FRESHAER

[The_Bean_Counter]

Freshaer are to launch flights on Monday 28th July with flights operated initially by Iceland Air. Anyone got any further news on this ?

[no, no, no]

from Monday 28th Freshaer will be selling Dublin to Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester. They want to do Gatwick but haven't got the slot yet.

The other Cork and Kerry routes aren't planned to start yet.

Looks like Ryanair have got a new front to fight on now.......

[jmc757]

Nice to see they will start flying :ok: . They going for an Air-Scotland start method of start-up? prove its viable before shelling out on your own aircraft leases?? Quite a good method really...
Will there be a blast of publicity? Should be really, as I doubt many people will have heard of them....

[Buster the Bear]

Ryanair are to operate an extra rotation from Dublin to Gatwick soon. Have they pinched the fresh'uns slot there?

Taking on Ryanair.........Wow, the bloke that has bought Chelski FC must be involved, as he likes to back outsiders with loads of cash!

How long before Ryanair ruin Icelandair?

['PlaneHappy]

I am surprised that FreshAer does not sell tickets on the internet. Indeed, you have to 'phone to book which will surely put off some would-be consumers.

Would-be customers like everything transparent and easy. Ryanair's website and its online booking facility is, I believe, both of these.

Does anyone know whether FreshAer's prices match those of Ryanair?

[no, no, no]

Don't know all prices, but STNDUB starts from €15 OW excl taxes.

Found out this morning, from the call center (website is crap) that they are doing 4x STNDUB, 3x BHXDUB, 2 x MANDUB and als 1x DUBAGP and 1 x DUBALC, routes which have no mention whatsoever.......

The STNDUB schedules are quite bizarre as well offering 0630, 1015, 1415 & 1910 from DUB, with 0810, 1215, 1615 & 2110 from STN. Hardly excellent times for business traffic if they were hoping to get any. 1615 return is just a bit too early, especially for STN, and 2110 defo too late.....

[MarkD]

Website very poor, no proper info/schedule and scale is crap. Even Air Wales did better prior to online booking!

[pipergirl]

hello all....
just wondering if anyone has an idea who's behind FRESH AER?
It's a new airline operating out of DUB , ORK and KIR...
Heard a rumour it's three ex-EI pilots..??
cheers
PG;) :)

[Flame]

Not sure who is behind it, but I guess you are aware that they currently are taking bookings over the telephone for operations starting on 1st October. For Pig Iron, I called the number this Pm and booked a seat DUB-LGW return and got it for E62

They are selling seats to Malaga for E199 return. It will be interesting to see if and "when " Mr O'Leary gets their attention

Regards :D

[Flame]

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Someone stated that they have not got the DUB-LGW approval yet, Now I am worried, they took money from me today for the route

:{ :{ :{ :{

[Scottie Dog]

Flame

I also hear they have not got slot approval at certain other airports either, but that might not be too much of a problem by the time October comes and the summer season dies away.

Does anybody know if Freshaer have their own AOC (or Irish equivalent) or are they using somebody elses?

Scottie Dog

Edited for spelling

[MarkD]

http://www.irishaviation.net/forums/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000934.html

[Dewdrop]

I would exercise caution when booking. This company is operating from an accomodation address in Ascot in the UK. I am sure there is nothing fishy going on but bear in mind they are attempting to go head to head with FR out of Dublin, how long will they last ?

[Aviation Trainer too]

The online airline.... as mentioned on their site and you have to call them.....

[brabazon]

...should that be Offline Airline?

[Scottie Dog]

Since we appear to have 2 threads running in the subject I thought it might be worthwhile cross referencing:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=97172

Hopefully my link might have worked, since it contains some relevant answers to questions.

Scottie Dog


Thks ScottieDog Ive merged them now. Hogg

[FairPayer]

Just pulled this off the Irish Times Web Site. There seems to be an eclectic mix of guys behind FreshAer which is where your money might disappear to if you book with them. Although they are keen to take your money before they are authorised to do so they have reassured the flying public that their new startup operation is "kosher" so that should put everyones mind at rest.

Perhaps Short-of-working-capital-Aer or Here-Today-Gone-Tomorrow-Aer would be more appropriate.


Aviation regulator queries new airline over operating licences


One of the State's aviation regulators has queried a new UK-based airline about its activities after it began selling flight tickets here this week without first getting the necessary licences to operate in the Republic, writes Barry O'Halloran

The Commission for Aviation Regulation told The Irish Times yesterday that it put a number of questions to newly-launched carrier, FreshAer, after the company began offering flights to Irish consumers via a phone line and the Internet.

It is running a promotion inviting consumers to "book now" with the Evening Herald newspaper. FreshAer is currently operating from offices in England.

Airlines have to be licensed by the Commission for Aviation Regulation and the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), or their equivalents in other EU countries, before they can operate here. The IAA is responsible for safety and the commission handles issues like finance and insurance. FreshAer has not applied to either Irish body, or to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It is not licensed anywhere else in Europe.

