Direct Shedule Flights - BHX

I have just read the following article:

Flyblu is a brand new carrier that will be flying from BHX airport directly to Florida beginning in June. There will be 2 flights a week to both St.Petes/Clearwater and Sanford Int'l.

There will also be a once a week service to Fort Lauderdale.

Flyblu will have now legroom than most, up to an extra 6inchs over some sirlines and 70 less seats on its Boeing 767. Silver prices start at £366 return and £548 for Gold Class.

Flyblu will become the first scheduled airline to commence flights to Orlando since Virgin launched 2 decades ago.

www.flyblu.com


See peeps, another choice opened up for all of you wishing to travel direct from one of the central UK airports.

Matt

The only problem I can see is they still have no aircraft - and having no aircraft means no AOC (Air Operators Certificate - the CAA approval they need to start and airline) - AOC's can take months to get and involve a very complicated procedure including proving flights with real aircraft. I can't see it happening on time.

There is another thread about Flyblu in another forum - Great Deals -

I have actually spoken to their 'sales' office as I am looking for flights for next year. I appreciate what you are saying about having the planes available and the necessary paperwork etc., and must admit wasn't aware of this! But in fairness to them (actually spoke to the partner's wife - lovely to speak to a real person rather than a telesales trained junior - found them really helpful.

Not everybodies cup of tea maybe, but I would certainly consider the extra journey time to Birmingham rather than use Manchester, just to be able to access the Sanford airport option (they are also looking at using other airports in USA). I wanted the extra space and comfort and found their prices to be very good for what they were offering - Obviously only time will tell if they put their money where their mouth is....................

I know many have used the FLIGHTS link on this forum and found good prices - maybe with Flyblu being a new carrier, it would be possible for the owners of Orlando Villas to discuss recripricol deals with them - new company, new business - they might be open to new business links?
Just an idea, don't want to step on any toes here!!![msnscared]

Heres a few points I wrote from the other thread..........

Matt, don't know where they get the 70 seats less???? They intend to carry more than most airlines!!!

Flyblu are intending to carry 230 passengers on the Gold and Silver configeration. Just as a comparision......
BA 767-300 Heathrow - East Coast USA 3 classes - 181 passengers
BA 767-300 Manchester - New York 2 classes - 215 passengers
Air Canda 767-300 Manchester - Toronto 210 passengers
American Airways UK-USA 2 classes - 212 passengers
Flyblu tell me that they have not got the aircraft yet, but they will be leasing them, but they don't know who from or what there registrations will be so I cannot do a search yet. They are not using brand new aircraft.

and more.............

Flyblu is being started up by an ex rock drummer called Aden Murcutt, he will also be the Chief Exc. He is a 47 year old business man from Solihull who feels the Midlands gets a raw deal flight wise, acrross the Atlantic.
He wants to compete with Virgin from Manchester and BA from Gatwick, he plans to operate with two Being 767-300ER's they are going to lease them but they have not been delivered yet - and they don't know when they will be. When I spoke to them they did not know who they were even leasing them from!
The 767-300 is not as big as the 747's operated by Virgin or the 777's operate by BA to Florida.
I did find the operators licence application with the Civil Aviation Authority though, but I don't think its been granted yet as John has said.
They are recruiting staff through Jan/Feb. The web site looks quite impressive although you cannot book online.
Personally I am always a little wary of new airlines, especially when the Chief exc has no experince in the airline industry, having said that Richard Branson has done a good job.

We agree with Flyblu, for those of us living in the South West we are very limited for flights. It is either a drive to Heathrow or Gatwick, or alternatively encountering the M5 and M6 to Manchester. We will definitely consider using an airline that can offer direct flights from Birmingham.
Richard Branson has proved that you do not need to be born into airline business, and to be far he has shock the industry up a bit, maybe it is time for someone else to give it a shake.[msnwink]

I agree but I would give them a few months to get up and running - who wants to be a guinea pig!

Well their flights into Sanford, Tampa or Fort Lauderdale at the beginning of July at over £700 return:(.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by fiona
Well their flights into Sanford, Tampa or Fort Lauderdale at the beginning of July at over £700 return:(.
[/quote]

I got a quote for August and they were very close to what I have paid with Virgin and that was with out a car!

