Gatwick Route By Easyjet

[pongo]

A few weeks ago Easyjet landed here with an aircraft full of passengers and no luggage at all. The reason the luggage was not loaded at I believe Gatwick, was that the aircraft would have arrived after airport published hours and Easyjet were not prepared to pay the late opening fees !

The question this raises for me, if true, is why is the airport charging late fees.

 

Across Europe airports and regional authorities are coming to terms with the need to facilititate the airlines and not vice versa. We are moving into an era when regional authorities will likely also effectively pay airlines to continue obscure routes.

 

Angry people of FB suggesting Lpl flight jus boarded, went through safety drill then announced they were going nowhere as ATC had finished for the night.

That's shocking if true. Part-timers. Maybe we should be paying a bit more for the airport.

 

Budget airlines are the way to go. Tiny over priced airlines made sense in the days of small aircraft. In the 50s and 60s there were masses of flights everyday - but those Dakotas / DC3s only carried 20 something passengers.

 

We don't need a bespoke service. Manx Airlines was over-priced and rather grim IMO. Horrible little planes. Many times I flew with them in the 90s the aircraft were also more or less empty. I am not surprised their slots were more valuable than their business. And lets make the Airbus a minimum standard.

[Andy Onchan]

 

And people moaned far too much about manx airlines.

No not really...just about their fares.

 

 

As I recall Manx Airlines fares were comparable to other domestic routes, eg, LHR to ABZ £350 return with BA (still got the ticket and travel agent invoice somewhere), Those were the days when we DID have record numbers flying, so to argue that they were expensive seems a tad unfair.

[Uhtred]

 

 

And people moaned far too much about manx airlines.

 

No not really...just about their fares.

As I recall Manx Airlines fares were comparable to other domestic routes, eg, LHR to ABZ £350 return with BA (still got the ticket and travel agent invoice somewhere), Those were the days when we DID have record numbers flying, so to argue that they were expensive seems a tad unfair.

Record numbers/other airlines charges aside, the fares were certainly expensive when benchmarked against general domestic costs. I'm sure they'd have represented a much more significant %age of take home pay than a return flight to London does today.

[ballaughbiker]

To compare Manx Airlines to the present budget airlines is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. I think they served the island very well indeed at a price. However that price sometimes included a meal and there was non of the despicable tricks if you missed a flight or wanting to go on an earlier one, had a heavy bag, had two bags etc etc. If you tried that on easy I think their present day fares would make Manx's old fares look like a bargain. They were also a significant local employer with all the local benefits that provides.

 

One thing they did do was overbook which I think is not on although it may be financially very beneficial.

 

As for being grim, and using aircraft like the 360 (assuming that what pongo didn't like) they were better all round for short hops than the Airbus although I agree not as comfortable and quite outdated now . Manx Airlines grim though?????

[pongo]

there was non of the despicable tricks if you missed a flight or wanting to go on an earlier one, had a heavy bag, had two bags etc etc. If you tried that on easy I think their present day fares would make Manx's old fares look like a bargain.

The details about cabin baggage pricing are clear. 1 item per person 56 x 45 x 25cm. There is no weight limit. People turning up with two cabin bags or causing a fuss because their carry-on is bigger than that slow everyone down.

 

that price sometimes included a meal

No thanks. Really. What were they thinking? And the stupid chocolate. Who actually wanted any of that?

 

Let's keep it simple and low cost. The benefits of EasyJet outweigh the negatives of them often running a bit late - especially towards the end of the day. It's not ideal but it never will be. Part of the problem is that modern necessary regulation, standards and practices can quickly cause delays out of the hubs - delays which will begin to compound over the schedule. Certainly the airport here should work to better facilitate that. That's just about being flexible and can-do.

[woolley]

Angry people of FB suggesting Lpl flight jus boarded, went through safety drill then announced they were going nowhere as ATC had finished for the night.

That's shocking if true. Part-timers. Maybe we should be paying a bit more for the airport.

 

Budget airlines are the way to go. Tiny over priced airlines made sense in the days of small aircraft. In the 50s and 60s there were masses of flights everyday - but those Dakotas / DC3s only carried 20 something passengers.

 

We don't need a bespoke service. Manx Airlines was over-priced and rather grim IMO. Horrible little planes. Many times I flew with them in the 90s the aircraft were also more or less empty. I am not surprised their slots were more valuable than their business. And lets make the Airbus a minimum standard.

 

The fact that it's run by the government tells us we pay more than enough for the airport.

 

You do Manx Airlines a great disservice. Since when were ATPs and 146 jets horrible little planes? They were perfectly suited to our routes. Great company staffed by dedicated employees, most of them locals doing the kind of skilled work we need badly now and in the future. The government should have taken a share in Manx Airlines Europe/BRAL when it was possible and when Terry Liddiard suggested it. Not enough to control it (God forbid), but enough to protect it from predators. At the time of the expansion into Europe and with the right management it could

have been the hub of something as big Ryanair. Now the dividends from 20% of that would be worth having!

 

As for budget airlines and big planes being the way to go, you could be right. We are where we are, as the politicians say. Shame we can't make the Island's market fit the optimum 21st century business model then.

