mmeteeside, Brittania:

The Bourgas got away eventully at 8.55 this morning despite the bag belts jamming on us again that was loverly.

TCX delay...
 

Have nothing against TCX at all, used to work for them and think they are a fab airline. Have 2 friends at fje -just read your comments how they wont make BBC news! true - as with every other airline which gets delayed - some reason fje always get the brunt and negativity off the media - such a shame!!!

Yes, because usually they have no contingency plans which result in massive delays (12+hrs). Unlike the big charter carriers they don't have spare aircraft to swap around to accomodate big delays!!. As soon as the press here they just jump!!:hmm:

In the height of the summer season very few charter operators, even the big ones have aircraft just sitting around waiting to step in should a delay or tech problem occur. Just look at TCX this weekend, their saturday lunchtime ALC rotation had to wait 10+ hours for a replacement, as did their friday BOJ. No worse or better than FJE this week really, a replacement belonging to EuroAtlantic was drafted in after 12 hours for FJE. So why if other carriers have the same delays, with contingencys running hughely late is FJE still targeted by the press? And why is a employee from NIA's property department making such comments on the local news? Do FJE not pay charges to the airport, so inferring they could end operations at NCL would see a drop in revenue would it not?

Has anyone got a charter programme for Winter together yet for NCL? :ok:

easyjet
 

I dont want to reopen old wounds but the easyjet bashing on here strikes me as a bit unfair. The simple fact is that easy do not remove planes from bases which are running full with good yields. The problem is that ncl with such a small business market must be one of the most seasonal easy bases.

Dont forget that easy have done more than anyone to try to build up a market away from spanish sun and sea (budapest, copenhagen, berlin anyone?) and these routes have simply not proved sustainable. Oslo, London City, Amsterdam have all failed with other carriers and looking at the Jet2 gatwick loads the continuation of that route cannot be guaranteed.

The only good news is that the axing of Rome might mean increased interest in the ryanair to bergamo as the only way to get to italy over the winter, that being another route which seems to be always rumoured to be on the brink:)

Easyjet
 

Mark23 some slight inaccuracies in your post, firstly easy pulled copenhagen because of increased operating costs at that airport and not because of poor loads, secondly Berlin pax figures only dropped when easy started messing about with the timetable and rescheduling flights after the timetable was released. Look at the pax figures before the timetable change and the figures after.

What facts are you basing your assumption that NCL must be one of EZY most seasonal basis, again I would ask you to look at the STN loads for last Winter. The loads were very good and yet EZY have slashed the rotations on this route for this winter.

Its not a question of simply bashing EZY for the sake of it but simply looking at the evidence to hand and then coming to the conclusion that they have lost interest in NCL. I hope I am proved wrong but as I have said before the evidence points to the fact that it looks like EZY base at NCL is going to stagnate as has happened to the EMA base.

Finally not sure how axing Rome will increase interest in Bergamo, if you want to get to Rome you aint in a million years going to fly into Bergamo and face the 4 hour trek south!!

This will be mainly due to the increased taxes at the airport. FR have announced that they will be serverely cutting services aswell. The loads may be good, but not good enough with the new charges. More money to be made elsewhere.

MUFC Fan - Taxes have not been increased at STN. BAA have increased charges to help pay for a new runway no one wants. FR have also only cut services to seasonal destmations such as REU. NCL-STN is not a seasonal operation as the loads are about the same in the Winter than the Summer. Actually average loads for some months in Winter 06 were better than summer 06.

Thats what I meant, BAA upping it's prices, but if they weren't raised, then FR would still be operating it's usualy winter service and not reducing services and grounding a/c.

