Loganair - No longer for sale

[takno]

With the size of the planes, I think Loganair are simply playing it safe, especially given what happened to Flybe when they ordered the Embraers. There might also be a frequency argument: Loganair seem to be doing well by offering high frequencies on routes like GLA-SOU and EDI-EXT, rather than trying to fill larger planes once a day.

I think you're probably right, although it's slightly annoying having to go past some perfectly available larger planes which are just sitting going mouldy by the runway at Exeter. The economics of running a full security team, ground crew and even catering staff into the evening for the sake of less than 50 people seems crazy to me

 

[AlastairFraser]

More likely they'll just go back to checking the bags of the last N in the queue. Want to carry it on? Get there first or buy priority. Obviously the very small bag would be "guaranteed carry on" as you can put it under the seat in front.

That seems like a fair bargain to be honest, arrive early to ensure you can carry it on.

 

[Tetchytyke]

would struggle to do so in one of the new super-small size bags

I’m a big 2XL feller too and I can do a weekend away on a small bag. Shoes, spare pair of jeans, couple of t-shirts, a couple of jumpers. I have an Adidas hold-all which nicely fits into the EasyJet small bag gauge; its squashiness helps.

Although my experience is that gate staff don’t generally bother with hold-alls, they’re on the prowl for the trolley bags. And every time I fly EasyJet there’s at least one person who gets charged the £48 gate fee, usually only by a couple of centimetres and usually because the wheels won’t fit into the gauge, so no wonder the gate staff focus their attention there.

It’s not people being stupid either. I have a small Dunlop trolley bag whose advertised dimensions should mean it fits in the gauge. It doesn’t, though, by less than half a centimetre. Luckily I found this out at IOM airport with a spare rucksack in the boot of my car, so I switched over and left some stuff in my car for later.

But if I want to bring anything back with me then I need a hold bag. And, living on an island, shopping opportunities are more limited, so I do tend to bring stuff back with me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I’m a big 2XL feller too and I can do a weekend away on a small bag. Shoes, spare pair of jeans, couple of t-shirts, a couple of jumpers. I have an Adidas hold-all which nicely fits into the EasyJet small bag gauge; its squashiness helps.

That's probably cheating - you can squash most clothes down, yes, but increasingly the rule is "must fit easily", not "can be forced into the sizer". It's certainly taking a risk to take a bag that uncompressed is larger than the specified size, which almost all holdalls bar the very smallest are. But if you know a given airport (Ronaldsway is probably fairly predictable*!) then you know what you can get away with.

* And debatable on how hot on things it is. I have witnessed a security breach there on the one occasion I've used it, and it wasn't taken at all seriously when I reported it - in my view it should have resulted in a terminal dump**, but they basically just laughed it off. I won't give more information in case it's misused, but to me it had potential to be so. And I bet it wasn't random bad luck that I saw it.

** i.e. where everyone has to leave, they search the terminal with dogs etc, then everyone goes back through security doing it properly this time.

 

[Tetchytyke]

It's certainly taking a risk to take a bag that uncompressed is larger than the specified size

The hard(ish) base of the bag is just the right size to fit in the gauge. Beyond that, I’m quite content to wear four jumpers if they wish to be difficult about it…

To be honest I normally take a hold bag these days, as I come home weighed down with kids clothes from the supermarkets and/or Primark- stuff we can’t easily get on the rock.

 

[route101]

I managed to go away for six days using a small cabin bag, very tight but can be done! Easier in the summer mind.

 

[takno]

I managed to go away for six days using a small cabin bag, very tight but can be done! Easier in the summer mind.

Even if you don't need to wear a jumper and a coat when you're getting on the plane, you can always carry the coat. What you can fit under the seat is usually quite a lot more than the bag size anyway.

 

[Tetchytyke]

And debatable on how hot on things it is

They’re pretty hot on the bag sizer. It’s almost as though they get £48 a pop for mistakes.

Security generally is the same as everywhere- badly paid Menzies skivvies with the job satisfaction and general joie de vivre you’d expect.

