So virgin hasnt any dreamliners, or thomson?

That's your choice to do that Owen. However, that for me and the vast majority of people , especially with kids would be a last resort. Not to mention the extra expense. Nah, would rather connect.

I rather think the vast majority of people prefer a direct flight any day than having to connect.
The last time I connected through Heathrow from Belfast..I missed my connection and it took 11 hours to get to Munich via Heathrow...next time it will be a direct flight from Dublin.

Hopefully you won't have to get the bus and stay overnight in a Travelodge then.

Going through the dirty dub adds about 3 hrs and 6 to a return journey from up here in coleraine

The dirty dub ? You lot really are a funny bunch !

This ^^

I always prioritise options that will deliver me back to my local airport. That said, i am somewhat price sensitive when paying out of my own pocket, so would still consider all options. But id need to be saving many hundreds of pounds to put up with a long drive after a long haul flight.

Thumbs up from me for better connection options in LGW.

I thought you lived in Antrim?

Dublin is a Transatlantic hub, so it will have a better choice of destinations:

1. JFK.
2. Boston.
3. San Francisco.
4. Montreal.
5. Halifax.
6. Orlando.
7. Toronto.
8.Miami.
9. Washington.
10. Atlanta.
11. Chicago.
12. Philadelphia.
13.St Johns.
14. Newark.
15. Vancouver.
16. Providence.
17.Newburgh.


The Caribbean is the only area better served from Gatwick that would be worth the hassle of going back on yourself.

I'd say Refuellerman have never passed the border......

I can't take him seriously.

Owen, why would anyone want to travel to Dublin to fly to Newburgh or Providence when it's available from Belfast. London airports have a far better range of destinations also. You're a Dublin cheerleader so totally biased anyway whilst missing the point that the vast majority of NI people prefer not to use Dublin. Roads not great, exchange rate terrible and rail a joke. Yes the services are there but the figures state otherwise and not everyone is a clone of you. Quiet a few seasonal on your hub list also.

I'm not a Dublin cheerleader, I have just specificed that I don't use Dublin Airport for routes under 4,000 miles as it is 160 miles from my home and requires travel through the night.

Dublin for me, always works out cheaper because of the exchange rate and lower taxes. Business Class from Dublin goes for £1000-£1700 return, those same fares through Heathrow are £2500-£3,200.

This is a perfect example of the substantial savings in flying Long Haul from Dublin if necessary. There is also the added benefit of US Preclearance and zero backtracking that a traveller has to endure going from Heathrow.

Asia is only viable through Heathrow.

Again Owen, your totalling ignoring the point. A small minority travel business class and not very many when paying from your own pocket. The current exchange rate makes it more expensive for the price conscious. I fail to see your lack of understanding why people prefer to connect through London. So let's all get the bus to Dublin and stay overnight both ways and fly business class all the way. From some of your previous equally nonsense posts concerning Dublin, I would suggest you are a Dublin cheerleader.

Well, my posts aren't nonsense.

My focus on Business Class highlighted the substantial savings to be had in flying from Dublin over the addition of the stop over in Heathrow.

These savings can be extrapolated down into Economy fares also, which can be taken advantage of by the favourable exchange rate which at €1.14, translates to a saving of £14 per £100; or £280 for a family of four.

That rate has only risen from last Friday, and why are so many southerners coming north these days to fly. Back to you though as I think you need to read back on this thread. According to you in your own words, you live 160 miles from Dublin so have to travel through the night to then get a bus then stay at a Travelodge. Sometimes you post good sensible topics and others you have taken a bit of stick. I'm not going to be rude to you as you seem a decent lad but you've lost the plot on this one mate.

Lost the plot because I said i'd take the bus and stay in a Travel lodge? Um.. Ok?

And not forgetting travelling through the night.

And LHR, AMS, LGW have many many more again.


Less hassle and much safer than a long drive when you're half asleep.
However it does highlight that we need a westbound route from BFS that provides connections. Perhaps that is what will eventually be provided by Norwegian (or another airline)? Hence problem solved :D
Also, what about eastbound connections? No going back on yourself there.

I never get business class when travelling for..... business! And I certainly wouldn't pay for it out of my own pocket. If we're talking about what most people prefer, I think a comparison of economy fares would be more appropriate. For which I have never found the best fare to be a direct flight from Dublin. I was in NYC in August - flights were booked in January. Every option was £2200-2500 for four pax, and EI from DUB was at the upper end of that range. By tweaking dates I was able to book with BA via LHR for less than £1600. Good choice too - we got upgraded on the outbound LHR-JFK :)
(And yes, I know, if I'd waited a month I could have booked for less with Norwegian direct from BFS :(

Yes, and we hope that at least some of those airlines may eventually also serve Belfast. Less likely to happen if they think we're all happy to travel to Dublin (no disrespect to Dublin, they deserve to be firmly congratulated for their success over the last few years).

With regard to easyJet, at least 4 first officers upgrading to Captain next summer have been offered a position in Belfast as well as 2 transferring captains from LGW in Autumn so that's an airplanes worth.

Nothing official has been said to staff and I won't believe an extra aircraft until it arrives what with the Air Berlin and Alitalia situations to be resolved this winter. I have seen before aircraft promised to bases diverted due to "better" opportunities else where.