A spokeswoman for the commission said the agency was concerned that it began trading without applying for, or getting, licences. "We are seeking clarification about a number of issues," she said.

FreshAer intends to begin flights from Dublin to destinations in the UK and Spain in October. Both aviation agencies said it could take up to six months to get licensed.

Mr John Lepp, of FreshAer, said last night that the company intends applying for the licences in three weeks. He said that another airline, Icelandic Air, which is licensed, would operate its services while the company went through the application process. "I can assure you that our operation is absolutely kosher," he stressed. "We have spoken to both the commission and the IAA and they are aware of what we are doing."

One of FreshAer's founders is former Aer Lingus employee Mr Tony Robinson. Its management also includes one-time Ryanair chief pilot Mr Kim Duggan, former Aer Aran boss Mr Bob Laird, and former senior figures from Transaer and Storm Aviation.

The company has a registered address in Berkshire, England, but intends moving to premises in Swords, Co Dublin, in four or five weeks. It says it has an initial bankroll of €7 million and intends taking delivery of four Boeing 757s in September and will pay a €2 million deposit to secure them. It will lease the aircraft.

[African Drunk]

Freshaer

Are they named after airline in mile high?

[electricblue]

www.98fm.ie

Freshair not licenced 8/1/2003 6:16:46 PM

An airline company which is accepting bookings from Irish passengers, is not licensed to operate according to the Commission for Aviation Regulation. FreshAer.com is due to start flying in October, but the Commission says its breaking the law. A spokesman for the Evening Herald say they are waiting for a response from FreshAer.com to the controversy. But say they were told the company is licensed through another airline.


www.onbusiness.ie

The Commission for Aviation Regulation has warned air travellers who book tickets with start-up airline FreshAer that they will not have protection under Irish Travel Trade legislation.

The legislation offers travellers protection and assistance if their ticket agent goes bankrupt.

FreshAer has advertised in the newspapers and on the internet its plans to offer flights from Dublin to a range of UK and Spanish destinations from October 1.

FreshAer has also yet to obtain the necessary licence from the Commission to operate flights out of Ireland. Yesterday it announced an interim solution which will see it operate flights through licensed operator Icelandic Air.

[Maxiumus]

Bob Laird and Jim Duggan are in no way whatsoever involved, contrary to the Irish Times reports

[MaxMet]

Are they anything to do with Cougar/K Newnham?

[jmc757]

Seems very similar to the Air-Scotland/Electra contract??

No-one could figure out (not even the CAA i think!!) if Air-Scotland needed an ATOL to be able to sell the tickets, and they got it all sorted in the end with a hell of a long winded method of Air-Scotland.com being "Ticket Provider" for Electra Airlines Scotland, subsidiary of Electra Airlines S.A. or soemthing like that!!

Essentially, FreshAer and Air-Scotland go round shouting about how they're a new airline when really there pretty much a tour operator, selling seats on other airlines services. But then are they a tour opearator as they have exclusively contracted Electra/Air Holland/Iceland to fly for them?? Think this was the controversy over air-scotland, and perhaps the "liscence" problem described in the reports here??

Oh well hope it gets sorted, but it is starting irritate me these "Airlines" that aren't really airlines at all......

[Eff Oh]

Not sure about FRESHAER but the original plan for Air-Scotland was for them to use Electra as a start up, as Easyjet did with European?, then apply for their own AOC. Not sure how that is going to work now that the deal with Air Holland is more of a "co-operation". I guess the plan is still to apply for their own AOC.

[brabazon]

Maximus, I can confirm your comment that Bob Laird is not involved in this project as he has just put out a note to this effect following his name appearing in the press. Seems to be a case of the directors of FreshAer being "economical with the truth".

[VIKING9]

MaxMet :p Mmmm the 2 do go together very well don't they - FRESHAIR and COUGAR - disappeared into........:ok:

[electricblue]

An airline planning to launch several new routes from Ireland in October has decided to stop taking bookings.

Freshaer.com had planned to open several new routes between Dublin, the UK and Spain.

However, it emerged that although Freshaer was taking bookings for its autumn start-up, it was not properly licensed to do so in this country.

The company claimed it was entitled to sell seats pending the issuing of a license to operate. However, the commission for airline regulation has said this is not the case.

Today, the company said it had taken what it called the regrettable decision to stop taking bookings and to return money paid by passengers until the license was issued.

[Dewdrop]

A director has also resigned following after his conviction for fraud came to light.

http://www.fxcentre.com/news.asp?739068

[brabazon]

Looks like the DTI have been on their case for months.....(this is from today's Irish Times):

Tuesday, 12th August, 2003



The UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has stated that FreshAer, the company planning to set up a budget airline in the Republic, illegally offered shares in the business to the public and broke a number of other laws governing investment and equity offerings.
UK-based FreshAer this week stopped selling flight tickets for its proposed services from Dublin, which were due to begin in October. The company also pledged to refund all money collected from Irish consumers. The Irish Times understands that this amounts to approximately €250,000. Bibit, a German merchant bank is holding the money on trust.

