Lightning strike

BBC News - Lightning strike forces Blue Islands plane diversion to Southend

I'm guessing you're referring to these, all engine problems.

3 Jun 2015
City-bound flight lands at Southend Airport after fault (From Echo)

4 May 2015
Small plane develops minor glitch on approach to Bristol Airport | Bristol Post

9 April 2015
Guernsey Airport emergency as pilot reports engine trouble | Channel - ITV News

7 Jan 2015
Southend airport plane diversion 'not because of fire' - BBC News

The morale has always been low, so no change there.


The local press reports Blue as being interested in a code share with BE on the SOU route.

I have heard Flybe crew say the same in the past. Though, who do we think would operate it?

Ah yes, low crew moral plays havoc with engines ;)

SI are advertising for cabin crew in the local press using the tag line (again) 'Due To Continued Expansion'. I can't see any sign of expansion with this airline,(indeed this last year they have only contracted their route network)
unless someone knows something different?

Who knows? What and where would be a sensible means of expansion?

Liverpool - Guernsey application
 

Guernsey Evening Press states today that Blue have applied to operate a summer Saturday service between GCI and Liverpool using ATR 72 or 42 in conjunction with a Travel Agent.

Pete

Suspect that is in replacement for planned charter to Cambridge

Blue Be
 

From May Blue will join Stobart and Loganair as a franchise of FlyBe, with a/c in FlyBe colours and ticketing through the FlyBe site............hence the resumption of GCI / Jer services by Aurigny at the same time.

Interesting, Pete ? Does that mean that AUR will resume inter island flights &, if so, with what ? Bearing in mind that I rarely, if ever, see the Dornier operating on FR24.
By the way, did you live in the shadow of Le Guet as a child ?

Aurigny' s booking engine shows 4 flights each way from 9 May, not Sats and Sun.......... presume they intend to have pilots trained and operate with the Dorniers. That was me under the Guet at the farm!
Pete

Know who you are now. Don't worry, I won't tell ! Where are you now ?

Presumably this will mean some consolidation, particularly on SOU-GCI?

At the same time it should also help BI with people who want to hub through SOU (and LCY) onto other parts of the Flybe network.

Guess it also means the Flybe livery will be seen once again at BRS.

Codeshare
 

I wonder if this will mean an end to the codeshare with VLM? Does anyone know if Stobart or Loganair have any third party codeshares?

Pete

Will this apply to all currently operated Blue Islands routes or just selected ones?

Jerbourg,
Looks like all 5 routes.......... aircraft are to be repainted into FlyBe colours. In other words end of Blue visibly as a trading airline and will MayBe seen as a seamless piece of FlyBe.

Kcockayne - please see your PPrunet mailbox for response to your questions

Pete

Thanks cocbopete. .

I'm not a Blue Islands fan & would rather travel to LGW than give them my hard earned cash. I wonder if this attempt at using someone else's marketing is the last throw of the dice for Blue in the hope that they can make a decent profit...

Jerbourg,
I agree with your statements entirely.....sound observations

BIue Islands is a small airline, from a market and distribution point of view this makes a lot of sense. BI gets access to an existing airline and brand, but potentially more importantly it may just result in a more secure future with less potential for intense competition with Flybe. Reminds me of when BA exited Scottish Highlands and Islands and instead adopted Loganair as a franchise partner.

It may also open up new opportunities for BI, just as Loganair and to a lesser extent Stobart have.

Good luck to BI...

Flybe Franchise
 

Under this agreement are BI going to be operating all of Flybe's current route network to and from the Channel Islands? If so I guess they may have to acquire more aircraft.

Possible "last throw of the dice" from Blue Island ?

Unlikely they would take on XTR, BMH, and other BE routes such as Jer to Doncastor, Belfast,Manchester, E Midlands?, Aberdeen etc.

Kcockayne.....Msg received, thanx for reply you have guessed right who I am, will try to post a sensible reply...pse keep an eye on the mailbox.


