The future of WW really depends on the performance of BMI itself. Their all eggs in the gulf / north africa strategy really has to pay off this summer, and that depends on how quickly these markets settle after the ongoing battles.

bmibaby Belfast City to London Stansted
 

Well the new 3 x daily route started today and was welcomed to Stansted with a water canon salute from the fire brigade. From inside contacts, the loadings have been good ex-Belfast and as we've been saying lower on the STN-BHD sectors. Though it's very early days, I hope they do really well on the route!!!

STN BHD really needs a saturday - otherwise it's going to kill both yields and loads on other days of the week.

If WW think they can run a LCC service to a leisure airport without a Saturday service that is essential for football and for short weekend breaks let them at it. Its like half committing to the route.

Where is the aircraft on saturdays anyway?

The aircraft is based at CWL on the Saturday. It flies BHD-CWL on Saturday morning, does rotations from CWL on the Saturday and Sunday morning and then operates CWL-BHD on Sunday evening.

Are two sets of crew overnighting in Belfast for a week?

I thought that this was a low cost carrier.

I was under the impression that it was a CWL crew who operated the STN rotations?

Not sure about 2 crews but perhaps so.

I know that the aircraft switches back over in CWL after the morning BHD-STN-BHD has returned. The other CWL aircraft then operates CWL-BHD-STN-BHD-STN-BHD. So maybe the crew does those sectors, overnights, then does BHD-STN-BHD-CWL the next day?

As for todays flights, ive noticed they've been running nice and early though the 18:05 WW4204 is now showing an estimated 19:55 departure. That would mean it will most likely arrive back at BHD around 22:20. Ouch, wonder why???

First STN departed with 97 passengers this morning and yes 2 baby crews night stop.

Noted it's pick up quite abit of time and the delay wasnt so long, maybe a slight tech problem? G-TOYJ operating this afternoon/evening services. G-TOYK was on this mornings.

Very good number considering it's such a new route for baby! Hope it carries on just as good then!

The other two STN flights were both booked to 37 today.

Similar numbers for the BHD bound flights too. Though this is usual on a high-frequency route so earlier on. . . If the numbers are still like this in a few weeks time then it's time to worry.

one would expect Monday/Friday to be strong, if easy move LTN back to BFS i would expect loads to improve. Lets see what its like in a couple of months

** caution Assumptions **

Ten rooms + ten overnight allowances = say £1,500

Average oneway fare, excluding taxes = say £40 = 37 seats just for overnight costs.

Thats the reason companies like FR, U2 and EI hardly have any overnighting staff anymore.

To absorb this much costs bmibaby must have a devious plan. Would make far more sense to base this crew in BHD, and over night two crews on day a week in CWL.

Copenhagen
 

I have to agree, but without any fleet expansion any crews forced to moved to Belfast would probably leave at the wrong time, ie just in to the Summer program and would soon find 73 employment, Jet2 are still short of crews for the Summer.

I would suspect any move to make BHD a base would be the end of CWL as a base.

I have no idea what WW are playing at, i just hope the people running it do? big picture and all that.

Funny you should say that as that is exactly what easyJet have done.

As of 9th May 2011, easyJet will return to Belfast International, leaving bmibaby alone with the Belfast City route.

Hopefully this will up the loads a bit more!. :ok:

bmibaby @ MAN
 

Changing the subject slightly, but according to MAN arrivals page bmibaby only have two flights from there today, both just being to and from Belfast City. I know we're not quite into the summer timetable yet but surely this cant be good for them???

Winter 2011/2012
 

Does anyone know when bmibaby will release winter 11/12 seats from all bases (and BHD?) and if there will actually be anything at all on the cards for CWL and/or any potential new routes, i.e. the rumoured Canary Islands?

Many thanks :ok:

I heard rumours that they will be published at the second half of April/beginning of May. Much later than previous years.

They desperately need extra aircraft to keep up with the market! If the 2 ex-TOM aircraft joining the fleet (though not increasing fleet numbers) are kept with the current engine thrust setting then they could potentially trial out new routes such as the Canaries. This of course does not mean that non of the other aircraft in the fleet couldn't have the engine thrust setting increased (I believe its just computer and paper work business but costs money?). The reason I say for them to trial it, is that someone mentioned on here before the reason why bmibaby have stated in the past why they have not yet operated such longer routes. Apparently they say such routes should be operated with larger aircraft than the 733, obviously with less seats to fill the cost of the ticket would need to be much higher than on say a 738 just to cover costs in the first place, economics etc etc...

In other news, three of the baby 737s are to have additional checks/inspections as outlined by Boeing: BBC News - Bmibaby carrying out 'additional' checks on Boeing 737s

Shame they couldn't have had easyJet's ex737-700s, especially that lone one at Kemble :{

Winter 11/12 should go on sale next week loaded mid week on phase 1 should be complete by weekend servers permitting