 

[paul1609]

I have Loganair a few times. They have some very handy connections such as Central Belt to Southampton and Exeter but at a cost.

easyJet have just started flying Southampton to Glasgow since the runway was extended. I think loganairs prices will probably fall.

 

[takno]

easyJet have just started flying Southampton to Glasgow since the runway was extended. I think loganairs prices will probably fall.

I suspect they will drop the route altogether. Loganair haven't survived as long as they have by competing with companies like easyJet

 

[paul1609]

I suspect they will drop the route altogether. Loganair haven't survived as long as they have by competing with companies like easyJet

Doubt it, It has the very lucrative MOD day trip business that the Easyjet timings arent going to serve.
(Portsmouth to Clyde shipyards/ Faslane).

 

[Tetchytyke]

easyJet have just started flying Southampton to Glasgow since the runway was extended. I think loganairs prices will probably fall.

Loganair won’t go out and compete on price with EasyJet because they know they will lose.

If Loganair keeps enough business at their current or similar fares they will continue. If they lose too much custom- and bear in mind on a lot of routes it’s the weekend custom that supports the midweek flights- they will pull the route.

We’ve seen it here. Loganair, immediately after Covid, announced they were going to fly 3x daily to Manchester. EasyJet muscled in 1x daily, so Loganair dropped to 2x daily then 1x daily as a result. Having won that battle, EasyJet have now just dropped the Manchester-IOM route except at weekends. We saw similar with Flybe v1 being pushed off the IOM-Belfast route, and EasyJet only bothering on weekends. Aer Lingus Regional recently tried to run 6x weekly to Belfast but are no longer accepting bookings for after 4 January.

 

[paul1609]

Loganair won’t go out and compete on price with EasyJet because they know they will lose.

If Loganair keeps enough business at their current or similar fares they will continue. If they lose too much custom- and bear in mind on a lot of routes it’s the weekend custom that supports the midweek flights- they will pull the route.

We’ve seen it here. Loganair, immediately after Covid, announced they were going to fly 3x daily to Manchester. EasyJet muscled in 1x daily, so Loganair dropped to 2x daily then 1x daily as a result. Having won that battle, EasyJet have now just dropped the Manchester-IOM route except at weekends. We saw similar with Flybe v1 being pushed off the IOM-Belfast route, and EasyJet only bothering on weekends. Aer Lingus Regional recently tried to run 6x weekly to Belfast but are no longer accepting bookings for after 4 January.

I believe by population the South Hampshire Conurbation (Portsmouth/ Southampton) is the 7th biggest in the UK pushing Liverpool for 6th place, with due respect the market is not the IOM.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I believe by population the South Hampshire Conurbation (Portsmouth/ Southampton) is the 7th biggest in the UK pushing Liverpool for 6th place, with due respect the market is not the IOM.

None of that changes my point, which is that if Loganair aren’t selling enough tickets at a suitable price point then they will simply reduce frequency.

 

[paul1609]

None of that changes my point, which is that if Loganair aren’t selling enough tickets at a suitable price point then they will simply reduce frequency.

I'd be surprised if they didn't reduce frequency but they won't pull out of the route because the peak business services must be an absolute gold mine.

 

[route101]

easyJet have just started flying Southampton to Glasgow since the runway was extended. I think loganairs prices will probably fall.

Yes, Easyjet have announced further two routes from SOU to Spain and Portugal. You can occasionally pick up a cheaper one way with Loganair, usually the opposite direction you want to fly!

 

[Cloud Strife]

If Loganair keeps enough business at their current or similar fares they will continue. If they lose too much custom- and bear in mind on a lot of routes it’s the weekend custom that supports the midweek flights- they will pull the route.

Loganair are much more of a business than a leisure operation, so the weekend routes are not that important for them comparatively. It's much easier to fill a typical Loganair plane with high value business passengers than it is to fill an A319, and that's before you look at the handling charges which are significantly higher for larger jets. Easyjet also won't get any support from the airport for the route, because the airport can't sell duty free on domestic journeys.

I'd also add one thing: Loganair have the frequency on their side.