Pete

Guernsey - Liverpool Service
 

Summer charter service between Liverpool and Guernsey announced today, planned to operate 4 June to 17 September
Dep GCI 1050 Arr LPL 1220
Dep LPL 1250 Arr GCI 1420
Pete

FlyBe franchise
 

Blue have announced today that their franchise agreement with FlyBe has been signed and all flights will be
flown under the arrangement from beginning of June with ticketing through the FlyBe website and Aircraft repainted into FlyBe colours

Blue Islands first franchise route with FlyBe announced today, a 'new' Jersey - SOU service with up to 4 flights a day departing -
Jersey 0700;1100;1340;1830
SOU 0820;1220;1500;1950
FlyBe are also timetabled to fly from
Jersey 1455;1735
SOU 1345;1625

Info on other routes is stated to be available shortly, with GCI -SOU next.

Pete

Flybe franchise
 

I see now Flybe have taken over all of Blue Islands bookings
They seem to have dropped all their Europen routes; is this true?

Blue Islands haven't operated Continental flights for some time, occasional Geneva winter ski flights and a weekly Zurich charter this summer

Now that you have to book through Flybe you also have to pay for hold luggage,seat selection,credit card charge, change of booking,name changes and refreshments on board.
All of which were free when you booked through Blue Islands. All of their unique selling points are now gone
Base fares arn't cheap either.
Very much a downward step for the customer and were gonna pay more in the end,much the same as the scottish highland routes.
Blue Islands always prided there selves in doing their best to get people home in bad weather where as Flybe cancel at the slightest incling of fog and there customer service is appalling.
Be interesting to see how this pans out

Regards

I don't see how this will change, given that it is a simple franchise with operations staying in Blue Islands' hands. Only the branding and product follow Flybe rules under the franchise.

That will be a Blue Islands decision.

Loganair still include a free checked bag, hot drinks and a snack on their flights.

I fly to Wick and Kirkwall a lot, and since FlyBe took over marketing from BA, I've had some of the cheapest fares ever.

[QUOTE][/Loganair still include a free checked bag, hot drinks and a snack on their flights.
QUOTE]
Hopefully that will be the case with BI but when I tried to book a BI flight on the flybe website it was going to charge me if I took hold baggage,maybe it was a glitch in the system or maybe I was doing something wrong.
Also read a report on the Jersey Evening post website a few weeks ago reporting that all the Blue Island perks will be lost.Hopefully I got my information wrong and things will stay the same.

Flew Blue yesterday from SOU (as I now have no choice) announcements used a mix of Blue Islands & Flybe ( "Your Flybe flight to GCI.." "thank you for flying Blue Islands") Inflight snacks/drinks were on a Flybe titled card - all charged for, Headrest covers & safety cards still the old Blue Islands ones. I would have expected everything to be BE branded. Oh & only one ATR painted up so far. :)

So they have started charging for snacks then. Anyone know if there charging for hold baggage.
when making a booking it appears that they are.
What about the free name changes and flight changes?
Also do you still have access to the Blue Island lounge at Guernsey and Jersey and is there still the dedicated express security line for BI passengers at SOU.
regards

They are charging for hold baggage and the free changes are gone.

As I suspected and originally posted in post 190. Every thing that separated them from other airlines now gone.
Gone are the days when they first started, when they were self handling with friendly staff that went out of their way for there customers now gone. Completely lost there identity. Were now going to have to suffer flybe's rip off pricing strategy and appalling customer service.
Very disappointing

Richard, Blue Islands will be setting the fares as they always have done & their fares haven't exctly been cheap for a long time. As for customer service that went out the window about 5 years ago when they ditched their own ground staff & went to handling agents.

As mentioned above:

Anger after airline ditches passengers? bonus points « Jersey Evening Post

Summer Charter pulled?
 

Summer charter service on Sats between Liverpool and Guernsey was due to operate 4 June to 17 September
Dep GCI 1050 Arr LPL 1220
Dep LPL 1250 Arr GCI 1420
Does not seem to have flown. Does anyone have any info?

The Liverpool flights have been quietly dropped as have some charters from Jersey.