Flybe code share to operate between SEN, SOU and INV and the US/Canada. On EI website now.

Interesting to note that the EI109 in the January / February time frame is now being operated ex Dublin by the 757.

Long term arrangement or just cover while the A330's are having the J Class upgrade works and heavy maintenance?

Solely for the purpose of maintenance and cabin upgrade. EI105 still operates as an A330. I'm told that EI111 will go from the schedule again for the months of Jan and Feb. Also I believe that there's a BOS ex DUB to be operated as a 757 for a brief time in Jan/Feb??? Anyone hear this too?

The works. Having one aircraft flying to SFO for 24h this year and the works makes it much harder and the bulk of the fleet changes are happening in Q1 2015.

They are using the 757 to increase BOS capacity in Nov/Dec this year and take the service from 11 to 14 weekly.

Little Red Closure
 

Information in the papers indicates that after 18 months of ops, Little Red by Virgin, operated by Aer Lingus is set to close. This may be rumour and speculation, though nothing has been confirmed. This would mean 4 Airbus 320's coming back into the fleet, at a time when Ryanair is upping the ante.

Where would these be deployed?

Hopefully BFS to LHR!!

Fleet
 

Well YHZ will take the two ex Ib etops 320s and Turkey is a real opportunity,
Growth is good on the sun charter routes and a spare is needed every sumner,
So for me it's good news, extra capacity will be absorbed easily

Gazmo;

BFS LHR not at all likely! :)

I wouldn't get to excited as the story is highly likely to be untrue as VS will still have to pay all operation costs for the duration or a very big sum of cash to exit early.

A new paint job won't improve loads. You could be right but unlikely IMO as VS will stick it out to give them options in 18 months.

On the other hand if it was closing EI could of being clever and secure a few extra LHR slots for themselves once the time limit is up instead of a financial penalty.

These slots are not transferrable to other routes. I think EI should avoid the routes, as good as they are, I cannot see what they could bring to the party that VS could not. I mean VS has the connectivity ex LHR to a greater degree. EI would be reliant on point to point traffic, and while they have lower cost base than BA, the challenge in wooing the passenger is not about the price, as VS Little Red is often much more competitive and yet BA still manages to get bumper loads on the same routes. In fact 767 on EDI often over booked! And MAN 320/321s full on many many flights.

I cannot comment on BA level of profitability but high loads and often high fares. I'm not convinced given the distance involved that anybody can rival BA on Heathrow domestic routes....

Please name your source BUD
 

Is this "information" or "speculation"? Was it in the Daily Mail?

There is an early exit clause for VS or EI after two years, we are now at the stage where both party's need to decide whether to take up that option. I suspect there's lots of bargaining going on!

It was the Sunday Times, but they're no more reliable than the Hatemail these days.

Would they?

How about a round robin route! DUB EDI LHR DUB and vice versa. It could act as a feeder for the EI transatlantic and give the benefits of pre-clearance to the Scots!
Especially as VS flights will be next to EI gates at LHR!

The same could also be said about the ABZ route!

Aer Lingus flights Leeds to Dublin commence October
 

Aer Lingus are to commence flights form Leeds to Dulin on the 23rd October.
They quote the ability to clear USA customs in Dublin as one key to starting this route.
As a 29.2% shareholder in Aer Lingus, no comment from Ryanair who command this route at the moment.

Dominate the route? Eh....I dont think so.

A 0725 arrival into Dublin is 3 hours away from the first EI ta flight. Plus the timings for FR on that route are pretty lousy as it is.

There is a fairly significant amount of time required to connect to a US flight due to CBP.

FRs timings on LBA are so poor that I now fly to MAN and take the train when going to Leeds - multiple times a year. I doubt I'm the only one either.

Britain in talks on introducing US pre-clearance at airports - www.travelweekly.co.uk

could have an impact on EI's Transatlantic services and the EIR feeder model?

It could do. One of the factors would be which airports get the facility.

If it's less hassle and stress for passengers to drive to a faily quiet UK regional airport, fly on EI/EI-R to Dublin, do pre-clearance there and then onward to the US compared to getting to a UK busy hub airport, check-in and pre-clear at a LHR/LGW/MAN et al before jumping the pond, then pax may choose the Dublin route.

IMHO, it all depends on how the transfer & pre-clearance experience is at Dublin.

JAS

Don't see a major issue if the major gateways of LHR and MAN get it. EI product was not built on USPC. There will still be long queues and lack of staff.

How they would approach such a facility at LHR is interesting with so many aircraft across terminals they need lots of space build a facility and the bigger the facility the higher cost to passengers.