Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
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By 2Donkeys
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1650901
I see that FlyBe seems to have recognised the inevitable and put itself up for sale:

LINK HERE


It will be interesting to follow what happens. FlyBe is the latest incarnation in a long airline history and it would be a shame to see the old identity lost.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1650905
Sad to see them go I flew regularly with them formany years for work .Nary a problem and first name terms with some of the hosties

Peter
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By Flyingfemme
#1650910
Hmmmm....they sold a bunch of Gatwick slots not long ago. If they have run out of money again they are doing something seriously wrong. I really struggle to understand the economics of airline operation.
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1650929
As long term frequent medium distance commuter having had to rely on airlines I can wholeheartedly say that the experience as a punter was less than stellar.

They certainly live up to their nickname.

Staff, air and cabin crew alike are very kind and very professional but not helped by an organisation deficient in organisational talent and skill.

I can write an A4 about poor experiences with Ryanair, a two page leaflet about those with Eurowings, and a novel about those with FlyBe, the ratio is inversely proportional with the amount of flights undertaken with all three of these airlines.
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By Mike Tango
#1650994
Flying with FlyBe isn’t a particularly pleasant experience, but they do what it says on the tin and get you from A to B using smaller, more convenient airports.

Were they to be lost from Southampton and not replaced by a similar offering, I for one would be saddened by their demise.
By PaulB
#1650999
Mike Tango wrote:Flying with FlyBe isn’t a particularly pleasant experience, but they do what it says on the tin and get you from A to B using smaller, more convenient airports.



I thought that they were ok. I’d fly with them again. Only went Brum to Jersey but it was reasonably priced, comfortable and on time.

I wish them luck.
By plus7g
#1651002
PaulB wrote:
Mike Tango wrote:Flying with FlyBe isn’t a particularly pleasant experience, but they do what it says on the tin and get you from A to B using smaller, more convenient airports.



Just curious - why didnt you find it a particularly pleasant experience ?
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1651003
Their MAN-NWI service using Loganair's Dorniers was fine albeit with the occasional sixth sector of the day delays.

I'd use them again, though my travel brownie points have expired.
I always used to get two caramel bars with my coffee...... :wink:

Peter
By Mike Tango
#1651014
plus7g wrote:Just curious - why didnt you find it a particularly pleasant experience ?


Small, noisy, cramped, don’t enforce their own hand baggage rules making boarding a bit of a joke as folk do their best to break the overhead lockers with their grossly oversized bags, my ‘home’ airport is very convenient but not very pleasant a place to wait airside.

All very first world and subjective opinion stuff.

The things that really count, such as safety record, currently give me no cause for concern.
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By Iceman
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1651034
Mike Tango wrote:Were they to be lost from Southampton and not replaced by a similar offering, I for one would be saddened by their demise.


Southampton's movements would be decimated without their presence. I've only used them a couple of times between Southampton and Jersey, but their service seemed ok.

Iceman 8)
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By Flyin'Dutch'
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1651037
plus7g wrote:Just curious - why didnt you find it a particularly pleasant experience ?


Delays - virtually always, irrespective of you were early or late in the day flying.
Cancelled flights - regularly
Flights changed meaning that you had to get to the airport you booked to fly from, then only to be bussed or taken by taxi to another airport to be flown from there to your destination to arrive very late.

Plus what Mike Tango said.

They need to get rid of most of the Dash aircraft and only retain them on the less crowded short sectors where there is no competition from people operating with jets.

Their Embraer fleet is very popular with punters, and as they have way fewer technical issues they are very much more punctual and a pleasure to be transported in.

Where people have the choice to fly in jets which are also spacier aeroplanes, flight times are shorter and they in addition pay less than with FlyBe it is not surprising they choose them over what FlyBe has to offer.

Given their excellent safety record, as well as being British I would always try to book them over the other offerings but have to admit to having been unfaithful on the occasion s where the price difference more than I could justify or there had been a spate of cancellations and long delays beyond what my patience could put up with.

I hope they sort themselves out as I know from experience that the competition will put up their prices mercilessly when they don't have a competitor, a few summers back, for an unfathomable reason, FlyBe did not fly between my usual airports and EW doubled the prices during this period. In addition the folks that fly and work for them are competent, good and pleasant and they deserve better than the uncertainty they are currently experience or worse.
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By Rob P
#1651175
Highland Park wrote:With the slow decline in the offshore helicopter traffic, should Flybe fail, it would reduce even further the traffic in and out of Norwich...

Ian


That's patently rubbish Ian. Didn't you read the NWI submission for the airspace consultation? Traffic is on a steep upward trajectory. It must be true, surely?

Image

In the interests of fairness the total for 2017 was over half a million, but ominously a huge proportion of that was FlyBe.

Rob P :evil:
Last edited by Rob P on Thu Nov 15, 2018 11:48 am, edited 4 times in total.
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By mmcp42
#1651178
I went to Norwich last weekend
was far from busy

landing fee, handling (mandatory SaxonAir) and 4 hours parking (you get 2 free) cost £33

there were a lot of helicopters there, two took off just before me
one PA28 in the circuit, one commercial inbound
but all very calm and relaxed :)

oops sorry </drift>
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