Planet Rugby Forum

Flybe have cancelled dozens of flights today due to "operational issues", and look to be fcuked. Which really pisses me off as my older daughter is due to fly from Edinburgh to Manchester with them this afternoon, and then fly back to Knock with them on Saturday with Mrs L, who is currently in Manchester.

We use them very regularly because we have family in Edinburgh and Manchester, and they service both routes from Knock, which is so convenient for us, but they had become very hardline on cabin baggage recently, and my younger daughter was charged £50 to put her bag in the hold on Monday when she flew home from Edinburgh, as were a lot of the other passengers. This was for a bag that we have used regularly on Flybe, and with which even Ryanair has never had an issue. Cnuts.

They have just started routes from Newquay which much fanfare from Cornwall Council who own the airport.

Ironically the first flight was cancelled last week due to technical issues and the passengers were on a bus to Heathrow

Tits, I use them all the time.

How likely is it they're about to go completely tits up? I use them to get home to Edinburgh quite a lot and I've got flights to Munich booked with them in July

Nolanator wrote:Tits, I use them all the time.

Errrrrrrrr.

happyhooker wrote:

Nolanator wrote:Tits, I use them all the time.

Errrrrrrrr.

I wish.

Steamin Beamin wrote:How likely is it they're about to go completely tits up? I use them to get home to Edinburgh quite a lot and I've got flights to Munich booked with them in July

This looks like they've just had a major operational SNAFU - a new timetable that failed to take into account previously booked time off that was worked out against the old timetable

As a result not enough pilots and flight crew in the right places

Saint wrote:

Steamin Beamin wrote:How likely is it they're about to go completely tits up? I use them to get home to Edinburgh quite a lot and I've got flights to Munich booked with them in July

This looks like they've just had a major operational SNAFU - a new timetable that failed to take into account previously booked time off that was worked out against the old timetable

As a result not enough pilots and flight crew in the right places

Not a fan of their Q400 rattleboxes.

Rugby2023 wrote:Not a fan of their Q400 rattleboxes.

Meh, they get you there. Much handier flying on one of them for just over an hour, than getting the train to Gatwick and flying from there.

Rugby2023 wrote:Not a fan of their Q400 rattleboxes.

The routes often don’t justify anything bigger and you aren’t in them for that long. Only real downside is the smaller overhead lockers, which aren’t a problem if you follow the bag size rule but they never used to enforce that, though looks like that might have changed.

OhNo wrote:

Rugby2023 wrote:Not a fan of their Q400 rattleboxes.

The routes often don’t justify anything bigger and you aren’t in them for that long. Only real downside is the smaller overhead lockers, which aren’t a problem if you follow the bag size rule but they never used to enforce that, though looks like that might have changed.

They've changed it since December. I've been told a couple of times that staff at the check-in desks and at the boarding gates are under strict instructions from up high to check any hand luggage and charge for any that has to go in the hold. £20 at the check-in desk, £40 if the call is made at the gate.
I was caught out once with a wheely case that didn't fit, but it was before the crackdown and they put it below for free.

This is just standard Flymaybe procedure.

They fly a lot of routes but don't have the onboard staff. Often when they make large amounts of cancellations it is because crew have used up their available allowable fly hours. They always put it down to 'operational issues'.

They are a pig of an airline.

OhNo wrote:

Rugby2023 wrote:Not a fan of their Q400 rattleboxes.

The routes often don’t justify anything bigger and you aren’t in them for that long. Only real downside is the smaller overhead lockers, which aren’t a problem if you follow the bag size rule but they never used to enforce that, though looks like that might have changed.

Never had a problem with them before last weekend, and therefore had no reason to check their maximum bag size. Did it last night and discovered that they allow 55/35/20 size bags as opposed to most other airlines, including Ryanair, allowing 55/40/20. and they're now checking every bag, at least on the flights my daughter and wife were on, in a cage, and if it doesn't fit then its got to go in the hold at a cost of £50 at the airport.

We use them very regularly despite flights from Knock being more expensive than going from Dublin, but they can fcuk right off now if we have to pay that much extra (£23 each way to book the bag online) to bring a usable sized bag. Thats if they're still around.

Lenny wrote:Flybe have cancelled dozens of flights today due to "operational issues", and look to be fcuked. Which really pisses me off as my older daughter is due to fly from Edinburgh to Manchester with them this afternoon, and then fly back to Knock with them on Saturday with Mrs L, who is currently in Manchester.

We use them very regularly because we have family in Edinburgh and Manchester, and they service both routes from Knock, which is so convenient for us, but they had become very hardline on cabin baggage recently, and my younger daughter was charged £50 to put her bag in the hold on Monday when she flew home from Edinburgh, as were a lot of the other passengers. This was for a bag that we have used regularly on Flybe, and with which even Ryanair has never had an issue. Cnuts.

I've seen this on Flybe. They are the only airline I have ever seen enforcing hand luggage sizes at the gate.

Utter wit kant enforcing rules they tell you before you buy a ticket.

(whilst of course understanding some have been caught out by the change)

slick wrote:Utter plum enforcing rules they tell you before you buy a ticket.

(whilst of course understanding some have been caught out by the change)

It's more that they arbitrarily started enforcing the rule, when previously they were very lax.

Obviously, you've got to play by their rule, but can see why people would get caught out.

