NOW start date
Terrier
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: moonbase alpha
Posts: 564
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
jmc man
That is why I am steering clear. They are not moving in the right direction, and I asked myself the question: " Can I afford to be made redundant, and do I need to go low cost just as things improve in the industry?"
The answers were no, but I still hope they are a success.
That is why I am steering clear. They are not moving in the right direction, and I asked myself the question: " Can I afford to be made redundant, and do I need to go low cost just as things improve in the industry?"
The answers were no, but I still hope they are a success.
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: London
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
marketing manager appointed
"Tony Camacho, the former commercial director of budget airline buzz has landed a role advising on the launch of Now Airlines
Camacho, who was made redundant four months ago when buzz was acquired by Ryanair, (Marketing, March 20) takes the role of interim chief commercial officer at Now, working with interim chief executive Lars Welinder.
He will help devise a marketing and commercial strategy for Now. Camacho will work with its communications strategists DSJSW on a launch marketing campaign. "
Camacho, who was made redundant four months ago when buzz was acquired by Ryanair, (Marketing, March 20) takes the role of interim chief commercial officer at Now, working with interim chief executive Lars Welinder.
He will help devise a marketing and commercial strategy for Now. Camacho will work with its communications strategists DSJSW on a launch marketing campaign. "
Guest
Posts: n/a
Sounds like a good move. What is the source of the news story?
Despite the doubters they are still conducting advertising and conducting SIM assesments.
The people paying for all this know more than Ppruners and presumably don't think they are chucking good money after bad.
Despite the doubters they are still conducting advertising and conducting SIM assesments.
The people paying for all this know more than Ppruners and presumably don't think they are chucking good money after bad.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Further to my previous post this report from Janes is worth considering.
There is a big market for the low cost carriers in Eastern Europe if they can find a way to access it. Read on:
By Anthony O'Connor
It goes without saying that an expanded Europe will need greater communication links and that much of this could be served by increased air transport links. It sounds like the perfect breeding ground for some of Europe's established low-cost carriers to step in and develop these new markets as they have elsewhere in Europe. But are the ready to go east?
Some of them have already taken tentative steps to serve Central and Eastern Europe. Easyjet and the Cologne-based carrier Germanwings already operate services to Czech Republic capital Prague, and the German carrier also flies to the Hungarian capital Budapest.
These two airlines have a lot in common. They operate on a point-to-point basis serving city pairs at primary airports, and they both appear set to continue along those lines. Ryanair is the secondary airport market operator and has been fundamental in opening up some routes that never featured on the leisure market radar before the carrier started flying there.
But the Irish carrier has already decided that it will not venture into the eastern territories when the new EU members join in 2004. "At the moment we have no interest in Eastern Europe - it's very fractious," said Howard Millar, finance director at Ryanair in Dublin. "We think a lot of people will rush into Eastern Europe and lose a lot of money," he said. "Airport prices have got to come down and incomes have got to rise."
UK rival Easyjet has taken a slightly different approach. As part of a pan-European media exercise, the carrier placed tender advertisements in the national media of 10 European countries.
Of the 10 EU accession countries, Easyjet has focused its attentions on the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. But according to a spokeswoman for the airline, Easyjet is open to suggestion from any airports in Europe. "Easyjet is basically a version of British Midland. I'm sure they'll be just looking at primary airports," said Ryanair's Millar.
This kind of beauty parade is nothing new for carriers, especially at a point in the industry cycle where airports are desperate for business. Southwest, the archetype of all low-cost carriers, does exactly the same in the US.
At one stage recently, Southwest was being courted by three airports within a 100-mile radius in the state of Virginia, according to a source close to the airline. Accordingly, the carrier was able to secure the deal that it wanted, he said.
Ryanair may have been expecting a more boisterous welcome from the airports in the region, which are renowned for inflexible pricing policies. Germanwings Deputy Managing Director Andreas Bierwirth also highlighted that airport charges are definitely an issue for his carrier.
Reports coming from Eastern Europe suggest that low-cost carriers are ready to flock in once bilateral barriers, which favour flag carriers at present, are lifted.
A spokesman for Virgin Express in Brussels said the carrier has no plans to operate any services to the region while barriers remain.
There is a big market for the low cost carriers in Eastern Europe if they can find a way to access it. Read on:
By Anthony O'Connor
It goes without saying that an expanded Europe will need greater communication links and that much of this could be served by increased air transport links. It sounds like the perfect breeding ground for some of Europe's established low-cost carriers to step in and develop these new markets as they have elsewhere in Europe. But are the ready to go east?
