Poor Load Factors????????

[Oblaaspop]

Is it just me or has anyone else not realy noticed a drop in loads?????

I've just operated out of GLA for the last 4 days, and every single sector was full to the brim!!

Having spoken to others in the airline, they are saying much the same thing.

OK one could argue that they have already paid for their holidays and don't wan't to lose their money, and maybe the scheduled airlines have a different story to tell, but I can't help thinking that all this panic and knee-jerk job shedding is all a bit premature(story of my life!).

Sure, only time will tell as far as a slump in bookings is concerned, but I think as time goes on, and those sikkening images aren't presented to us on a daily basis, people will start to feel more relaxed about flying again.

Here's hoping

[L337]

Yup, I have been full for the last four days. GLA, EDI, FRA, DUS, FCO etc etc. everyone is still flying... In Europe that is.

L337

[Nigel PAX]

Speaking as SLF, it all seems like business as usual, apart from the nasty plastic cutlery (even the ice buckets in the BA first class lounge now have flimsy plastic spoons -- but Schiphol still runs to real tongs).

Contrary to media reports, there seem to be no delays at either check-in or security, and it's no more of an ordeal than usual -- and there were plenty of passengers milling around.

[HugMonster]

Up until this morning Gill was operating with ever-increasing loads. Not good enough for the banks, though.

"Ah - it's not even raining, but I suspect it might - can we have our umbrella back please?" :mad: :(

[crackerjack]

Oblaaspop

To inflate your argument a little, I would agree with you. I haven't noticed any reduction in load factors out of MAN in the last week.

On one level I don't think that your point about them having paid already is a valid one though, if people were that concerned, the 500 quid or so would not, I suggest make them "risk" their lives. On the other hand it does go to illustrate that all this talk of the airline industry in terminal crisis is a little premature.

I feel that the accountants, bankers et al are using this situation either as a convenient excuse to down size or because they HAVE to be seen to be doing something to placate the city.

Perhaps we just don't know the big picture(!) but until I see bookings and pax loads reduced at least in the medium term - long term is I guess far too much to hope for - I will remain optimistic.

[simmy]

I cannot help feeling that "they" have won. The world has stopped travelling (according to the airlines) the markets have collapsed ( according to the numbers )airlines are going broke (all in a week )and business confidence has collapsed.
Surely we all must travel more, spend more, invest more and stick two fingers up to the few people who have brought the free world to its knees. And the media might be a bit more positive - rather than granting some sort of invulnerability to these madmen.

[Lazlo]

Yes, all of my flights have been full or nearly full in the past week. Apparently it is almost impossible to book a holiday for the next few weeks. People aren't being scared off.

Lazlo

[Gaza]

Something fishy is going on!

News reports spell doom and gloom for the airline industry. Travel Agents report taking far more cancellations than new bookings, yet EDI and LHR were both busy when I flew through this week. My EDI-LHR-EDI flights were both full and the Terraces Lounges in both airports were packed.

I know some multinationals are still restricting their employess from flying but these are being lifed all the time. IBM started allowing employess to fly again normally as of Monday past and Cisco have started allowing their employess to fly for "busines critical" reasons. All restrictions are expected to be remove in the next few days.

Some companies, and individuals, made kneejerk reactions to last week's horrific events but it would seem the Airline industry has acted with equal kneejerk and started announcing job losses and route cuts!

[Curious Pax]

I just booked a trip to Florida for next April for our extended family (14 of us!). We had terrible trouble getting seats (OK, I guess a large party distorts the picture but even so) and in fact have to return from Tampa rather than Orlando! I suspect that the picture will change again once it becomes clear what course of action the US are going to embark on, but at the moment my experience doesn't seem to tie in with the situation as presented in the media. My own feeling is that a lot of the reduction plans by the airlines were in place before this atrocity, and the opportunity of announcing them at a point when there appears to be no argument against them was too good to miss. This is not to say that airlines don't have cause to be worried - as Gill found out yesterday it only takes one nervous bank to bring the roof down - but I think that a little opportunism has come into play too.

[pdc7]

checked BAs loads last week out of lgw and man to europe and they all seemed pretty full again by thursday!

[Barryflore]

Just done four east coast sectors. Premium load about 10% and economy full. No profit there........

[renegator]

You are right concerning current SLF´s. At least for the European leisure segment it seem as if no-show rate gone up by factor 5 to 10, but is still below 2%. The problem though are current bookings (at least in France, Germany & the UK) which are down 50-70% in comparison to the years 1999 & 2000) Now the big questions is, whether this will change and when. It is going to be a tough winter season if uncertainty keeps on

[Avman]

Simmy is quite correct. But, it needs the media to promote this and right now they are doing the exact opposite! It won't be the terrorists who brought the world to its knees, but the morons in THE MEDIA. :mad: :mad: :mad:

[tangofive]

Have just returned from flight KUL-SIN-JKT;SURABAYA-SIN-KUL. Flight was full both ways. Interesting to note that SQ still using metal cutlery and Indonesian Merpati flight deck doors open for duration of the flight.

