In The Words Of A Grease Song, Tell Me More Tell Me More...

Stn? Especially

I agree over Ryanair.

Can you tell us which Spanish route Jet is picking up?, is it Girona?.

Can you provide a link please as that with the STN news is welcome indeed.

STN route
 

Can someone please explain to me how any airline can make a profit on a route like STN-BLK ?

APD of at least 10 pounds is payable in each direction. The route is far more leisure-centric than LON-MAN. STN is not a long-haul hub so a BLK-STN route has to stand on its own feet rather than just provide feeder traffic. LPL and MAN already have substantial LCC operations.

Euston-Blackpool takes about 3 hours with trains approx every hour changing in Preston with realistically achievable advance one-way fares of £25, and a mere £11 if you book very carefully. Euston-Preston can be done in 2 hours. Further, the bulk of the engineering works on the line from Euston-Crewe that have been running for the last 5+ years are pretty much done taking out much of the hassle factor and delays.

I'm struggling to understand how any airline could make a profit on this route when the train provides a very good point-to-point alternative. Could someone enlighten me please ?

I have used the BLK-STN a number of times over the few years that it operated.

Obviously it was operated by Ryanair who charged very little for the flight. I am not 100% sure but I am pretty confident that it was free to operate by BLK management as it is a link to the capital. This meant they could charge, on some occasions, nothing for a return flight. I think what killed the operation was the APD rising to £10 e/w which will have severely increased costs, added to the beginning of the fuel price boom.

Comparing both services I found:

• The train was more expensive every time I compared
• The train took 1 hour longer
• It was easier to fly from Blackpool and get straight onto the Stansted Express when arriving in London than changing at Preston - just on personal experience
• Travelling by air was more comfortable and for me less boring

However, people like different things and it is now possible to hop onto the train at Blackpool and be in London just over 3 hours later, however - time is money and even 30 minutes to many businessmen is a huge difference. If you live in Blackpool say, and you needed to be in a meeting for 11am in London (say directly between Liverpool Street and Euston for fairness called location X):

Train:

Get up at 6am for a 7.03 train to Preston
Jump on the Virgin 7.43 to London Euston
Arrive at London Euston at 10.27
From Euston to location X

Plane:

Get up at 7am for an 8.15 flight (to be at airport for 7.45 after online check-in)
Leave Blackpool with Ryanair at 8.15
Land in Stansted at 9.10
Get the 9.30 train to Liverpool Street
Arrive at Liverpool Street at 10.25
From Liverpool Street to location X

That is a very bland example but it does show that if you live in Blackpool you can have an extra hour in bed if you take plane.

The other side of the situation is how the airline can afford to run the route. I don't know how the costs and revenue feeds pan out but surely there is a way of sustaining a route to LON?

On the subject of who it could be - what about Eastern Airways? Surely they aren't going to give up their STN slots?

Eastern might (note: might) be able to make it work but it will cost considerably more than Ryanair and probably comparable to a fully flexible first class train ticket.
Problem is a train is likely to offer more flexibility in the future because I can't see any airline offering more than double daily BLK-LON. The train now offers regular service so if you finish a meeting early or late it doesn't matter: you get a different train. It really doesn't help a businessman if his extra hour in bed is undone by 2 or 3 hours kicking around waiting for the only evening flight home!

Larger aircraft might (that word again) be able to make a case for a once daily flight but that doesn't help the business community.
MAN has a variety of flights to a variety of London airports but the improved train service from next month is likely to put pressure on this. The recession may slow the appetite for Longhaul from LHR but it will come & probably at the expense of domestic connectivity.
I'm still of the view that a London link for BLK is unlikely & sadly the development tax is liable to make it less so.

Eastern operate expensive high frequency routes aimed at the business man on expenses. It's not going to be them believe me. They couldn't make STN-MAN pay and STN-BLK is dead by comparison.

How about city jet from LCY and Dub In other words DUB-LCY via BLK and vice-versa

Even more unrealistic than Eastern.

Why on Earth would anyone pay to fly from London City, a high yield time critical airport via Blackpool, a small town in Lancashire, not even en route.

Next?

O.K. We know that LCY is WELL out of the question but an LON route attracted 10000 people a month minimum so there is obviously a market for a route to the capital

Aer Arann confirmed
Five times weekly to Dublin
Blackpool Today: News, Sport, Jobs, Property, Cars, Entertainments & More

Its a start.

What aircraft will it be operated by?

Flights: Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

I am guessing it will be an ATR 72?

Noticed Aer Arran offering VERY CHEAP one ways out of Blackpool on their website for January, shame its an arm and a leg to fly back. :ugh::ugh:
How about letting the good folk of the North West sample the Guiness a little cheaper,with a few perks into Blackpool as well as out

It's ATR 72-500

LINK:Blackpool International Airport - News - UK and European destinations with both charter and scheduled flights.

I see tonight the redevolpment has started
with a new sign over the terminal...much inline with EXeters if you look at their website.. Its a start:E

Aer Arann
 

I said someone would pick it up but, I am genuinely surprised it's Aer Arann. FR love to take a pop at this good little regional every now and again:mad: So let's see how long it lasts...

Rgds
The Moss:ok:

IOM thread talking about Manx2 getting some competition on the BLK route from you know who.

Would this cause problems for M2? Would they immediately shut up shop or would they stick with it and fight them.

The post also mentions BE on the BHD route aswell which are the two launch and arguably strongest routes for Manx2.

Obviously, nothing is confirmed.

whos you no who?

The last bit gives it away....

If not, Flybe

Aer Arran are bound to think about further expansion at Blackpool with a new route from the Island, BE with its Exeter connections could also be a good contender, (remember the Spacegrand twin otters ??).
Manx2 would be silly to shut up shop and go, they have a good client base now, and are very reliable.
The only thing that would get them running would be a return of British Northwestern Airlines, Comed now that would have them worried:):):):):eek::eek::eek::eek: