I agree it could work if the route was a KL codeshare. However I don't think that will happen. Without it I BE will maybe attract a very small number of O&D pax and it will end up needing to rely on point to point pax if the route is to survive.

KL have already tried to serve LPL and failed. They dropped there 3 x daily F70 service back in March 2012 due to it being unprofitable. KL have a very successful and profitable operation from MAN and they won't do anything to jeopardise that.

The chances of KL pulling the codeshare off the INV to replace it with a LPL codeshare are somewhere between slim and none. INV and SOU are both airports that are at least 2 hours drive from the next nearest airport served by KL. Both airports compliment KL's existing network as they don't really compete with any airport already served by KL .

KLM codeshare
 

AMS INV handled less than 2500 passengers last month, KLM would be better served placing its codeshare elsewhere. LPL has the opportunity to deliver 5 times that figure.

KL may have received some sort of subsidy making it more lucrative. Fares are higher ex INV also

This also the quietest month at INV for any route. during summer and at xmass/new year the flight will be full every day and with a lot of onwards to all over the world

I suspect this has more to do with flybe having an excess of airframes for their route structure with the imminent demise of a number of the LCY routes. I suspect it is just a least-bad option to keep an airframe busy. They need to trim a few more airframes in order to maximise profitability which is a lot easier said than done.

LPL AMS
 

Flybe may also be rather savvy, having noted that LPL AMS is 140k passengers down from its peak, with LPL BHD also 170k passengers off its peak (ie before it was discontinued). That's a lot of historic proven demand to have a go at which would stack up in any business plan I may have considered.

Why is there a flight to both Bournemouth AND Southampton at the same time each day, 7am departure? Is this so they can tactically cancel either one of them and combine for better load factors or something?

Would it be better to stagger departures to try to appeal on schedule - the airports are so close it could trump distance.

Maybe because that's the time of day people want to travel so they can maximize the day for business meetings or day trips.
Do you really think it would be cost effective to arbitrarily cancel a flight, bus everyone from one airport to the other, delay the flight that's running which will mean delaying the whole day's schedule for that aircraft in the process? You seriously need to get a reality check. :ugh::ugh:

Well it wouldn't be arbitrary would it, it wouldn't be 'cancelled', planned ahead of time it wouldn't delay anything and the best price I can find for a coach is £400 which is half a tonne of fuel. Even a return coach for the next punters is arguably cheaper than operating a half empty Dash on two sectors.

And let's be honest, there is a bit of a track record to consider.

Now, before you get all hot under the collar, I'm not suggesting that is the reason for the formation departure but your arguments against it are flawed.

LSM

But, you are forgetting that BEE management can do no wrong !

How are the competition doing?

Not Southampton, it's about an hour's drive from KL at Heathrow-4.

Yes spandex, cheaper, of course. Don't forget to factor in an extra 200kg of fuel per sector for 8 sectors to attempt to catch up the schedule. And a day's full of disgruntled passengers who will probably find alternative travel arrangements. The coach option doesn't look so smart now does it. Show me evidence of where they've cancelled flights and combined them for the sole reason of it being cheaper and I'll agree with u.

Cockayne :D:D:D

What I find odd is that many people fundamentally are missing the opportunities here. Everyone is spouting on about how close BOH and SOU are - I would suggest that if passengers are able to commute to BOH for the shorter domestic flights, valuable morning slots ex-SOU could be used for new destinations that open up many more opportunities and business friendly links. What those would be I have no idea but I am certain that this is a strategic move that long term will provide a better deal for SOU.

I do believe that whilst some routes are offered from both it will provide flexibility during disruption - if my aircraft in SOU was tech I would rather get on a coach and go from BOH than wait until the afternoon flight from SOU. This does not however mean disruption will be intentional and I am sure that the airline will continue to operate both within the scope of their on time performance targets.

The Flybe bashing that goes on here is quite unbelievable. The forum used to be for professionals but are now plagued with trolls, kids or "wannabe CEO's" who know better than anyone else. And there is little moderating of this anymore so it is very much a free thread for any old tripe to be posted. However I would ask that if you are hell bent on criticising Flybe please address it to them directly using their website contact details. If you are wishing to comment on their SOU operation, pop it in the SOU thread, IOM in the IOM thread, BOH in the BOH thread etc...you get the point.

Turning our heads to the airline as a whole, has anyone any ideas of suggestions on where the additional Republic Q400s may be positioned to? With so many being added and as far as I can see limited domestic opportunities where will they go?

Republic DH8-400s.

Just another problem for BEE to solve ?

Why would you need to catch up? Properly managed it wouldn't create a delay. In which case it would be cost effective. Not what you said previously.

Why do I need to show you evidence when I'm not trying to convince you of anything. I know it's happened, other people know it's happened and if you were honest with yourself you'd agree that it's happened.

Lack of evidence isn't evidence it didn't happen.

Huh?! Don't talk about Flybe on the Flybe thread?

Shouldn't you ask this on the Republic thread?

What's it for to do with the republic thread ?
As far as I'm aware flybe are subleasing a batch of Q400s from Republic ?


cs

Yes. And the question is, "What are they going to do with them ?

Republic q400
 

Surely it's a case of compiling a list of old crusty airports that have historically failed miserably? The new BE management seem to have a thing for them.