[fmgc]

I do not think that the problem is putting European Bums on seats but getting US Bums on seats.

In Europe we are fairly hardened to terrorism and will not let it stops us from carrying on our normal lives. However in the US they are not so used to it and so (understandably) they fear the worst.

I would be interested to hear from some US pilots as to what their loads are like.

[Roc]

From the U.S.

The situation here is dire, each major is expecting approximately 1200 to 1500 furloughs, plus the monthly guarentee for the pilots who aren't furloughed will be reduced dramatically. A friend at Delta said the shuttle between NY-BOS-DC is nearly empty. They went from 39 daily flights to 3!!UPS and FED-EX semm OK but the passenger carriers are in trouble. I'm going to 2 funerals this week, one for the F/O who was on United flight 93 that crashed in the field in Pennsylvania, the other to a New York City Fireman who left a wife and 3 sons. The only bright spot is I'm putting on my flight suit soon and joining my reserve Unit to avenge their deaths..

[ockham hold]

Every flight I have done since 11 Sept has been full as well. I am trying to book a holiday flight in the second week of October- all the flights I have enquired after are all fully booked. Travel agent says he has not had one single cancellation!

[CRP5]

After operating for the last 6 days out of LGW the loads have been anything from 80-100% so what do the Knee jerkers do at Waterworld slash flights out of LGW and cut 10 aircraft.
:eek:
They best be carefull or Easy and Ryan will be given a base right on LHRs doorsteep! :rolleyes:

[ 23 September 2001: Message edited by: CRP5 ]

[stalling attitude]

Its about time that the media were persuaded to take a more positive stance. They seem to take great pleasure in reporting doom and gloom in the economy and the air travel industry. If you tell people enough times that nobody is flying and that recession is inevitable they will believe it. A little more positive reporting might just do us all a favour and help us come out of this situation without to many job losses :mad:

[Paddington*]

Shorthaul loads out of Birmingham have been fairly high this week.

[737man]

Just carried my biggest ever load on a 737-300. 173 souls on board! That included 8 crew and 21 babies!! Without giving away to much it was inbound to the UK from 31/2 hrs away! It isn't all bad even with all the frightening news.

[kippa]

Checked at MAN Fri, as pax on domestic sector. Check-in was empty though flight 70% full. Recently operated 8 Sectors through Europe can report loads unchanged.

[SK]

Continental's CEO says their load factor has been just 37%. The full interview on the WSJ:
http://public.wsj.com/sn/y/SB1001020755985895720.html

:rolleyes:

[Stop Stop Stop]

Load factors in the last two weeks in the region of 80-100%. Many flights overbooked and SLF turning up and getting turned away.

It can't be all bad, but I bet our company (owned by a cheese-eating, wet footed mob)will somehow massage the figures. We shall see!!

Good to hear you're still about Paul K!!

[SevenFiftySeven.]

Over here in the US is where the loads seem to be down.

Did ATW - ORD - BOS last weekend and Boston was like a ghost town. Ok, this is probably one of the worst affected airports as the two WTC flights departed from here, but it does seem like they're suffering at the moment.

I'm doing ATW - ORD - LAX next week and we'll see if there's a noticable increase over last week.

I agree with what others say, I think the media aren't helping. Over here there is no news other than the terrible events of a couple of weeks ago, and a lot of channels are still pretty much reporting 'facts' constantly. Whilst I appreciate the sheer horror of what happened, I think that the media should cut down the amount of airtime dedicated to coverage. In my opinion, there just isn't enough happening at the moment to report on and so we're getting this ludicrious and damned annoying situation where the media are reporting any rumour or whisper, as fact and the whole thing has a severe negative effect on those watching.

I have pretty much stopped watching the news on TV, instead occasionally scanning the web news sites as I find these articles to be much more informative and balanced. I have also noticed a little more of an upbeat tone about some of the stories on the web news sites - MSNBC was running a couple of stories basically encouraging the US citizens to help the economy over here by spending and taking flights etc. I have yet to see a TV news article to do the same thing.

I did catch one TV news story tonight where the newscaster was interviewing a psychologist and asking how people could avoid feeling so down about the tragic events that have occured. Her suggestion was for everybody to stop watching the news! The newscaster failed to see the irony of her response and repeated her advice!!

Made me chuckle anyway!

[Zeroflap]

Hi Paul!!