Easyjet/seasonal
 

I dont think the domestic routes that have been cut are seasonal. However I believe that from last winter 2006/2007 when there were 6 based aircraft, in order to keep them all busy when the european seasonal routes from the previous summer were reduced or closed, frequency to Bristol and Stansted was increased. In my opinion this increase was not neccessary as has been proved by the small increase in pax numbers and lowering of load factors.
The new Bristol frequency for the coming winter ie 3x daily ( down from 4x daily) is about right. Not sure about the times though, no mid morning flight. As for Stansted the increase to 5x daily was also to much, and a return to 4 x daily this coming winter would have not been a surprise. But to drop it to 3x daily and some days 2x daily seems to have gone to far. Look at the pax figures for this route. They are increasing and should easily sustain 4x daily flights. Again the new timings are less than convenient ie no mid morning service.
As for Paris 2x daily again from last winter was I think to much as AF already does 3x daily. So the drop back to 1x daily is no surprise. Rome is a dissapointment but it has ran for many years now and perhaps the loads were not good enough anymore. ( Although was it not something to do with slots at Rome, Bfs was also dropped)
Again not surprised that the Jet 2 to Ams ended the competition with KL was to much.
Looking at the figures for the Jet 2 to LGW, (a huge drop from when B A had it) I dont think it will last much longer
Perhaps Easyjet will do at NCL what they have done at Belfast with one of the NCL Boeings ( no 7 which was only brought to Ncl for the summer as a tactical aircraft). and keep A/C no 6 at NCL for the winter with some new routes. (Winter seasonal routes ) and put the Stansted back to 4x daily.

ncleflights

Stripping down to basics, easyjet like every other airline is a business and not a charity, if a route is unprofitable it will be axed or capacity reduced, do you think ezy would axe profitable routes for the hell of it? The problem with STN is not BAA charges but APD. Look at ryanair who have reduced STN capacity by 20% for the winter, add to the fact fuel is at an all time high it is becoming increasingly difficult for airlines to make a profit, you could offer 149 seats at 50p a seat, cracking loads but it ain't going to make any money.Maybe as NCL is a relatively small market there is not enough business to sustain new destinations once the novelty factor has worn off. So its not all as cut and dried as 'easyjet are losing interest'.

What chances of BA going back on the LGW route from Oct?

BIG E - More EZY spin I see. I have never claimed EZY are a charity, but are you now trying to claim that STN - NCL is not profitable, if you are your taking complete rubbish APD came along EZY reacted put the prices up and pax still use the route.

To also draw comparisons with FR is wrong they have cut rotations on seasonal routes, look at the routes affected NCL- STN is NOT a seasonal route.

Come on then why have EZY cut the STN routes, because they can't be ar$ed?

JET 2 Winter
 

They have now released seats to Murcia for booking during Nov, Dec and Jan. Thats in addition to those already released from Feb onwards through summer 2008. Thought it a bit strange not to have any service from Oct to Feb.

Also Chambery is running on Sat and Sun ( last winter I think was once weekly)

Something positive !!

Big E - now your been silly I don't think they cant be ar**ed simply they think they can make a bit more money by moving the aircraft to Belfast. By moving the aircraft they have to cut the rotations but we should be greatful that after a few years of EZY been on the route were back to the 2002 Go rotations. Well done EZY.

Whats more important from what i believe this is what NCL airport management also think

ncleflights

Like i say, its business, quite clearly the airline can't justify 5 daily rotations or it would not cut them otherwise, i stated in a previous post the winter period is all about consolidation and damage limitation, this is part of the bigger picture for the airline.I'm not saying its ideal because its not but it simply boils down to economics.

NCL Stansted
 

Just a quick look at passenger stats for this route for the winter months of November.

2002---23980 pax
2003---27619 pax
2004---28000 pax
2005---24765 pax
2006---28000 pax

I think 2003 was when it went to 4 daily, not sure what happened in 2005 but the pax nos remained similar in 2006 when it went to 5 daily. The figures for other winter months form a similar pattern but with about 2000ish less pax per month
So BIG E yes it probably justifies a cut back to 4 daily but not to 3/2 per day. But with 2 aircraft moving away there is not the availability.

fl dutchman

The only thing i would add is that the difference in operational costs and pax tax have significantly increased between 2003 and 2007 which undoubtedly has had an effect.Now i'm not saying for a moment that would justify 2 daily rotations but any more than 3 might make the difference between profit and loss or break even.Without sounding like a broken record it is all about limiting losses in the winter therefore the company does what it has to do in order to protect itself.

Ncleflights

I am at a loss to how your thought processes work.

Airlines do not operate continuous expansion plans to prove that they are 'interested' in an airport. In EZY's case, as in all, they operate to maximise the value of the company for their shareholders.

Good management will ensure that they look at all aspects of their current and proposed route network and make balanced judgements on how to achieve the best return on their assests.

NCL is in a far better place in terms of destinations than before the loco's came on board. People now have choice, but people still need to buy the seats and if the yields are being bettered elsewhere then the airline will look to maximise their revenues.

Please stop all the negativity.

If you are so convinced that these routes can support higher frequencies or that old/new routes should be sustained/developed start an airline and prove your point. Otherwise, please, put a sock in it.