Route Development & Rumours

[lbaspotter]

And here is the flight timetable for this new once daily service by Hi Air to Amsterdam from Doncaster-Sheffield. They will be using a 19 seater BAe Jetstream 31 aircarft.

HI001 = DSA 07:30 AMS 10:00 = Monday to Friday
HI002 = AMS 18:40 DSA 19:10 = Monday to Friday

The airline has a website at http://hiairscheduled.t83.net/ but it looks as though flights are not bookable online as reservations need to be taken over the phone on the following number +44 (0) 333 900 1800

 

[ryan]

Yes I certainly think they will need it at £147.50 per flight one way!

£295 return :shok:

Bearing in mind they are business-orientated flights, this isn't much. Most business travellers book last minute - the advantage to the £295 return is that it can be booked the day before, if needs be. If I wanted to go to Amsterdam from Leeds/Humberside tomorrow on KLM, they are charging £240 for economy, without any flexibility, or £579, for fully flexible economy. The flexible HiAir fare is £315. I know which I'd choose if I had a need to go to Amsterdam tomorrow! (judging on price alone, and assuming HiAir fly tomorrow)

 

[pug]

If I wanted to go to Amsterdam from Leeds/Humberside tomorrow on KLM, they are charging £240 for economy, without any flexibility, or £579, for fully flexible economy. The flexible HiAir fare is £315. I know which I'd choose if I had a need to go to Amsterdam tomorrow! (judging on price alone, and assuming HiAir fly tomorrow)

Yes but people pay the KLM prices because of the interlining facility being second to none. 85% of the HUY passengers are connecting at AMS and AMS is not their end destination. HiAir does not have the benefit of an interlining agreement.

Add also that DSA would require a concentration of high paying regular users to make the route viable. It may work for London City but it wont from DSA.

Eastern employ a similar business model, but their network is largely focussed on the offshore oil and gas industry, hence has the support from that market. HiAir does not.

I do wish the venture luck, but I dont see it lasting long if it does get off the ground.

 

[eastcoaster]

The more I read about the owner on Wikipedia, the more I'm feeling it is one of these A level/Degree student business projects that we have seen befoe. I'm surprised DSA have gone along with it, as they will look stupid if it fails before it starts.
The day stop in Amsterdam is a little strange too. The crew will obviously need hotel accommodation and for 3 crew assuming they carry a cabin crew member, does not come cheap in Schipol. Several hundred pounds every day will need to be factored into the profitability of the operation, as sitting around on the aircraft all day is not allowable and would cause the crew to be out of hours for their return.
Sorry not to sound optimistic here, but I don't have a good feeling about the success of this operation.

 

[ryan]

Yes but people pay the KLM prices because of the interlining facility being second to none. 85% of the HUY passengers are connecting at AMS and AMS is not their end destination. HiAir does not have the benefit of an interlining agreement.

If people are wanting to interline, they won't be paying the prices I quoted above. I was detailing point-to-point flights to Amsterdam - the only fair comparison! You don't book flights separetely to interline. The LBA/HUY-AMS section will be included in the ticket price if interlining, and more often than not, it will be free or heavily discounted. For example, HUY-JFK return leaving in two weeks (24th-29th) comes out at £460, however if booked separetely on exactly the same flights, HUY-AMS will be £119 and AMS-JFK will be £589.

 

[pug]

I was detailing point-to-point flights to Amsterdam - the only fair comparison!

Yes and realistically in the Doncaster area how many people will be able to support the point to point service at such a cost? Dont forget EMA has multiple daily flights with low-cost operators for that traffic, and HUY and LBA for the KLM services for interlining traffic.

There appears to be no niche market there for the flights either, unlike much of the Eastern network which I mentioned earlier.

As I say, I wish them luck, but they will need a lot of it to make this a success.

 

[wawkrk]

Flying Blue members will never use it and for sure they are in the majority, me included.
It will all end in tears I am sorry to say.

 

[a300boy]

Just to point out Leeds has 4 Klm Fokker 100-70 flights a day to Amsterdam and also 2 Jet 2 B737 flights per day during the week. So there are lots of options and then Humberside on the doorstep of Robin Hood also have 3 Klm flights per day. I feel as has been said it will be very difficult to make this work , but I have been wrong before.

