No, you are confusing this with the traditional GCI/JER charter flight which is scheduled to be operated by an ATR (LH5020) and starts on Apr 24.

The equipment change relates to the new seasonal scheduled flight by Lufthansa (LH4938) that starts on Jun 21. Originally it was also to be operated by a Contactair ATR72, but now pops up as an Eurowings (ex Duo) CRJ700.

Yes, the CR7 does show on the timetable for July and late August. The 142 is scheduled for the first two weeks of August.

Which begs the above question - is this a first for JER? The only UK airline that ever operated a CR7 was Duo - and they did not serve JER. And not a lot of non-UK airlines have served JER regularly since the CR7 was introduced.

This is, by the way, the CRJ700 Series 701 ER performance data:

FAR take-off field length (SL, ISA) at MTOW 5,500 ft
FAR landing field length (SL) at MLW 5,090 ftm

A new arrival on Pprune ... please excuse any gross stupidity.

My personal [OK, and selfish] need is JER to USA [IAD]. I can only get realistically to the latter via LHR. I am now well versed in LGW-LHR taxis, and overnight hotels, as I can never make a connection on the same day. The peripheral bills just mount up and up ... :{

Do you experts ever see a prospect of a viable LHR link, preferably with BA [did I say that?] so I can also get the trans-Atlantic baggage allowance on the x-Channel sector?

Beltway bandits
 

JER - IAD, take JER-LGW-PHL and rent a car (if US Airways still operating it), depending where you want to get to around NW Washington/Dulles, its not a bad drive, have done it a few times.. just avoid the Beltway in the rush hour..

Alternately, connect to IAD or National through BOS.

Or better still... Flybe JER - SOU and rail-air link to LHR, you'd make the last two direct IAD flights out of LHR easilly then, avoid the M25 and the Washington Beltway!

:)

bmi have a twice daily LHR link from JER, nice and simple!!

Indeed they do. My wife and I will be flying JER-LHR in July. You can get some brilliant fares - from £22 including taxes for a one-way.

I guess the route varies between the 319 and 320?

Or Blue Islands to Zurich and then IAD from there. Might be expensive, though! Of course, if you're not paying, why go to Hellrow and let your bags join the other 20000 lost ones when you could enjoy Swiss efficiency?

I can't imagine many problems lost-bags-wise with BD.

Yup, generally the 319 in the mornings and the 320 in the evenings except Sun mornings where its the E145.

Its a great service, T1's a lot quieter now BA have moved out.

And no... BD are quite good with the bags. Its usually the through checked BA ones that go amiss :ok:

Jer-iad
 

Thanks for the tips, folks. We're fairly regular travellers to IAD ... the difficulty is the way JER sectors keep changing. How long will BMI keep the LHR option going, for a start!

Yes, we're going BMI to LHR outbound in late May. However, return is BA to LHR and then BA LGW-JER. Three weeks' clothing and some shopping tends to cross the baggage limits, and at least that way we get the trans-Atlantic baggage allowance on the x-Channel sector. ;)

I'll take a look at some of those other options, although we were hoping to avoid either internal airline changes in USA, or a lengthy drive after a day or so travelling. At least IAD is just 45 minutes from where I'm headed, even with beltway traffic!!

But not necessarily on time.

On my Wish List
 

If the stories are true, and Virgin is planning to take over BMI, would you experts visualise the current BMI hop to LHR being re-scheduled [as a VS sector] to allow pax to connect with the morning VS flights to USA?

Surely there would be demand from the Finance community for such a connection?

If this goes ahead - and Branson clearly wants it to happen - I would have concerns for the future of all BD short haul routes from LHR; RB isn't interested in the A319/320/ERJ routes - he wants the slots.

Unless the UK govt does something (unlikely?), that would be a seriously bad development for JER. The best hope we would have is that by the time the 3 yr BD contract expires (2010), Mixed Mode would be in use at LHR which would hopefully protect some of the short haul slots.

New route from JER: Summer charter with VLM to Manston, Saturdays:

http://www.kentinternationalairport-...yRoute0804.asp

(Well, I had to avoid their tiny error in calling it a "New Jersey" route ... ;))

Flybe Contemplate JER-LGW frequency Increase
 

Flybe records 25% increase in demand for Jersey- London Gatwick service

16 May 2008

Flybe, Europe’s largest regional low cost airline, reports unprecedented demand for seats on its popular Jersey – London Gatwick service with advanced summer seat sales having increased by 25% over 2007.