[NoTail]

I make every effort to avoid flying because the whole experience is horrible. I wonder how many similar minded (possible customers) there are out there. I used to love flying. Now I use the boat and my Campervan - much nicer.

[Lxxx]

I try not to fly full stop from mid-July through to mid-September if I can help it. Delays and cancellations during this time period are commonplace everywhere due to the sheer volume of passengers wanting to escape for the summer and you get knock on effects all over. Let's not get too precious here and think we're hard done by, every airport has the same issues over this period, we just feel it a bit more due to our isolated location and tendency to whine about near enough everything.

[ballaughbiker]

 

 

No thanks. Really. What were they thinking? And the stupid chocolate. Who actually wanted any of that?

Many actually enjoyed the breakfasts on the LHR and BHX morning flights but that was in a different era and things have moved on. However I still think direct comparisons then and now are unreasonable. As for chocolates, you still get that on Stobarts aircraft and whilst completely unnecessary do no harm. As for bags, I wasn't referring to carry on bags.

 

I see you haven't commented on the rest of the post. When Manx cancelled a flight, you nearly always still got there even if it was to a different airport if flights were combined. This common late cancellation and then leave you high & dry used to be a very rare event indeed.How many times did Manx say they hadn't got enough crew? Ever?

[Lxxx]

 

 

 

No thanks. Really. What were they thinking? And the stupid chocolate. Who actually wanted any of that?

Many actually enjoyed the breakfasts on the LHR and BHX morning flights but that was in a different era and things have moved on. However I still think direct comparisons then and now are unreasonable. As for chocolates, you still get that on Stobarts aircraft and whilst completely unnecessary do no harm. As for bags, I wasn't referring to carry on bags.

 

I see you haven't commented on the rest of the post. When Manx cancelled a flight, you nearly always still got there even if it was to a different airport if flights were combined. This common late cancellation and then leave you high & dry used to be a very rare event indeed.How many times did Manx say they hadn't got enough crew? Ever?

 

 

You are comparing apples and pears to a degree. Two entirely different eras, business models and pricing structures. There is no need, desire or room for another premium airline operating to or from the island anymore, over and above BA to London City. Cheap and unreliable is the way to go here I'm afraid. If you choose to live on a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea you take into account travel issues as part and parcel of the package. Or you should do.

[ballaughbiker]

 

 

As for budget airlines and big planes being the way to go, you could be right

That A319 must cost a fortune to run on the LPL. It needs at least an hours sector to reach its designed cruise level and maintain it for a reasonable time. Still who cares about the environment?

 

Smaller turboprops of up to 80 seats would be better for all IOM flights.

[asitis]

 

A few weeks ago Easyjet landed here with an aircraft full of passengers and no luggage at all. The reason the luggage was not loaded at I believe Gatwick, was that the aircraft would have arrived after airport published hours and Easyjet were not prepared to pay the late opening fees !

The question this raises for me, if true, is why is the airport charging late fees.

 

Across Europe airports and regional authorities are coming to terms with the need to facilititate the airlines and not vice versa. We are moving into an era when regional authorities will likely also effectively pay airlines to continue obscure routes.

 

Angry people of FB suggesting Lpl flight jus boarded, went through safety drill then announced they were going nowhere as ATC had finished for the night.

That's shocking if true. Part-timers. Maybe we should be paying a bit more for the airport.

 

Budget airlines are the way to go. Tiny over priced airlines made sense in the days of small aircraft. In the 50s and 60s there were masses of flights everyday - but those Dakotas / DC3s only carried 20 something passengers.

 

We don't need a bespoke service. Manx Airlines was over-priced and rather grim IMO. Horrible little planes. Many times I flew with them in the 90s the aircraft were also more or less empty. I am not surprised their slots were more valuable than their business. And lets make the Airbus a minimum standard.

 

 

ATC hours are an absolute statute so yes ATC closing was mandatory, an airline captain does have a little degree of operating hours (his) leeway in exceptional circumstances but ATC do not. I agree a bad situation but not the fault of our air traffic services.

[mad_manx]

 

Today's easyjet to liverpool EZY636 which was due to depart at 1650 has a new estimated time of 2100!!!.

The inbound flight arrived on time, but clearly 'went tech' while on the ground here. It looks like they plan to fly an engineer on their flight from Gatwick which itself is an hour late, so I'd doubt it will be going anywhere before 22.00, if at all. Another bad day at the office, for our friends in orange.

As you had mentioned , they did get an engineer last night on the delayed Gatwick flight. They sorted the aircraft out and boarded the aircraft. Midway through the safety demonstration, the pilot made an announcement that he can't fly due to ? ATC issues???.All passengers were removed from the aircraft.

[ballaughbiker]

 

 

To compare Manx Airlines to the present budget airlines is a bit like comparing apples and oranges

I did say that earlier.

 

 

 

Two entirely different eras, business models and pricing structures.

And that "but that was in a different era and things have moved on"

 

If you think I'm suggesting that Manx's business model should make a return then you would be wrong.

[ballaughbiker]

 

 

ATC hours are an absolute statute so yes ATC closing was mandatory

was it Ronaldsway's opening hours coming to a close or an airways issue?