Some of them have already taken tentative steps to serve Central and Eastern Europe. Easyjet and the Cologne-based carrier Germanwings already operate services to Czech Republic capital Prague, and the German carrier also flies to the Hungarian capital Budapest.
These two airlines have a lot in common. They operate on a point-to-point basis serving city pairs at primary airports, and they both appear set to continue along those lines. Ryanair is the secondary airport market operator and has been fundamental in opening up some routes that never featured on the leisure market radar before the carrier started flying there.
But the Irish carrier has already decided that it will not venture into the eastern territories when the new EU members join in 2004. "At the moment we have no interest in Eastern Europe - it's very fractious," said Howard Millar, finance director at Ryanair in Dublin. "We think a lot of people will rush into Eastern Europe and lose a lot of money," he said. "Airport prices have got to come down and incomes have got to rise."
UK rival Easyjet has taken a slightly different approach. As part of a pan-European media exercise, the carrier placed tender advertisements in the national media of 10 European countries.
Of the 10 EU accession countries, Easyjet has focused its attentions on the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. But according to a spokeswoman for the airline, Easyjet is open to suggestion from any airports in Europe. "Easyjet is basically a version of British Midland. I'm sure they'll be just looking at primary airports," said Ryanair's Millar.
This kind of beauty parade is nothing new for carriers, especially at a point in the industry cycle where airports are desperate for business. Southwest, the archetype of all low-cost carriers, does exactly the same in the US.
At one stage recently, Southwest was being courted by three airports within a 100-mile radius in the state of Virginia, according to a source close to the airline. Accordingly, the carrier was able to secure the deal that it wanted, he said.
Ryanair may have been expecting a more boisterous welcome from the airports in the region, which are renowned for inflexible pricing policies. Germanwings Deputy Managing Director Andreas Bierwirth also highlighted that airport charges are definitely an issue for his carrier.
Reports coming from Eastern Europe suggest that low-cost carriers are ready to flock in once bilateral barriers, which favour flag carriers at present, are lifted.
A spokesman for Virgin Express in Brussels said the carrier has no plans to operate any services to the region while barriers remain.
Guest
Posts: n/a
The latest Flight International has a piece on fixed fares and I quote the following:
'Start-up Now Airlines says it has solved the software issues that delayed its April start and will join Air Wales in abandoning fluctuating fares set by increasingly complex yield management systems'
and
'Meanwhile privately funded UK start-up Now Airlines plans to fly its inaugral service from its London Luton base to Rome Fiumicino in October using three 148 seat Boeing 737-800's. Tickets will go on sale next week for travel to nine European points grouped into six geographic zones. Each zone has a set price, plus "seasonal surcharges".
The interesting bit is that Air Wales has fixed fares. 80% of the tickets are sold within 2 months of departure. This is the period when the fixed fare becomes cheaper than the fares offered by the expensive yield management systems.
At this late stage it is unlikely that Flight would publish a dud story.
Can we assume things are going ahead as planned?
'Start-up Now Airlines says it has solved the software issues that delayed its April start and will join Air Wales in abandoning fluctuating fares set by increasingly complex yield management systems'
and
'Meanwhile privately funded UK start-up Now Airlines plans to fly its inaugral service from its London Luton base to Rome Fiumicino in October using three 148 seat Boeing 737-800's. Tickets will go on sale next week for travel to nine European points grouped into six geographic zones. Each zone has a set price, plus "seasonal surcharges".
The interesting bit is that Air Wales has fixed fares. 80% of the tickets are sold within 2 months of departure. This is the period when the fixed fare becomes cheaper than the fares offered by the expensive yield management systems.
At this late stage it is unlikely that Flight would publish a dud story.
Can we assume things are going ahead as planned?
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hitchin
Posts: 1,405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Website amended today stating that bookings will now commence ' in a couple of weeks', blaming the delay on time taken in ' finalising operational issues'. Confirmation of final destinations to be served and prices, together with a full timetable will be released shortly. On the jobs front, stated that a full complement of cabin crew have now been recruited for the October launch of flights which are expected to start with a twice daily Rome operation(FCO). Flight deck crews, full complement?.
The saga continues..........
The saga continues..........
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Beds
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just as a spot comparison I checked the prices from London to Edinburgh for Monday 5 August returning on Tuesday 5 August.
