View Full Version : Av8air - ok to book?(merged)
Localiser Green
10th Nov 2003, 20:06
Have been offered a good price MAN-TFS, much lower than AMM/BY/TCX etc... travelling with AV8Air next March.
Given that this airline hasn't even got off the ground yet - is it adviseable to book this? :confused:
Fokker-off
10th Nov 2003, 21:05
If they are not yet up & running then I would think it wise to wait until they are......but you may be waiting until after your departure date !!!!!!
jmc-man
10th Nov 2003, 21:13
Loc Green,
If they are offering flights, they must be covered by an ATOL bond, which I believe is the case.
In which case, your booking will be covered and you would be safe to book. Wheher you actually ultimately travel on AV8Air remains to be seen. But your money would be safe.
The main risk would be if AV8Air just cancel the flight, in which case you would just be offered your money back, rather than alternative flights.
MAN777
10th Nov 2003, 23:12
Seen AV8 staff being trained at Manchester Airport this week, they looked like Stewardesses or very pretty pilots !!
Localiser Green
10th Nov 2003, 23:22
With the ATOL bonding I think it is safe to book, given that the alternative (for the same price) is a trek down to BHX for a MyLite flight.
mudcity
10th Nov 2003, 23:59
Loc Green maybe you should look at flymonarch.com as Monarch now do a daily scheduled MAN/TFS with all the frills included...we just don't like to tell anyone about these flights !!!!
Hear Hear MudCity!
Localiser Green -
www.flymonarch.com
Why look anywhere else? Need endorsement? Look Here:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=108413
And guess what? You could book a flight for tomorrow (if it's not full), let alone next March.
bacardi walla
11th Nov 2003, 00:15
How can AV8 sell tickets when they don't have an AOC? Strange because NOW were told to get an AOC first before selling seats to generate revenue! Is this a rule for one and not for another ?
Localiser Green
11th Nov 2003, 00:21
Monarch seem to have a premium on those Fri flights... what do they have against timeshare owners :ugh:
For 5th March to 12th March they come out at £170.50 a head (6 travelling).
Av8Air are coming out at £149 a head (£129 cheaper in total for 6 pax).
Also they have much better times (06:20 t/o and an afternoon return). Monarch's flights won't get us there until 7pm so we would lose the first full day, and we get chucked out of the apartment at 11am on the final morning so we don't fancy a night time return to MAN.
U/S President
11th Nov 2003, 02:35
bacardi walla: How can AV8 sell tickets when they don't have an AOC?
AV8 aren’t selling tickets: they’re as charter airline. No members of the public have a booking with AV8 – they may have a booking with an ATOL-bonded tour operator that has provisionally said the flight will be operated by AV8. If AV8 fails to take-off, the tour operator will most probably just place the pax on other charter flights.
Out of interest, Localiser Green: who is the tour operator? CT2 or Loco Flights maybe? Don’t forget that MyTravelLite (http://www.mytravellite.com) now fly to TFS from MAN as well as BHX now. Also, MyTravelFlights.com (http://www.mytravelflights.com/) are offering seat-only flights on those days for £148 per person (including all taxes), which beats your AV8 offer by a quid.
jmc757
11th Nov 2003, 02:36
bacardi.... i may be wrong, but this is my understanding. NOW are a schedueld airline, so need an AOC to sell tickets....
Av8 are a charter airline so are not selling you the tickets. The tickets will be sold by CT2 or locoflights.com, they are selling you a ticket to Tenerife, at the moment they are chartering AV8 air for that flight, but it could be anyone. its how all charters work, you book on air2000.com and you are actually being sold that ticket by FirstChoice etc etc....
bacardi walla
11th Nov 2003, 02:49
Thanks for clearing that up. So if NOW wanted to start flying charters, they could ??? Anyway, when do AV8 plan to start flying ?
MAN777
11th Nov 2003, 03:27
On the subject of cheap flights, the latest Bmibaby promotion is offering free flights, just pay tax.
I am going to Barcelona, Nice, Alicante and Toulouse over the next 2 months with them. Total cost for 8 flights £78 !!!!! Bargain or what.
Buenos Dias
irishcc
11th Nov 2003, 03:49
AV8 is also operating the DUB-CPT route !
Localiser Green -
Monarch have nothing against time share owners, it's just that Friday flights are more popular and so Monarch can sell them at a higher price. It's a less extreme version of the load management strategy that most airlines, particularly the lo-co's, use these days.
If you can travel on Thursday the prices might well be cheaper.
In addition, a TFS rotation is a difficult one as it is about twice as long as the average low-cost rotation and consequently difficult to fit in to the program. However, if demand warrants it I am sure you will see an increase in the service.
jmc-man
13th Nov 2003, 04:41
Bacardi Walla,
With an AOC and an Operating Licence, NOW could fly charters. They wouldn't need an ATOL.
AV8-Air is a full subsidiary of the HCCT Transport Group, better known under the brands CT2 Holidays and Loco Flights.
Allegedly, their first B757-200 is now at Lasham and their B767 is being fitted out elsewhere. No firm news on the AOC yet though?!
The B757 is planned to "live" at T2, Manchester to do all the Spanish stuff that CT2 and Loco are very strong on at Manch. The B767 will be at Manchester also this winter before its planned move to Newcastle, whereupon it will start all that fancy additional flying such as Delhi, Jo'burg and Port Elizabeth.
Still not quite sure what the market is for a NCL-DEL flight...the other South African routes are supposed to go via MAN anyway.
Good news, at least, is that apparently Brits and Monarch have withdrawn their objections to AV8 operating the South African routes using an Icelandic-registered aircraft!!
Voldermort
13th Nov 2003, 19:18
EGNR when you said Delhi did you mean Durban, or have I missed something :confused:
Voldermort;
No, Delhi is in addition to Durban!
(Furthermore, there are a number of MAN-DXB rotations planned during the xmas/new year peak and also a set of MAN-ATH flights planned next summer to coincide with the Olympics)
charterguy
19th Nov 2003, 01:44
Less than 2 weeks to the start of their South African flying
programme and as of today's date, still no AOC, according to the
CAA's website: http://www.caa.co.uk/cpg/airline_licensing/licence_holders/default.asp?page=340
Lets hope Icelandair can bail these people out by operating this on their own flight numbers,
or would that require a fresh 5th freedom application ?
CG
SWADLER747
19th Nov 2003, 03:32
Just wondering if anyone knows any more info about AV8Air, as their program seems to begin next week.
charterguy
20th Nov 2003, 07:22
SWADLER747
Just wondering if anyone knows any more info about AV8Air, as their program seems to begin next week.
AV8Air are owned by HCCT, a Manchester based travel agent. Yes, these guys fall into the category of 'Wannabe Airline'. Actually, not even an airline, just a virtual airline, leasing in Icelandair for their flights. Is that why the CAA still hasn't approved their AOC ????
Heard Air Atlanta turned them down. What a shame :{ !!!!!!!
Icelandair are obviously new to this game, but they will learn, in time. Neverthless, good luck to this new venture if it means new jobs for UK based crew, NOT !!!!!!
CG