Mika10021 From Greece, joined Jul 2004, 122 posts, RR: 0 Posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 598 times:
It's weird why EZY,a major lcc doesn't fly to Belgium?Brussels is a popular destination in Europe with all the EU offices that are there?
Also why only one destination in Portugal and Greece?
Greece I can understand because all other cities exept Athens will only be busy in the summer.But Portugal!They would have made a lot of money with the EURO 2004.
Regis From , joined today!, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 573 times:
Mika10021, other than the EU bureaucrats, who get their business class tickets paid the Commission, and thus fly the legacy carriers, noboby wants to fly to BRU. EZY caters to leisure travelers and Belgium - with all due respect - just does not offer that many tourist attractions. Plus it is just a short hop by high speed train from Paris. If you really want to go to there it is far easier and cheaper to fly to CDG and connect to a train to Brussels
BrusselsSouth From Belgium, joined Aug 2001, 308 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 499 times:
BA380 :
I thought they used to fly to Charleroi but then stopped when nig subsidies were cut.....? or am I going mad?
You refer to the case of Ryanair. They established their first continental base at Charleroi (around 2002 if I remember correctly). There was a long case with the European Commission, for which FR eventually had to pay some of the subsidies back. As a result, they dropped their Charleroi-Stansted service (4 daily), but they still have a strong presence at CRL.
As for easyJet, I've heard they had some discussions with BIAC (the Brussels Airport authority) but I think they're over now (correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe they wouldn't like to compete directly against FR (CRL is only 60 km away from BRU) ?
Regards
BrusselsSouth
Flown on AB2,319,320,AT7,142,AR8,AR1,M82,M83,722,732,733,734,73G,738,744,752,772,C172,Mooney 20J
Diesel1 From United Kingdom (Wales), joined Mar 2001, 1522 posts, RR: 10 Reply 7, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 506 times:
BA380 - that was Ryanair who suspended flights from stansted to Charleroi
Zweed - Ryanair tried flights from Stansted to Ostend (for Brugge) , but ended them to lack of passengers
Regis - EZY does not just cater for leisure travellers.
Leading on from that, it is unfair to say Belgium offers few tourist attractions - there is Brugge as Zweed says and Gent, Brussels, the Ardennes and coastal regions all have much to offer the traveller.
How can it be easier to fly to Paris and then catch a train to Brussels then flying direct to Brussels?
Mika - interesting questions - you wouldn't expect that easyJet would fly to Charleroi, so Ryanair's presence there would not be a deterrent.
As far as Greece goes, there is only really Thessaloniki (as Athens already has a service) which might be a destination suitable that is sustainable year round. Also (and I know there is more info elsewhere on this), isn't a flight to Greece a little ouside the normally accepted maximum flight times that the low cost carriers like their flights to be.
For Portugal, Go tried Lisbon flights and dropped them - can't remember the reason, and it is strange Oporto has never had a link yet. Perhaps the Portuguese airport operator isn't keen on LCCs and hasn't given Ryanair or easyJet the deal they'd like?
Lapper From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 1348 posts, RR: 7 Reply 8, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 496 times:
As far as I knew, the only reason ATH was included in the EZY network was the Stelios link (Greece) and the fact they could utilise the aircraft for more hours (the flights were at horrendous times IIRC)
Number of flights so far this year - 30. Next flights - LHR-ARN-LHR BA 767/320
Willo From United Kingdom (England), joined Dec 2003, 1352 posts, RR: 11 Reply 9, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 465 times:
Zweed
The English usually go to Brugges on day trips (as part of a "Booze Cruise") as tobacco is considerably cheaper in Belgium than in UK or neighbouring France.
Don't forget that Brussels is served by Eurostar from the UK and also has good connections to other European cities via the "Thalys" high speed rail network.
MEA-707 From Netherlands, joined Nov 1999, 3021 posts, RR: 23 Reply 10, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 460 times:
Don't forget apart from Ryanair's huge presence in Charleroi, there is Virgin Express in Brussels which is even more comparible to easyJet in its typical destinations (major airports in leisure cities like BCN). Also Belgium has the highest labor costs around if you include the strong role of additional rules and rights (sharp maximum hours laws and so) pensions and unions there, it is very hard to fire someone.
nobody has ever died from hard work, but why take the risk?
Blake From Belgium, joined Sep 2004, 27 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 416 times:
Indeed, the excellent high speed train connections with London and Paris (and soon Amsterdam) kills off any "big" future for Brussels airport in attracting more new carriers from those countries. Let's not forget that the lack of a connection of Brussels Airport to the high speed train network was a contributing factor in the demise of Sabena.
Governments don't come any more stupid than in Belgium. Amen.
Rwylie77 From United Kingdom, joined May 2004, 356 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (4 years 1 month 1 week 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 289 times:
Three reasons:
1. Already lots of LCC competition from Ryanair and Virgin Express
2. Competition from the Eurostar - London to Brussells direct in about 3 hours
3. Competition from the ferries - people prefer to drive over on a ferry to places like Bruges for a weekend/day trip and load up with cheap booze and fags.
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