Birmingham: EasyJet Flights, New Routes & Base Updates

[58terminus]

Ryanair?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Quite possibly. If not Ryanair I'm sure Flybe would add more, I'd like to keep some competition though.

It's a strange one as numbers were always high with most flights totally full, you would have thought that if their yield management is right (which Easyjet's usually is) then they'd be making money. Either they think another route from BFS can now make more cash or it's being switched to a Birmingham based aircraft and we're in for an announcement.

As it stands there is no Easyjet next summer, not that it will make a huge amount of difference anyway.

 

[58terminus]

It's a strange one as numbers were always high with most flights totally full, you would have thought that if their yield management is right (which Easyjet's usually is) then they'd be making money.

Yes it is strange.Cannot imagine why yield would be any different Liverpool,Newcastle Etc.
If another airline has plans for the route i don't think Birmingham would put up much of an effort to protect
Easyjet's position nor would Easyjet fight to hard to keep the route.
This is a route for an airline with aircraft based at both ends.Nice little fill in between longer flights
or a bonus at the end of the day like Ryanairs late evening flight to Dublin.

 

[User001]

Easyjet have always maintained yield is the issue for their Midlands market.

That said, find it hard to believe that on the loads carried they cannot get the yield right.

The other issue is, even if there is another route they can run from BFS to make money, needs to be a short route unless they shuffle a lot of flights around. But, I have seen a few UK threads (NCL etc) that some of their BFS flights will switch to BFS based aircraft after previously using the other bases aircraft. Maybe that's where the BHX flights have gone?

Be a shame to see Easyjet go if true. I know BHX has Jet2, Ryanair etc so not so much the issue it once was, but, considering BHX has attracted the likes of Ryanair, Wizz etc, Easyjet barring it's winter flights just seems the glaring omission from the list.

 

[richard winterbourn]

It is difficult to work out Easyjet's strategy as regards BHX. But if they do pull the BFS route would they maintain their dedicated check-in area just for two seasonal ski flights?

 

[Land23R]

Maybe a daft suggestion but is there any chance easyjet might be basing a couple of aircraft at BHX with an announcement and schedules to be loaded later. I'm surprised if they are just pulling the BFS route.

 

[58terminus]

is there any chance easyjet might be basing a couple of aircraft at BHX with an announcement and schedules to be loaded later.

Maybe keeping a eye developments at Monarch?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Easyjet's downer on the Midlands stems from the absolutely atrocious performance of their EMA set up which closed early in 2010. Birmingham is a very different market though and still maintains a lengthy list of full service airlines whereas EMA could not hold on to Aer Lingus and Eurowings and as yet has failed to attract KLM.

Easyjet obviously do their homework and that tells them that they cannot get decent yields out of the region. I'd say Flybe, Ryanair, Monarch, Wizz Air, Jet2 etc may disagree with that. Obviously each airline will have their own way of looking at things but if the performance of BFS is anything to go by I don't know what else BHX could have done.

It appears as if we are at the Easyjet crossroads and we'll either see some based aircraft next year or say bye bye to them permanently. There are a few routes that could definitely do with the competition that Easyjet would bring but mostly it would more to what is already on offer.

I'd be more than happy with a base but wouldn't shed a tear if they go.

It is difficult to work out Easyjet's strategy as regards BHX. But if they do pull the BFS route would they maintain their dedicated check-in area just for two seasonal ski flights?

I've always found their check in area a bit odd. It seems like overkill for just one year round route?

I've also found their rather large ticket desk a little odd, unless they are selling seats across their whole network from there?

 

[thunderchild]

I don't get the yield argument either. While the EMA base didn't do so well it was during the economic crisis and a lot has changed since then and as Ray has pointed out BHX is a very different market. If you look at EasyJet's list of British bases BHX is the glaring omission and it does make you wonder what the issue is?

 

[Coathanger16]

I think the issue with easyJet at Birmingham is that its too late.

Whilst easyJet could easily serve quite a few city destinations, especially as some have limited frequencies (Rome, etc), the problem is that the staple of any LCC base is typically Spanish holiday destinations (Alicante, Palmi, Ibiza, Malaga etc).

At Birmingham, we already have these very well served by:

Ryanair
Monarch
Vueling
Norwegian
Jet2 (from 2017)

Whilst easyJet compete with these airlines at some of their other bases, in most cases they were either 1st or 2nd to start flights at those respective airports. To launch routes from Birmingham now, easyJet would have to be confident they could attract a decent share of the market. Given their experience at East Midlands, they clearly find this to be unlikely.

I would say the only way we'd see more of easyJet at Birmingham is once the airport grows to 15-20mppa. The problem is by that point, the other airlines may well have expanded their ops at Birmingham making it harder for easyJet to "break in". There's been persistent rumours that either (or both) Vueling or Norwegian are planning a base for Birmingham.

Whilst I would be very happy to see an easyJet base at Birmingham, I think that opportunity has already come and gone.

 

[thunderchild]

I think EasyJet could bring quite a lot to BHX - just look at their coverage from Bristol for example. While the bucket and spade routes are important EasyJet is such a well known brand that I don't think they'd necessarily have to depend on them. I wonder how many people who travel from the Midlands to fly EasyJet from LTN, LGW, MAN, LPL, and BRS? Perhaps that's the problem - being surrounded by so many bases?

 

[Coathanger16]

Don't get me wrong, I certainly think easyJet could add a lot to BHX - as long as you're not providing too much capacity, you can never have too much competition.

I've always been surprised at the size of easyJet's base at Bristol considering that BHX is about 50% bigger. I'd find it hard to believe that Midlanders would travel to Gatwick (or Manchester or Liverpool) just to fly with easyJet.

Clearly they have a good reason otherwise they would be flying more from BHX. I wouldn't be surprised if the reason they're not flying from BHX is quite a trivial one - I can see easyJet having demanded something and BHX management refusing.

 

[andrew.clarkson]

Hi there coathanger 16, regarding your post about easyjet, easyjet probably wanted lower fees than what they are currently paying, I also think that easyjet have caused there own problems and issues themselves, also I don't think they'll be missed if they do decide to pull out... Andyc

 

[Brummiegem]

I can't imagine EZY dropping BFS just like that. There is an awful lot of seats to fill there.Someone will have a'nice little earner' if it is axed.

 

[Matt995]

I tweeted EasyJet about the flights, and got the response 'if the dates and routes you wished don't show up it's because they won't be available'

so it does look like they are pulling out of BHX, makes you wonder if they will return for Winter 17/18 with Geneva and Grenoble still?

 

[User001]

Even if the worst happens and BFS goes, they will keep GVA and GNB as they do seasonal flights to the UK from GVA.

Leeds and Bournmouth have just GVA flights in the winter, so cannot see any reason why BHX couldn't be maintained in a similar fashion.

 

[Matt995]

Yes, hopefully providing EZY haven't fallen out with BHX for some reason!

I guess Jet2 could always start GVA and GNB flights for Winter 17/18 with their new BHX base, if EZY did pull out completely.

 

[Jerry]

Who would replace Easyjet on BFS? Ryanair?

 

[Ray Finkle]

Ryanair would most likely be the favourite.

I'd imagine that Flybe may also increase frequency to BHD.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I wouldn't be surprised if the reason they're not flying from BHX is quite a trivial one

There are suggestions that some of the destinations needed to be served by a potential Birmingham base are a bit of a stumbling block at the moment. Whether a compromise can be reached we will see.