Mike Rutter, Flybe’s Chief Commercial Officer says: “We have been absolutely bowled over by the demand on this key route. Our decision to offer Islanders the opportunity to fly to London on our brand new 118-seat state of the art Embraer 195 jet aircraft has clearly been welcomed by Islanders wanting to enjoy not only an affordable service but one that is comfortable with spacious 2x2 seating configuration.”
Flybe is also pleased to have had recent recognition for its ‘very good’ punctuality and reliability rating on its London Gatwick service by flightstats.com, an online information portal now adopted by Jersey Airport as a measure for airline performance.

“We are committed to serving the Island community by providing the most affordable and convenient service on this route,” adds Mr Rutter. “It is one we recognise as being of strategic importance to both business and leisure travellers. As a result, we are considering increasing our daily schedule with the addition of another two flights, especially at the beginning and end of the day. With this end in view we are exploring whether slots would be available to take the service to eight a day.”

Hmmm I was under the impression that pax numbers had fallen on this route...........How many more services do they intend to add as they operate 6 services each weekday as it is.

Just wondering if this announcement is a prelude to the announcement of a joint BE/BA operation; BE can increase its operations ... if BA were to cut its flights altogether, as has been rumoured ...

A Matter Of Time?
 

akersoid
Spoke to a good source on Thursday about the winter schedules for B.A. Jersey to Gatwick.
The person said it will be a mix of B737 and Airbus aircraft.
The mix I am lead to beleave is due to the smaller B737 500s will be gone shortly.
Although with Flybe trying to add more Jersey to Gatwick does seem to show they are trying to get B.A. off the route?
On the other hand B.A. might not hand over the route until they are sattisfied Flybe can cope?.
As we know there is another carrier in the back ground that would step in if there is only Flybe on the route.
We will have to wait and see on this on how the winter pans out for the route.

At present Jersey is the top performing short haul route bar a couple of LHR routes (GVA and CDG) spring to mind in terms of volume. It is also the biggest route at LGW in terms of Club Europe pax by a mile. The reduction in numbers in the Club cabin was partly due to an agreement between ops and rev man to peg the max divider at 30 due to the short flying time and the need for additional crew which offset the revenue gained.

We have consistantly grown the market share at the expense of BE and the load factor is also up vly (although admittedly this is partly due to the decrease in capacity). These figures are freely distributed between all carriers between here and London and are there for all to see.

There is catagorically no intention to hand over the route to BE at any time in the forseeable future. :ugh:

It is correct that JER will recieve a mix of 735's and busses over the coming winter, which will increase to 90% Bus by the start of next summer.

Good to hear JER doing well for BA.

I guess the one question I'd have is whether the groundings recently hinted at by WW might have an effect on the 735 fleet; if, as I suspect, the 735 is one of the first fleets to be cut back, then JER could see 319s sooner?

Sorry for being slightly off-topic:

I am travellig to St. Malo via JER in late June on a LH flight from DUS. I will have a couple of hours in Jersey before continuing to France with a ferry in the evening. I am surprised that there is huge price difference between HD Ferries (16 GBP) and Condor Ferries (28 GBP) on the Jersey-St. Malo route. Any reason why I should avoid HD as the cheaper option? Do they tend to cancel sailings?

Never travelled to/from JER on a ferry - is the ferry terminal close to "downtown" St. Helier or is it somewhat awkward to get there from the airport (I am travelling light)?

HD Ferries had a lot of problems last summer with their vessel, which gained them a lot of bad publicity and it is well documented on the internet. They’ve been operating again since Easter and so far, from what I can make out, have been fairly reliable, but of course the reputation still sticks somewhat. I wouldn’t have any problem choosing either of them but if you want complete reliability then I think Condor would be the safer option. There is a foot passenger ferry too, Compagnie Corsaire, which operates to St Malo.

The ferry terminal is well signposted from town. It is only around 10 minutes from the centre of St Helier but make sure you go to the Elizabeth Terminal where Condor and HD operate from; but the whole town is fairly compact and easy to navigate.

Interestingly, HD Ferries is owned by the same group as HD Air, formally BAC Express.

Thanks for your help.
Interesting. Have never come across them while searching. Quite strange that they do not have an English website and their online reservation system does not allow one-way bookings for sailings departing from Jersey.

Hmm, on the day I am travelling there are four sailings with 105 minutes - 1715 on Condor, 1745 on Corsaire, 1815 on Condor and 1900 on HD. As a foot passenger in late June - is it safe to just walk up and buy a ticket before departure or is there a risk that one does not get on board (I would guess not, but you never know)? Or are fares (much) higher for last minute ticket purchases?

My excuses again for this OT content, but I cannot think of any other place where I could get better first hand onformation.

