advertisement


flybe

Ponty said:
The shareholders have deep pockets, they could have kept it running if they wanted to. The reality is, it just isn’t a commercially viable proposition. Hopefully HMRC recover the deferred taxation from the wreckage. Thoughts are with the staff, it’s not like they can walk into another airline job right now.
Click to expand...

HMRC always get first dibs at everything. Good to know that a hedge fund and Virgin got stung. You win some, you lose some.

But yes, the staff are bvggered - it looks like Soton airport might not be viable which is a PITA
 
Nero said:
The basic problem is that we are not paying enough for our flights, financially and environmentally. Should we be able to burn up the planet by making what are probably unnecessary trips? Is the genie too far out of the bottle?
Click to expand...

Ive been saying that since I worked at Stansted 2000-2006. Those were the days of the cheapo flight companies selling tickets off at 1p each way, just to fill seats. To make money while operating like that, your profits are paper thin even in the good times. But the Barcelona/Tirana stag and hen weekend mob got used to it. Whole villages in Spain were built on the back of unsustainable cheap flights. I’m glad I’m well out of it.

Is it just me, or is the UK’s air a little cleaner?
 
Nero said:
The basic problem is that we are not paying enough for our flights, financially and environmentally. Should we be able to burn up the planet by making what are probably unnecessary trips? Is the genie too far out of the bottle?
Click to expand...

Certainly not suggesting that "cheaper than needed" flights continue. There needs to be a balance between essential routes and reasonable fares. Flybe served some areas that the bigger commercial airlines are not interested in providing. The other problem with the main public transport competitor, in the train, is that it can be very expensive and slow compared to getting a Flybe flight. Surely, that needs to change, if the Government wants travellers to use a train instead of flights and car travel? Why do train prices have to be so expensive? Especially, during out of peak periods?
 
Nero said:
The basic problem is that we are not paying enough for our flights, financially and environmentally. Should we be able to burn up the planet by making what are probably unnecessary trips? Is the genie too far out of the bottle?
Click to expand...

Flying is far too cheap. Further subsidising folk flying from Surrey to their second home in Cornwall etc is just socially unacceptable today I feel.
 
mentalp said:
Just found out my sister's flight to Edinburgh on Saturday was with them, she's now trying to find a train alternative from Wales that doesn't take forever and cost an arm and a leg. She's meant to be helping my house-bound mum get to her friend's funeral on Sunday. Not sure how she paid but she thinks she's lost the £140 fare
Click to expand...

if by credit card or debit card she should be ok through consumer protection or charge back.
 
Stuart Frazer said:
Certainly not suggesting that "cheaper than needed" flights continue. There needs to be a balance between essential routes and reasonable fares. Flybe served some areas that the bigger commercial airlines are not interested in providing. The other problem with the main public transport competitor, in the train, is that it can be very expensive and slow compared to getting a Flybe flight. Surely, that needs to change, if the Government wants travellers to use a train instead of flights and car travel? Why do train prices have to be so expensive? Especially, during out of peak periods?
Click to expand...

my experience is that off peak advance rail fares are dirt cheap.
Manchester to Edinburgh £19
Manchester to Euston £25
 
Bob McC said:
my experience is that off peak advance rail fares are dirt cheap.
Manchester to Edinburgh £19
Manchester to Euston £25
Click to expand...

To an extent, if you book weeks in advance, you might be right and lucky. My experience is that those tickets are very limited and restrictive. Sometimes, people cannot book weeks in advance and need to go at short notice. It then becomes uneconomical and very expensive. Train travel fares need to compete with being able to get in a car and go anywhere at anytime. Only then will the public get out of their cars and stop using air travel.
 
They are not limited at all.
Just book 12 weeks in advance for the best price when they are released.
The restriction is only that it is for one train only, so no flexibility.
I can still get to London from Manchester off peak on Monday next for £42.
In my experience the public can’t get enough of them. The train from Manchester to Edinburgh starts at the airport. If you don’t get on at the airport it’s standing room only all the way.
I was in London two weeks ago for a jolly and the 10.56 Manchester to London was rammed as was the return evening train two days later.
 
Well my brother from Portsmouth (flew FlyBe from Southampton) is now stuck here in Edinburgh at my Mum's - which is good news, as he can run after her for a bit longer and take the weight off me for a while! Every cloud ;)
 
Bob McC said:
Just book 12 weeks in advance for the best price when they are released.
The restriction is only that it is for one train only, so no flexibility.
Click to expand...

indeed - we just got York-London, 1st class for £60 for two us.
 
Debit card for my sister - trouble with chargeback is you only get the refund once the recipient returns the payment.
Had a look at her train options and not sure how she's going to do it - 8 1/2 hour journey (each way) and off peak return at £228.60
 
Stuart Frazer said:
To an extent, if you book weeks in advance, you might be right and lucky. My experience is that those tickets are very limited and restrictive. Sometimes, people cannot book weeks in advance and need to go at short notice. It then becomes uneconomical and very expensive. Train travel fares need to compete with being able to get in a car and go anywhere at anytime. Only then will the public get out of their cars and stop using air travel.
Click to expand...

But much of the rail network is already running at maximum capacity. Increasing capacity to compete with air travel is hugely expensive and takes for ever, as we are seeing with HS2.
 
People are going to have to reset their expectations moving forward. You simply can’t have a continually growing population doing their best to consume ever increasing amounts of finite resources. This obviously includes travel.
 
mentalp said:
Just found out my sister's flight to Edinburgh on Saturday was with them, she's now trying to find a train alternative from Wales that doesn't take forever and cost an arm and a leg. She's meant to be helping my house-bound mum get to her friend's funeral on Sunday. Not sure how she paid but she thinks she's lost the £140 fare
Click to expand...

Annual travel policy?
 
Bob McC said:
They are not limited at all.
Just book 12 weeks in advance for the best price when they are released.
Click to expand...

I wish I knew that far ahead of time! With the notice I usually get for business meetings I'm usually around £100 return to Manchester and £150-200 to London on the train.
 
dweezil said:
Annual travel policy?
Click to expand...

I think a flight allocation could be a good idea. Everyone gets x flights a year and you can sell unused ones to the market.

People who don't fly or fly less (generally with less financial clout) also have a salable resource.

But the total number of flights per year could be capped.

Or, in a similar fashion, give everyone an annual carbon budget—or a mileage allowance for cars. If you're under, sell your remaining quota to those who might need it more.

Stephen
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top