Maybe they're giving their pilots a month off in November

This will be their way of taking the spotlight off their current crewing problems. Cancel a lot of domestic and other flights, blame it on brexit and start a war of words over that instead.

The FR BFS LGW flights for S18 are on sale at the website. They have the slots all year/ so what are they going to use them for thia winter? They can't just not use even? Seems bizarre ..

EZY have released full summer schedule
No new routes but some domestic flights appear to have increased. Looked at week in July and BHX, EDI and GLA appear to have a few extra weekly flights compared to July 17

Pretty rotten for the airport. They are not alone, STN - GLA/EDI cancelled.

Maybe an opportunity for EZY to put on a few extra flights from LGW to EDI, BFS and GLA

When FR pull the operation for the winter will the slots at LGW not be reallocated, or is it the case that FR will use them for other routes?

I wouldn't start digging foundations for the hotel just yet!

FR Cancellations
 

Has anyone actually received direct, emailed confirmation that their flights have been cancelled?

I have a booking which is showing cancelled (when I try to open it) via the Manage Booking function of the Ryanair site, but no email confirming same.

Ryanair are a total shambles presently. They had been slowly climbing off the bottom of my "do not fly unless no other alternative" list. They have now gone back to rock bottom and will be avoided at all costs unless I have no other alternative.

Edit: I have received my cancellation email and requested my refund. Also had to pay a considerable amount more money to get to London with EZY.

In the past when they have cancelled a route they removed the closest season before doing the rest later.

It makes no sense to cancel in winter and return in summer. It's either gone for good or there has been some major IT mess.

As confirmed elsewhere, BFS/LGW, STN/EDI and STN/GLA are all discontinued.

Also big cuts in Poland, Bulgaria and Sicily.

LGW Slots
 

If it's dropped the LGW slots will revert back to IAG (BA specifically) if they are not used by another operator.

Not sure if Easyjet could use them, since they are already on the route for competition reasons.

I was just about to ask exactly that question.
Personally I'd quite like the option of 'proper' connections to BA flights at LGW..... although given the choice I'd prefer flying from BFS rather than BHD ... ;-)

Still no email from FR, also still can't do the refund online.

EDIT: Got the email, and have also been able to do the cancellation request online.

EDIT #2: Also got an £80 voucher :)

So clearly now there is a huge gap in the market as this was the busiest domestic route in the whole of the UK
So I don't think NI will miss out... there is a few potential options
Flybe which is now in a better position take them up and return the route to BHD
BA comes in and offers the route
EZY increases the aircraft size and take on 1 or 2 extra slots (however they have a monopoly then on price)
Norwegian comes in.... allow connections to their long haul operations... which I believe would be a perfect solution for them, I do think if this did happen it would end their long haul operations from Belfast

What about EI?

Since EI has moved most of its BHD operation to DUB I can't see them now coming back up

According to the news, it is only for the winter.

I'd agree but would be more likely than BA operating it. Also it's being stressed the cancellation of 34 routes for 4 months is exactly that. In reality they could well be cutting losses by doing this as well, all these cancellations and compensation payouts are costly and reduces any budget for fighting price wars with easyJet, who have really held their own so well against them.

It would be difficult for any airline to jump in and organise flights, aircraft, staff etc within a short four week period bearing in mind that FR will be back in the summer of 18.


Personally I can only see the current operators increasing flight schedules. Maybe BA will go back to 6 daily flights and EZY could add an additional two daily flights

Does this mean BFS is losing an aircraft for the winter now ?

EZY could add capacity on their other LON routes and yes BA could definitely up the ante over winter, given the fact they have the slots to hand.

Flights bookable for next summer, so it appears that way.

Massive slap in the face for BFS though.

Cancellations ..
 

BFS LGW and STN domestics x2 axed for winter now being reported by a well known news channel...incredible. The rationale for selecting the UK domestics is telling, why these, routes where competition with easyJet is intense? Is the shortage more grave at these impacted airports or is the airline halting winter ops on less profitable routes.

BFS LGW and STN domestics x2 axed for winter now being reported by a well known news channel...incredible. The rationale for selecting the UK domestics is telling, why these, routes where competition with easyJet is intense? Is the shortage more grave at these impacted airports or is the airline halting winter ops on less profitable routes

Maybe FR showing 'compassion'. FR anticipate more issues this winter, and by cancelling high frequency UK domestic services with an alternate carrier/or form of transport thus minimising the affect on passengers already booked. Also these routes are traditionally booked closer to departure time!

I am guessing one airplanes worth of crew are going to have to decamp to Dublin or elsewhere for the winter

Route just not profitable “enough”.

A real opportunity there for someone agile to get their foot in the door; for example a leisure-orientated airine with some airframes slack in the Winter. Jet2, or Monarch perhaps?

I can't see the big carriers like Easy or BA doing much more than adding a couple of extra dailies, their network planning is so complex that trying to change a part of it it must be like tugging the end of a ball of yarn.

How much for a couple of B734s...?

And can I make money with them when an airline with industry leading low costs has decided to suspend the route?

Well at least we have got the "Dublin rocks, BFS needs to know it's place" rants out of the way. Now the BHD one is due.

In all seriousness though, can we not just block these trolls when they start up?

Welcome to the wonderful world involving Ryanair. Everyone gets shat on when it suits them. IF they decide to come back next summer they'll flog a load of seats for £1 and the fairly fickle travelling public will forgive them. The next move is there for the taking..a 100+ seater out of BHD to LGW 3 times a day. If I were easyjet I'd develop that idea rather than stick an extra rotation into BFS. BA are truly having a laugh down their with their fares this winter.

Agree husky passengers have short memories and a £9.99 sale then customers will trickle back
As previous I suspect little or no change over the winter with the current airlines reaping the rewards of higher fares

Let's not get too caught-up in the Ryanair myth. Do we really believe that no-one can make money on the Belfast-Gatwick route?

Yes it's punishing on smaller aircraft due to the Gatwick fees, but totally unachievable? Hard to believe.

Maybe - but you know that Ryanair have all the numbers (and you don't) and have still dropped it.

Would make you think twice - they've not dropped it because they don't have time to count all the money they are making...

Think that's true from the customer side of things...

...but maybe, just maybe, this whole episode will give the FR employees the impetus to rise up?

I have had flights cancelled to Lgw on 30th Oct. Have a look at current prices to London on Easyjet, would give you a heart attack.

Yup True Blue unfortunately every airline will likely be better off now. Much as easyJet annoy me capitalising on this they are at least being loyal to the Belfast market.

The weekend of my cancelled flight (4 November), easyJet are now more expensive to Gatwick than BA are to Heathrow from City. Thankfully we got in early enough to miss a lot of the price hike.

These price hikes will be generated automatically by the booking computer. Expect them to settle down.

BTW are these flights all operated by 320s? If any are 319s, I would expect an upsize. Just don't expect fares below the real cost of your flight, which, I think, is somewhere in the region of £40-50, although I'm sure someone on the inside can tell us.

Some better news...

Had a look at easyJets schedules for July 2018 and Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sunday nights need six aircraft (3x A319 & 3x A320).
So looks like there will be more changes soon... likely some new routes!
Hopefully routes like Corfu, Kos, Dalaman, Bodrum, Heraklion, Madrid that are underserved or not served!