Aer Lingus Regional recently tried to run 6x weekly to Belfast but are no longer accepting bookings for after 4 January.

I believe that this wasn't actually an Aer Lingus funded operation, but rather Emerald Airlines taking on the full commercial risk themselves.

 

[route101]

easyJet to Southampton from Glasgow continues next summer X6 weekly.

 

[Butts]

easyJet to Southampton from Glasgow continues next summer X6 weekly.

Are you sure about that ? - it was only twice a week this year.

If the price is right that might tempt me across from EDI and a Loganair/BA £200 Return.

Is it one flight a day each way on each of the days operated ?

 

[paul1609]

Yes

Are you sure about that ? - it was only twice a week this year.

If the price is right that might tempt me across from EDI and a Loganair/BA £200 Return.

Is it one flight a day each way on each of the days operated ?

Yes, its daily except Tuesday from May 1, in fact for May and June its 7 days a week. You can book it now.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Loganair have just announced they are withdrawing from Inverness-Birmingham and Inverness-Dublin, blaming “soft market conditions”. They’re also coming off (London)Derry to Liverpool when the contract ends.

 

[Butts]

Yes

Yes, its daily except Tuesday from May 1, in fact for May and June its 7 days a week. You can book it now.

Thanks for the tip.

Have just booked for June £60 odd return GLA-SOU and that consists of a relatively expensive £38 down on the Friday and £24 back up on the Monday.

Loganair from GLA or EDI on the same dates nudging £200 return.

Wonder if they will reduce their fares particularly on the GLA route or Easyjet are likely to put them out of business on this sector.

 

[paul1609]

Thanks for the tip.

Have just booked for June £60 odd return GLA-SOU and that consists of a relatively expensive £38 down on the Friday and £24 back up on the Monday.

Loganair from GLA or EDI on the same dates nudging £200 return.

Wonder if they will reduce their fares particularly on the GLA route or Easyjet are likely to put them out of business on this sector.

id suggest that the extension of the runway at Southampton has opened up a new very lucrative market. Id imagine that the GLA-Sou flights are probably the positioning flights for the new SOU-Portugal/Spain Flights. There is also a very lucrative market for SOU to central belt business day trips that will continue to be best served by Loganair. You will recall that the Sou-GLA/EDI flights were combined to continue even during the pandemic which briefly allowed flights from GLA-EDI

 

[birchesgreen]

Loganair have just announced they are withdrawing from Inverness-Birmingham and Inverness-Dublin, blaming “soft market conditions”. They’re also coming off (London)Derry to Liverpool when the contract ends.

Thats a shame, though when i was on the Inverness-Birmingham flight a few months ago there was only 13 other passengers so maybe not a surprise.

 

[Butts]

Thats a shame, though when i was on the Inverness-Birmingham flight a few months ago there was only 13 other passengers so maybe not a surprise.

Should have substituted a Twin Otter or Saab 340 ...

Blimey that would be the plane equivalent of a Pacer on Long Haul

id suggest that the extension of the runway at Southampton has opened up a new very lucrative market. Id imagine that the GLA-Sou flights are probably the positioning flights for the new SOU-Portugal/Spain Flights. There is also a very lucrative market for SOU to central belt business day trips that will continue to be best served by Loganair. You will recall that the Sou-GLA/EDI flights were combined to continue even during the pandemic which briefly allowed flights from GLA-EDI

I'm just waiting for BA Cityflyer to announce they are restarting the service from EDI-SOU to connect with some of their summer forays from Southampton.

 

[paul1609]

Should have substituted a Twin Otter or Saab 340 ...

Blimey that would be the plane equivalent of a Pacer on Long Haul

I dont subscribe to airmiles the planespotters railmiles but Id guess that theres not a lot in between Inverness to Birmingham and Glasgow to Sumburgh...

 

[AlastairFraser]

I dont subscribe to airmiles the planespotters railmiles but Id guess that theres not a lot in between Inverness to Birmingham and Glasgow to Sumburgh...

Inverness to B'ham is approx. 363 miles.
Glasgow to Sumburgh is approx. 299 miles.
So not a colossal difference, but substantial.