Flybe will be closing both their Cardiff and Doncaster bases after this summer I've found out this morning

Keith wrote:Flybe will be closing both their Cardiff and Doncaster bases after this summer I've found out this morning

Ahhh shitheads. Now I'm going to have to go to Bristol and fly with Easy Jet

Keith wrote:Flybe will be closing both their Cardiff and Doncaster bases after this summer I've found out this morning

Although the PR department at DSA have just sent out a press release to all stakeholders that this is not the case. It does not state, however, what routes will go and which (if any!) will stay.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... ajid-javid

Flymaybe nearly gone again, giving them a bit of time isn't going to change the fact the business model doesn't work

Nolanator wrote:Tits, I use them all the time.

+2

Flew to Amsterdam and Brussels on a number of occasions with them. Cheap, (slightly) cheerful and shame they could be gone.

Can those Nasty Tories save them?

Always bemuses me how some airlines operate fine and others never seem to make money. Seems to be a hard business to be in without direct govt state subsidy or indirect soft monies

The turboprops into London City are pretty handy, hoping someone keeps that route going but not sure which budget airlines would want these in their fleet. Not ideal for a low-cost, high volume business.

backrow wrote:Always bemuses me how some airlines operate fine and others never seem to make money. Seems to be a hard business to be in without direct govt state subsidy or indirect soft monies

I remember one bit from one of Branson's books which was whats the easiest way to become a millionaire? Start as a billionaire and buy an airline.

Steamin Beamin wrote:How likely is it they're about to go completely tits up? I use them to get home to Edinburgh quite a lot and I've got flights to Munich booked with them in July

Very....they have no money and are finding it difficult to attract any sort of quality investor.

The Sun God wrote:

Steamin Beamin wrote:How likely is it they're about to go completely tits up? I use them to get home to Edinburgh quite a lot and I've got flights to Munich booked with them in July

Very....they have no money and are finding it difficult to attract any sort of quality investor.

Ive booked them 3 times and they cancelled my flight twice.


Best let them go bust.

That could be very bad news indeed for the channel Islands, flybe operate the vast majority of flights from Jersey to the mainland or at least they did when I worked on the Islands

Witchfinder General wrote:That could be very bad news indeed for the channel Islands, flybe operate the vast majority of flights from Jersey to the mainland or at least they did when I worked on the Islands

This is the issue. They operate almost 40% of regional flights so their passing would have a big impact on people and businesses in the regions they serve.

There is a political / philosophical question to be answered on whether regional transport should be subsidised if it is not commercially viable to support growth and quality of life in those areas.

Looks like they'll be bailed out.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.c ... e-11908144

If its APD that is effectively driving them to bankruptcy is a good argument to abolish the tax.

tc27 wrote:If its APD that is effectively driving them to bankruptcy is a good argument to abolish the tax.

And give all their competitors a cash injection paid for by tax payers? That won't help them survive in the long run. The problem is a crap business model, the other carriers won't touch a lot of their routes when they go bang eventually

I use them if I book a flight far enough in advance, they're extortionate otherwise.

sewa wrote:

tc27 wrote:If its APD that is effectively driving them to bankruptcy is a good argument to abolish the tax.

And give all their competitors a cash injection paid for by tax payers? That won't help them survive in the long run. The problem is a crap business model, the other carriers won't touch a lot of their routes when they go bang eventually

You could adjust the criteria to exclude the kind of route Flybe operate...as said earlier in the thread there may be a case for government support for operating from regional airports.

Interestingly its now a devolved issue and I think the Scottish government and NI assembly wants to scrap it.

tc27 wrote:If its APD that is effectively driving them to bankruptcy is a good argument to abolish the tax.

I suspect that they are under resourced with working capital, and that it is the sins of the previous owners who didn't pay the tax that is biting them in the arse (they were taken over by a Stobart led group in the middle of last year ?) ie. If the tax wasn't outstanding they have a decent business plan to make the airline work, but pay the tax and there goes any working capital they have.

earl the beaver wrote:I use them if I book a flight far enough in advance, they're extortionate otherwise.

This. If I want to head to Dublin at only a few weeks notice, it's cheaper for me to fly Ryanair from Bournemouth, even with the added costs of the train and taxi needed to get to Bournemout airport.

If I can get Flybe early and it's cheap, it's dead handy.

Munster-fogs wrote:Looks like they'll be bailed out.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.c ... e-11908144

What sort of commie shit is this?!

Plato'sCave wrote:

Munster-fogs wrote:Looks like they'll be bailed out.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.sky.c ... e-11908144

What sort of commie shit is this?!

Go one step further and nationalise them. Close off all their existing routes to other airlines and then still run it at a loss. THAT'S the Corbyn.....sorry Commie way.

Nolanator wrote:

earl the beaver wrote:I use them if I book a flight far enough in advance, they're extortionate otherwise.

This. If I want to head to Dublin at only a few weeks notice, it's cheaper for me to fly Ryanair from Bournemouth, even with the added costs of the train and taxi needed to get to Bournemout airport.

If I can get Flybe early and it's cheap, it's dead handy.

Yeah it works out cheaper for me to get the train or drive to Manchester, fly easyjet or ryanair and get a taxi home and back (they both fly into International rather than City) than to fly direct to City from an airport 10 mins from my house in Leeds.

They price people out and then when I do get a weekend flight that isn't full of people on business (that I booked far enough in advance to avoid the price hike) the plane isn't near full.