedule for BHX-GLA but it's an absolute joke. First flight on Mondays arrives BHX at 1445 and there's only one flight a day midweek. Last departure on Friday is 1505 ex BHX. There's only one day (Wednesday) when there's actually an early morning flight - but there isn't an evening one! Fares to GLA are also way above equivalent days on BHX-EDI even though EDI has more flights and better schedules.

I've never subscribed to this school of thought that airlines sometimes do strange things to kill routes off - if you wanted it dead, you'd just pull it - but it's most evidently about to fall off the bottom of the easyJet list of priorities given this woeful offering for this winter.

[GayFriendly]

Flight rider, woeful yes it is. Am very saddened to see this big drop in frequency on BHX-GLA as if I have need to be in Scotland it's GLA I need to fly to. I think domestics with EZY have to fit in where they can with more lucrative European flying, the EZY base and routes at GLA has seen much chopping and changing over the past 12 months, it's just possible that the new BHX base might see some frequency increases from next spring. Meanwhile EDi goes up to 3 X a day this winter so perhaps load / yield much better than GLA which aligns with how EDI is seemingly booming but GLA stagnant or declining

[OltonPete]

Glasgow & Milan

Originally Posted by Flightrider

I'm not sure if you've seen the winter schedule for BHX-GLA but it's an absolute joke. First flight on Mondays arrives BHX at 1445 and there's only one flight a day midweek. Last departure on Friday is 1505 ex BHX. There's only one day (Wednesday) when there's actually an early morning flight - but there isn't an evening one! Fares to GLA are also way above equivalent days on BHX-EDI even though EDI has more flights and better schedules.

I've never subscribed to this school of thought that airlines sometimes do strange things to kill routes off - if you wanted it dead, you'd just pull it - but it's most evidently about to fall off the bottom of the easyJet list of priorities given this woeful offering for this winter.

Is it possible that some help has been given on the route and that has ended with easyjet now making a statement? Only a thought but agree it is an amazing schedule in a bad way.

In the Flybe days Edinburgh usually carried a couple of thousand a month more than Glasgow on similar frequencies and fares slightly higher so it has been a surprise that in April, Glasgow at times was 3 daily (Mon, Th, Fr) and Edinburgh once (Wednesday or a Thursday).

In the meantime Milan MXP has finally been released for winter Monday 10:15-10:45 & Friday 19:30-20:00 (App only). Expecting optimum timings on a twice a week service is probably expecting a bit much but certainly great days chosen so no complaints there. Approaching 100 departures a week in late winter.

Pete

[ATNotts]

With regard to the GLA/BHX frequency it would seem that the route doesn't generate sufficient revenue for EasyJet to justify a higher frequency.

Sure, business travel is depressed since the pandemic and the realisation that quite a lot of business can be done via Teams, Zoom etc but if there really is demand for a business friendly service now must surely be the time for Mr. Hinckles to weigh in with a twice daily morning and evening Monday to Friday service to hoover it up. If they don't then I would suggest it kind of proves there isn't demand for business services to Glasgow anymore, which frankly I would find slightly surprising, if not at the frequency offered by FlyBe Mk.1.

[OltonPete]

Edinburgh/Glasgow

Originally Posted by ATNotts

With regard to the GLA/BHX frequency it would seem that the route doesn't generate sufficient revenue for EasyJet to justify a higher frequency.

Sure, business travel is depressed since the pandemic and the realisation that quite a lot of business can be done via Teams, Zoom etc but if there really is demand for a business friendly service now must surely be the time for Mr. Hinckles to weigh in with a twice daily morning and evening Monday to Friday service to hoover it up. If they don't then I would suggest it kind of proves there isn't demand for business services to Glasgow anymore, which frankly I would find slightly surprising, if not at the frequency offered by FlyBe Mk.1.

For sure domestic business travel is not back to where it was and very difficult to know re yields unless you monitor the booking engine constantly, I dip in now and then and Edinburgh fares do seem to be slightly higher closer to departure at times. The passenger numbers since Flybe 2's demise show Edinburgh just over a couple of thousand a month higher with similar pax per flight and load factors with Edinburgh slight ahead but all meaningless unless you have a record of the fares charged. Both destinations in March around 35% on 2019.

Source CAA -

February -

Edinburgh 13294 passengers, 96 rotations average per flight 138 and load factor estimated at 81% based on a 60/40 split 320/319 (sorry not digging out actuals takes too long)
Glasgow 10616 passengers, 78 rotations average per flight 136 and load factor estimated at 79% based on a 60/40 split 320/319

March

Edinburgh 15213* passengers, 105* rotations average per flight 145 and load factor estimated at 85% based on a 60/40 split 320/319 (* one FR diversion load/rotation included) - 2019 23886 pax around 35%loss of pax
Glasgow 12833 passengers, 90 rotations average per flight 143 and load factor estimated at 83% based on a 60/40 split 320/319 - 2019 pax 19636 around 35% loss

Pete

[chinapattern]

Ryanair

From Sean M on Twitter - Seville and Valencia announced from 30th October, both x2 weekly Sat/Mon

[GayFriendly]

Fantastic news, both were strongly rumoured to be announced and both a great city break destinations, even in winter Seville is often sunny and mid teens temperatures. It's also well placed to travel to Cordoba, Cadiz, Jerez and the Costa de la Luz.

Will be interesting to see what EZY announce for their new BHX base, I reckon they'll play it safe but let's hope for at least a couple of new destinations

[chinapattern]

EasyJet

The new base routes have been revealed so assuming the existing ones return this is what summer 24 looks like

Alicante
Amsterdam
Barcelona
Belfast
Berlin
Corfu
Dalaman
Edinburgh
Enfidha
Faro
Geneva
Glasgow
Heraklion
Jersey
Kos
Larnaca
Lisbon
Lyon
Malaga
Milan
Nantes
Naples
Palma de Mallorca
Paris
Rhodes
Sharm El Sheikh
Tenerife

[ATNotts]

I suppose predictably most of the new Easyjet routes are the same old predictable bucket and spade destinations, courtesy of #seanm1997, on sale through Easyjet Holidays. I hope that they are primarily scheduled service on which the 'Holidays' division are buying seats rather than the other way around.

Berlin is obviously welcome and Sharm-el-Sheik along with Enfidha interesting scheduled routes. Jersey will give Blue Islands some competition for leisure traffic.

I just hope that tightening family finances don't impact too seriouly on the bucket and spade market, but I feel sure it will to some extent.

[toledoashley]

My guess is they are keen for these to feed easyJet Holidays, hense why putting them on sale on that platform only will stop the leak of business to the likes of On The Beach/Travel Republic etc.

[GayFriendly]

Berlin 👍 AT LONG LAST!!!!!!!!! No more EMA or MAN for me and my Berlin based family - such great news, thank you EZY 👋👋🎉🎉