We just got a quote for October £550 each for a silver seat (like economy I presume) and no car hire included. So definately not cheap.

But the silver is equivalent to business class!

You need to be very cautious when booking with a new airline, especially from a reginal airport. Its a very costly thing, airlines that have been in the industry for years with lots of knowledge about the industry find it hard to survive now with landing fees etc. If you are planning to book this airline my advice would be to make sure you book with a Travel Agent that has both ATOL and ABTA licences so that your money is totally protected. If you book with an airline direct, any airline that is not only this one, your money has no protection at all. Airlines licences allow them to fly they do not protect passengers in the event a a failure.

Sandra Colbourne

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridavillas2go
But the silver is equivalent to business class!
[/quote]

I don' t think it is.... the gold is supposed to be equal Virgins Premium which is not proper business class either!

We'll let them practice for a while on other guinea pigs before we choose to fly with them. See what the feed back is from others. We'll stick with Virgin for now, not very adventurous but its what we know.[msnwink]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by hayter
We'll let them practice for a while on other guinea pigs before we choose to fly with them. See what the feed back is from others. We'll stick with Virgin for now, not very adventurous but its what we know.[msnwink]
[/quote]


This is very good advice, Virgin offers a good non stop service and very competitively priced for what they offer. There are plans for an extra service from gatwick in 2005. Another good alternative if seats are not available on Virgin is BA to Tampa/Orlando very competitively prices for a similar non stop service.

Sandra Colbourne

Haven't flown with BA yet but would agree that when we compare prices to virgin they are quite similar. If we couldn't get a virgin flight we would probably fly BA. Ray has flown BA for work a few times, mind you that was business class, not in with us normal folks.[msnwink][msnsmile2]

A wait and see approach is the best one. However, whilst everyone rattles on about the wonderful Virgin flights, which I agree with, there is a huge connurbation around the Midlands who really don't want to drive to and from Gatwick or Heathrow or even Manchester every time they fly to Florida. Its worth the extra money to fly from down the road. However, Birmingham does have a reputation of being a very expensive airport to land at and use, so the costs may not drop, it just depends on if there are enough people willing to pay for the convenience. My sister in law is about to fly from the Channel Isles to Coventry airport for the easter hols, and she booked before the company got their licenses etc, sometimes you have to go on a wing and a prayer so to speak (and she is a sensible person, but then I think she only paid twenty quid for the flights, not several hundred)

We would cetainly welcome a company that will fly from Birmingham much handier for us as we live in Gloucestershire. Its certainly a long trek everytime to London or Manchester.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Another good alternative if seats are not available on Virgin is BA to Tampa/Orlando very competitively prices for a similar non stop service.[/quote] BA only provide a non-stop service via Gatwick or Heathrow and not Manchester which is where we fly from.

If you aren't willing to pay the higher prices that Virgin charges (and we'd never fly with them again willingly since we experienced the flight crew from hell) and have to change anyway, then we've found other airlines which are non-stop are better value for money from Manchester, ie United, US Airways, Delta, American Airlines, etc.

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by blott
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Another good alternative if seats are not available on Virgin is BA to Tampa/Orlando very competitively prices for a similar non stop service.[/quote] BA only provide a non-stop service via Gatwick or Heathrow and not Manchester which is where we fly from.

If you aren't willing to pay the higher prices that Virgin charges (and we'd never fly with them again willingly since we experienced the flight crew from hell) and have to change anyway, then we've found other airlines which are non-stop are better value for money from Manchester, ie United, US Airways, Delta, American Airlines, etc.
[/quote]

Don't forget you can go BA from Man to New York and fly down as you would with any other non direct flight.

BA used to fly to New York from Birmingham when I was still flying but it was only a 757, not sure if it still goes?

I would like to fly with an airline from the states but the wife now wont!

Why not?

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridavillas2go
I would like to fly with an airline from the states but the wife now wont!
[/quote]

She just feels safer with english airlines

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by floridavillas2go
She just feels safer with english airlines
[/quote]

I have to agree, Britih Airlines have many more years of security experience with terrorism.