The DTI began investigating FreshAer in May. According to a letter from its deputy inspector of companies, Mr John Gardner, to former FreshAer director Mr John Roche, the company appeared to breach both the English Companies Act 1985 and the Financial Services and Markets Act (FISMA) 2000.

FreshAer ran foul of the legislation when it published a prospectus on its website in the spring. The DTI found that it was possible for members of the public to download the prospectus and a share application form from the site. Mr Gardner's letter states that, as FreshAer was a private company, it was a criminal offence to do this.

FreshAer has since removed the prospectus and application forms from the website.

It was also in breach of an FISMA provision banning anyone who is not authorised by the British Financial Services Authority (FSA) from offering shares to the public. Mr Gardner warned that this was also a criminal offence.

The company's prospectus did not comply with the English Public Offers of Securities Regulations 1995 on a number of fronts. It failed to advise readers to seek professional advice and the price at which shares were offered varied from day to day, according to Mr Gardner.

Mr Gardner's letter states that this offence was "exacerbated by the fact that FreshAer sought and ignored legal advice on the content of the prospectus". He points out that the document failed to state the minimum amount amount of shares that it was seeking to place, which is a breach of the Companies Act.

According to the letter, the company raised a total of £10,000 sterling (€14,200) from four individual investors. It is not clear if the investments came via the website or through another channel. Mr Gardner ordered that the subscriptions be returned.

Mr Roche was one of the company's original directors and shareholders. However, he had resigned before it published its prospectus. Last night, he said his name appeared on the document without his knowledge or consent. Nobody was prosecuted as a result of the DTI investigation.

It also emerged yesterday the Iceland Air sister company, Luftleidir, which was supposed to provide the FreshAer service when it began in October, has stopped negotiating with the company. A Luftleidir spokesman said the talks ended at the weekend and added that it was unlikely that it would enter into any agreement with the British-based business.

FreshAer has begun the process of applying to the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) for its airline and tour operator licences. It is likely to take at least six months to get certification.

The firm had been running a promotion with the Evening Herald newspaper offering free flight vouchers to readers. A spokesman for Independent News & Media, which owns the paper, said it had not issued any vouchers after learning FreshAer was not licensed.

[Frankfurt_Cowboy]

FreshAer were advertising at last nights Bradford v Hull rugby league match which was shown live on Sky. looks like their promotional people are still doing the business.

[Snowyman]

Any new news or is the tale long gone?

SM

[TimS]

Long gone (together with some of my money!!). I really should be a lot smarter by now !

TimS

[Snifferdog]

Although Freshaer has been lost in trhe great lowcost airline scamble the question is..could it be revived?? With Aer Lingus a shambles and Ryanair still ignoring its Dublin base to a degree, it would appear that there is still room for another (lo-cost?) airline provided it had the right management.

[Cyrano]

Snifferdog:

Why would anyone want to revive Freshaer specifically? Based on the Freshaer prospectus I saw, the project was ill-judged, inadequately researched, and thoroughly unconvincing: the wrong aircraft, the wrong routes, and a competitor assessment best described as pathetic. Freshaer belongs in the grave.

I'm not quite sure about your assertion that EI is "a shambles". Yes, a lot has been thrown overboard in terms of repositioning the product. Yes, there are question marks ahead (privatisation delays etc.) But from the cheap-seat-seeking passenger's point of view, the airline has done a great job of becoming relevant again and it's getting those bums on seats (and profits into the bank) better than ever before.

And finally: if a low-cost airline came into Dublin, to fly (for example) Hahn, Bergamo, etc., how long exactly do you think it would be before Ryanair found a temporary accommodation with the airport to enable them to kill off any possible competition? That's if MO'L and co. even needed to bother. Frankly a low-cost jet startup attempting to base itself in Dublin would need one hell of a business plan (and deep pockets) to ever get into the air.

[DW11]

Yeah Cyrano, but apart from that Freshaer were great. It's not as if EI or FR are actually doing a good job out of Dublin and with the excellent facilities and connections provided by Dublin Airport it's only a matter of time before someone steps into this gaping hole.

[Northern_Driver]

That was my understanding also. For years people have complained the service onboard the lowcost carriers-but it seems that they forget the price of their ticket aswell.

But I though that freshaers idea was not to go fully to the lowcost idealism, but instead have some sort of business class with a little better service there than in the economy still keeeping the prices reasonably low in both classes.

I read somewher that their main routes would have been between Ireland and England? But isnt there a lot of business and regular travellers flying between London and Ireland who probably would pay just a bit more to get a class of wine etc. for free.

:rolleyes:

[runawayedge]

DW11


.....with the excellent facilities and connections provided by Dublin Airport.....

If you're referring to EIDW on the East Coast of Ireland it must have got one hell of a facelift over the last 24 hours, becuase the one I remember as of yesterday morning is chaos and probably the last airport I would choose to connect through!