prestwick
 

anybody any news on PIK?

Does anyone know whether Ryanair are axing the routes from Prestwick to Stansted and Charleroi? There doesn't appear to be any flights in December. I wonder what Ryanair's plans are for Prestwick Airport.

that would be a suprsie if stansted was to go? maybe just concentrating in more holiday routes that are selling well

There's already a thread called PRESTWICK

i could nt find it, thanks

Have Ryanair seriously just dumped their busiest route from Prestwick? This used to have up to EIGHT flights a day if I recall ! Now I know the train is better now but this yields always seemed good when they came down to 3 x 737-800s per day !

its not availble from end of october on website, maybe just not uploaded yet? thats a strange one, maybe ryanair thinking of glasgow for the business routes? and increase sun routes at pik?

PIK - STN death slide?
 

Hi,

I'm afraid that I wouldn't be hugely surprised if PIK-STN gets canned. As you can see from the figures below, passenger numbers and loads have been sliding for a long time. This year (Jan to May), the average flown load factor has fallen to about 55% from over 65% for the same period last year.

Of course, the yields might still be decent, but given the apparent effect of the economy and APD on weaker domestic routes (see also Easyjet's STN-NCL route), I doubt that the route is the money maker that it may once have been.

Year / Pax / Av flown LF
2009 278,291 68%
2008 402,570 72%
2007 427,062 65%
2006 469,605 73%
2005 504,844 75%

i aggree with that, i reckon xtra sun destinations and new sun routes are good earners for ryanair at pik

It will certainly be bad news if Stansted disappears but I suspect that it will for the same reason that Bournemouth has failed at PIK and EDI. The early departure time of 0650 with the next flight not until early afternoon is basically not attractive to passengers. When I have travelled previously on the 1010 departure to STN the loads looked to be good. Obviously RYR have a problem persuading the lazy Scots (and I am one of them!) to get moving in the mornings. While they might get up early for 2 weeks in the sun, they don't see the need on the short trip to London.

I remember when there were 10 flights a day between Prestwick and Stansted when they used the smaller 737s. Possibly the low frequency will drive passengers elsewhere. Does anyone know what is happening to the Charleroi route? I hope it too doesn't get axed. I travel to Ostend several times a year via Charleroi. Axeing the route would either make my journeys much more expensive or make them much longer. I wish Prestwick could attract another major carrier.

Maybe something to do with the absence of transport links before the first train in the morning from Glasgow Central?
Or Ryanair really expect people to take that bus at 4am from Buchanan St?
I'd rather spend marginally more and take easyjet or BA from GLA.

Legal Tender has it. For a once-a-year holiday to a specific destination, then a 06h30 flight is not unreasonable... drive & park, taxi, whatever. But for the shuttle down to London, the added cost brings the total price close to what BMI, BA or EasyJet offer from GLA.

I am getting confused now. Can anyone summarise for me...
1) What FR routes are available ex-PIK this winter?
2) Which have been suspended for the winter only?
3) Which routes have been permanently cancelled (I heard BUD)?
4) Is Stansted REALLY not making an appearance on the schedules?

Thanks!

ryanair do this every year at pik, drip feed the winter schedule i reckon it looks like 3 based in winter at the moment, it will hopefully be 4, and 5 would be great, if stansted was to go, surely that opens the door for somebody?

Yeah, EZY at GLA

It won't open the door for anyone at PIK, may help load factors with BA/BD/EJ at Glasgow though, on existing flights.

As was mentioned earlier elsewhere, the pre-7am flights are largely unreachable on public transport and £1 flights seem to be a thing of the past, PIK losing its appeal as the savings are squeezed. (EJ to London from GLA frequently available <£50)

I know Ryanair are hardly a conventional Hub and Spoke airline but the direct choice from PIK is relatively poor.
Less flights to DUB and STN greatly reduces the possibilities for efficient 2 leg flights. :(

If the rail service improved from Glasgow to Prestwickt Airport to offer a train that connected with morning flights and added a train around midnight from Prestwick Airport to Glasgow then it would make the Stansted route much more attractive. The later train back to Glasgow would also be attractive to inbound travellers from other destinations travelling on a tight budget.

Theres currently 12 routes from the summer not bookable from Oct

Many of the 12 routes are seasonal - Carcassonne, Reus, Murcia, Ibiza, Pisa & Rome. Budapest was seasonal but is apparently being axed as Ryanair is pulling all services from there. Palma operated once a week last winter but nothing is shown for this winter. Milan will probably be loaded along with any other ski routes in due course (Turin?). That leaves just Stansted, Brussels & Gothenburg with no winter flights loaded. Time will tell as Ryanair have not completed putting all their winter flights on sale yet.