 

[ryan]

Just to re-iterate, this is a trial. It lasts for eight weeks. I'm a bit sceptical over what can be proved in such a short space of time, but then again I'm not an airline manager!

There's only one way to find out if something will work - try it. If it works, great, if it doesn't, never mind. It's a private company and not doing anyone any harm by trialling this venture.

I personally commend someone for trying out a new concept/starting an airline in this economic climate. I'll only judge once we see actual results.

Though I do think that if it was at any other airport, most members would think it a fantastic idea...

 

[pug]

Though I do think that if it was at any other airport, most members would think it a fantastic idea...

Not too sure what you mean by that, but my opinion would stand if it was any airport perhaps other than LCY.

The way I look at it is, Doncaster will be the target market (due to competition) and realistically how many people in the Doncaster area will use it?

 

[Aviador]

I say good on them for offering Doncaster Sheffield airport a trial service. The airport needs a lift with scheduled business flights. If any route is to work it will be Amsterdam. If HiAir can make it work there will be one or two other routes which could work alongside.

 

[pug]

It's a private company and not doing anyone any harm by trialling this venture.

Well if they are charging wannabe FO's for Type Ratings, as has been suggested elsewhere, then they may well be... Has a whiff of Varsity to me.

 

[wawkrk]

We should not criticise anyone for trying but I will be astonished if it works.Especially in these tough market conditions.You have to trial any new service for quite a long period of time in order to make an impression and to find out if it works. I think eight weeks as Ryan mentioned is not enough.
Also, potential passengers will probably be worried about losing their money if it all ends in tears.

 

[lbaspotter]

Bad News

The HiAir website http://hiairscheduled.t83.net/#/bookings/4549912771 is now stating that the launch of there once daily BAe Jetsteam 31 operation from Doncaster-Sheffield to Amsterdam has now been delayed until spring 2012. They were due to commence operations from September 5th for a trial 6 week period.

Nothing has been reported on the airports website as yet. But like many people have said before I think it’s fair to say this venture will not be getting of the ground anytime soon.

 

[pug]

Wouldn't have thought that september would be an ideal month for a new start-up operation (however I suppose the target market are high paying business passengers), yet I still dont believe Doncaster is a strong enough market for an as yet barely heard of set-up.

Besides which, Linksair have been burned before by Martin Halsteads last venture, they will surely be looking at this one with a similarly skeptical eye. Im assuming Linksair are still the outfit leasing the aircraft?

 

[Aviador]

The news of the delay to the launch of this flight comes as no real surprise. The airline may well be having second thoughts with the economy showing signs of a downturn yet again. Far from ideal conditions for launching a new airline and scheduled service from Doncasster Sheffield Airport to Amsterdam.

 

[pug]

I notice KLM took one of their E-Jets into DSA on tuesday.. Reason unknown.

 

[a300boy]

I am surprised no one has mentioned the two Boeing 727 aircraft that are going to be based with you in the near future. 2Excel is the name of the new company and they will be doing oil pollution work. I love this aircraft type from my Dan-Air days and wish we were to have them at Lbia. I will have to pop down to see them when they are both on the ground. So some good news for you.

 

[User0001]

Ringing endorsement for Doncaster Sheffield Airport today.

2 Sheffield MP's are in the Sheffield star as quoting they lobbied for direct 'Mecca' access...... from Manchester. (the Saudia flights starting in April)

That long runway and supposed 'easy access' via the link road coming soon yet they still want flights from MAN......

 

[muddycoffee]

Thanks for that a300boy. Excellent news, and the first I have heard.

user001, it has been a lot of years since I took anything from the Star with any seriousness. 30 years ago they printed lies about one of my schoolmates that had been in an accident because clearly they didn't want to ask anybody about him.

Then 23 years ago they printed a made up story about a shop I was working in which caused them legal problems and nearly caused them to lose their main supplier.

In recent years their efforts appear to be even worse with their so called journalists not able to spell things correctly and not being able to identify which town a local incident had occurred. They are a disgrace.