Bristol/Newark/Florida

[chrisflowers]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Marthas Harbour
The latest in the local paper is that they are cutting some of the services as it has not been as well used as they were hoping. Personnaly I think it does have something to do with the size of the plane that the uptake has not been so good. Saying that it is very tempting not to have that drive back from Gatwick after an Orlando holiday.
[/quote]

I have checked on the Britol Evening Post website and cannot find a story on this.

Can you tell us more, or give a summary of the article?

My main objection is space and the feeling of space plus being designed for longhaul. I have operated the 757 on lots of routes from the shortest trips to Jersey, to mid Europe like Rome, Madrid, Copenhagen, Oslo, Munich to name but a few, plus longer routes like Athens and Cyprus, and of course New York[msnwink] I just know from heaps of experience it works best of all on flights up to 2 hours and its just bearable up to a max of 4 but over that I need a wide bodied[msnwink]

I love the aircarft though always have since I first worked on it in the early 80's[msnsmile]

[KarenScott]

Hi Chris
This was in the EP the other week

DISAPPOINTED AT FLIGHT CUTS

BY HUGO BERGER H.BERGER

11:00 - 18 July 2005

Passengers have expressed disappointment that daily flights between Bristol and New York are to be cut to five days a week. Continental Airlines has announced the reduction in its flights between Bristol International and America's Newark airport.

As reported in later editions of Saturday's Evening Post, inward and outward-bound flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be discontinued from the end of October until next April - only two months after they were launched.

The Evening Post went to Lulsgate to gauge the reaction among passengers checking in for yesterday's flight to New York.

Although there was a large queue for the checking-in desk, many regulars on the transatlantic crossings said the flights were rarely full. They also believed the reduction in the service would inconvenience them.

Keith Wigginton, aged 50, of Westbury-on-Trym, said: "I have two homes, one in Bristol and one in America, so I have been using this flight quite often since it was launched. I think it is ridiculous that they have decided to cut them already without giving it a proper run."

Robin White, aged 47, now lives in San Francisco but uses the flight to return to visit his parents in Chew Magna.

He said: "The first time I used it I thought that it was fantastic. The flight wasn't really full but I think it will be with time because it is so convenient."

Gareth Williams, aged 21, of Redland, said: "I am working in New York at the moment and have just flown back for my graduation. I had three seats to myself when I flew back because the plane was not that full."

Ellen Stokes, aged 64, of Brislington, said: "I use the flight to visit my daughter and grandchildren in New York.

"I thought it was brilliant when it started because it meant you could spend just six hours travelling from door to door rather than having to go all the way to London."

Bristol International's aviation development director Tony Halwood insisted the flight was well-used.

He said: "July flights are proving very popular with both business and leisure passengers.

"From November, Continental's service will operate five times a week to New York, in common with Belfast, which was also launched in May 2005."

The service launched in May, with economy tickets from £333.70 and business from £1,168.70

Chris
I'm sure that still leaves enough flights to choose from for us though. I've yet to find the economy tickets at that price though!!!![msncry]

Karen

[chrisflowers]

Thanks for that Karen.
It also explains why they are being economical with the planes and why we cannot have a wide bodied aircraft.
I only hope that more people start to use the flight, especially through the winter months
I was going to be leaving on a Thursday in November, but now I will have to have a shorter holiday then as I cannot take any more time off work.
[msncry][msnscared]

[chrisflowers]

Following the above posting, I tried to book online with Continental for Thursday Nov 10th and it allowed me to do so with no error messages.

Maybe they will watch to see how the bookings go?

[Clare R]

Please use the Bristol/Newark service as much as possible - prices are coming down, and sometime later this year they are cutting the service from 7 days a week to 5 days a week. Local Bristol paper also states that free bottles of wine are being dished out so that must be getting desperate for passengers.

[Clare R]

Martha's Harbour - we tend to use Expedia to book the flights with, site is easy enough to use and prices can be good.

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Martha's Harbour - we tend to use Expedia to book the flights with, site is easy enough to use and prices can be good.[/quote]

A lot of airlines are guaranteeing that the cheapest fares on their own flights will be obtained from their own web site.

They are fighting back against expedia/opodo/last minute etc - and although I always check, AA for instance are always the cheapest.

Another thing to note is that most cheaper fares booked through expedia/opodo/last minute etc do not get the full air miles credited.

It is worth checking Continental web site.