I would imagine that you would be fine to purchase a ticket on the day in June. I don't think prices fluctuate too much and if you travel on a stand-by basis then the cost is likely to be reduced.

Does Jersey have duty on Aviation Fuel?Is it comparably low in relation to other EU airports,as a corporate operator is it beneficial to stop off there en-route to the Tracks for US/Caribbean?:ok:

No duty on fuel as such, but Avtur is more expensive than UK due shipping costs. Avgas is £1.09 per ltr at the moment.

How does Jersey fair in the grand scheme of fuel charges for Jet-a1 in comparision to the rest of europe?
Any idea?:ok:

JER's runway doesn't quite have the length needed (1700m) to send a fully loaded pax jet off to the US/Caribbean!

I'm referring to biz jets operating from jersey:ok:

Hi VickersV

Jersey does have biz routing out of the Island to East Coast of American
and also to Dubai and various other destination in a that area as well

Yet another change on the JER-DUS route - flight has been pushed back by approx. 2 hours and is now scheduled to be operated by an Eurowings BAe 146-200. First it was an ATR72, then a CRJ700. Not sure what the reason for the equipment change is, but I was quite sceptical about the CRJ700 right from the beginning.

Well, it was a CRJ-700 last week. Hope they stick with that!

JetPhotos.Net Photo » D-ACSC (CN: 10039) Lufthansa Regional (Eurowings) Bombardier CRJ-701 by John Fitzpatrick

Runway Resurfacing
 

Soooo the runway is being resurfaced. Except for all the NIMBYs whinging about noise etc it seems to be a good decision taken fairly easily by the good old United States of Jersey (for once).

One problem, during the resurfacing program (to run between Sep 08 and Apr 09) late night extensions WILL NOT be being granted by the airport. Once 2100 ticks past, the runway is closed whether your flight has arrived/departed or not, and it will be diverted/cancelled.

The runway will only open for emergencies (could be interesting landing on molten asphalt... but hey). Air ambulance services to SOU etc will have to be operated by helicopter. I hear it still remains to be seen whether this will be from the airport or another location on the island.

Would it not have made sense to start the works in October at the end of the season where airlines had a chance to schedule their a/c in earlier?

It looks the best BA can do for Sep/Oct is to schedule their nightstopper in at 2100L... pushing it a bit? Also BD is due out to LHR at 2045, which looks unchanged for the winter schedule as well (place your bets as to whether they hang around that long or not though) so the detective in me can envisage problems there also.

Could be an interesting winter, I certainly won't be booking any tickets for evening flights!

i think you will find that that the be/ba late arrivals and the bd turnaround has been pretty good in recent months although i did hear bd crew had rest/meal break whilst in jer. maybe that will have to have a rethink.

It was the same in Liverpool when we did ours. If your not in, or on final by close,it's off somewhere else! And we stuck to it!

Macuser,

we do have crew meals loaded for the turnaround. Last few times I've done the rotation, we had plenty of time for our turnaround. Seem to remeber the biggest wait was for the loadsheet before we could close up and go (on time, of course:ok:)

I see that although we don’t yet have the full winter schedule, Jet2 have already launched a twice weekly Belfast service for summer 2009. Flights operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays with the latter a ‘W’ pattern off Leeds/Bradford (I assume).

The odds were on that we would see an enhanced Belfast schedule; it is one of the last major UK cities to remain solely a Saturday flight. I’m hoping too for an increase in Glasgow flights for 2009, which is in a similar position, and seems an obvious route for the likes of Easyjet.

BA to announce s/h cuts at LGW next week
 

It's been reported that BA will announce a significant cutback of its s/h flying at LGW. An announcement is expected on Friday?

It will be interesting to see if, as many have predicted, there is a stronger link developing with BE (which is supposed to move to the North Terminal from October?). The big question, will this affect Jersey and might we see a codeshare with BE?

735s are being phased out over the Winter; I know 319s are being brought down from LHR and some are already scheduled on the JER route, but it wouldn't surprise me if JER is affected ...

If this happens then i know a little orange airline hovering over the JER-LGW route with enough capacity to slip right in there......

B.A. Airbus
 

I understand the Airbus will be operateing some Gatwick-Jersey services from next week.
The B.A. Jersey-Gatwick-Jersey service out performs Flybe on this route in passenger numbers, this could well be to do with the name, people still prefer to go by B.A.
Yes it has been reported that B.A. will cut back 5% of Domestic and European service ,so Jersey might drop a rotation on some days.
We will have to wait and see what W.W. has to say on this subject at the end of the week.