I assumed I had to make a lunchtime meeting in Edinburgh but could come back anytime on the Tuesday.
BA LGW Mon 0915/1040 Tue 1435/1605 £55
EZJ LTN Mon 1115/1230 Tue 1320/1435 £145
BMI LHR Mon 0655/0810 Tue 1245/1410 £228
Bit of a surprise but I would fly with BA. Exclusive of last weeks unrest BA have more back up aircraft and would thus give me a better guarantee of making my meeting. and saving £90 over the cheapest competition.
'NOW' the point is that I really get stung by trying to book low cost at the last minute. If I knew that the fare was the same at any time and the service was half decent and reliable I would stick with that airline as a regular customer. The trick would be to make my arrangements early to avoid high fares with late bookings with another airline.
I reckon 'NOW' have a crafty angle on the low cost business.
I assumed I had to make a lunchtime meeting in Edinburgh but could come back anytime on the Tuesday.
BA LGW Mon 0915/1040 Tue 1435/1605 £55
EZJ LTN Mon 1115/1230 Tue 1320/1435 £145
BMI LHR Mon 0655/0810 Tue 1245/1410 £228
Bit of a surprise but I would fly with BA. Exclusive of last weeks unrest BA have more back up aircraft and would thus give me a better guarantee of making my meeting. and saving £90 over the cheapest competition.
'NOW' the point is that I really get stung by trying to book low cost at the last minute. If I knew that the fare was the same at any time and the service was half decent and reliable I would stick with that airline as a regular customer. The trick would be to make my arrangements early to avoid high fares with late bookings with another airline.
I reckon 'NOW' have a crafty angle on the low cost business.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hitchin
Posts: 1,405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yarpy
Tend to agree with you. If you can book 3/4 monthe in advance you are going to get a very attractive price from the LCCs but not everyone can do that so with Now's pricing looking to come somewhere in the middle, they MAY and I think it is a big MAY, just be able to carve out a 'niche market' from which to operate and win over some punters. Long term , only time will tell.
Have just booked a day return LTN-EDI-LTN for 6 Aug @ £159.88. Don't want to travel around the M25 to travel from anywhere else as LTN is ideal for me. For indications purposes only, Now are showing £35 o/w to Man, £70 r/t( I know these figs are not yet confirmed) but lets just say if they did offer an EDI service, which might pitch in at say £45/£50 o/w, £90'£100 r/t right up to deparure, I would most certainly use it, rather than EZY, as many of my flights fall within a booking period of say 4/6 weeks.If I want two weeks in Malaga for my hols, I would probably use EZY as this would have a longer lead-in time for me to get the cheaper fare. However knowing I could probably go to Tenerife on the spur of the moment for say £75 o/w, that has to be attractive.
Could be interesting.
Tend to agree with you. If you can book 3/4 monthe in advance you are going to get a very attractive price from the LCCs but not everyone can do that so with Now's pricing looking to come somewhere in the middle, they MAY and I think it is a big MAY, just be able to carve out a 'niche market' from which to operate and win over some punters. Long term , only time will tell.
Have just booked a day return LTN-EDI-LTN for 6 Aug @ £159.88. Don't want to travel around the M25 to travel from anywhere else as LTN is ideal for me. For indications purposes only, Now are showing £35 o/w to Man, £70 r/t( I know these figs are not yet confirmed) but lets just say if they did offer an EDI service, which might pitch in at say £45/£50 o/w, £90'£100 r/t right up to deparure, I would most certainly use it, rather than EZY, as many of my flights fall within a booking period of say 4/6 weeks.If I want two weeks in Malaga for my hols, I would probably use EZY as this would have a longer lead-in time for me to get the cheaper fare. However knowing I could probably go to Tenerife on the spur of the moment for say £75 o/w, that has to be attractive.
Could be interesting.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: ltn
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just heard the website is being re-launched as WWW.SOMETIME.COM
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Somewhere between here and there....
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Seems TFS is off the list of destinations for NOW, allegedly...
There is a staff get-together soon to put names to faces etc.....in readiness of the offical launch.
There is a staff get-together soon to put names to faces etc.....in readiness of the offical launch.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Hitchin
Posts: 1,405
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Not surprised if TFS is off the list. Monarch Scheduled have the route fairly well tied up from LTN. Also BMI have recently announced they will be serving the route from down the road at LHR with the start of the winter schedules.
Guest
Posts: n/a