Aviation Discussion

[WestCoast]

Good to know, cheers. I was amazed at how cheap the fare was - presumably Dublin to London is a very busy and therefore competitive corridor?

Will make a change from low-cost flights!

I'm pretty sure London Airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, City, Southend) to Dublin is one of the busiest air corridors in the world, although it 'only' has four operators; Aer Lingus, BA, Ryanair and CityJet, albeit each operating an intensive schedule.
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Butts came back from Heathrow to Edinburgh on a Boeing 767 tonight at the end of one of my "Luxembourg Fag Runs" - 55 mins - eat your heart out East Coast / Virgin

Incidentally can BA Luxembourg Flights immediately be moved back to T5 from that hellhole Terminal One which inconveniences me no end - apart from the free tx on the Heathrow Express.

Do you not take the inter-terminal airside bus when connecting on the Luxembourg Fag Run?
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Easyjet probably have worse working conditions, and a high possibility of argumentative customers due to their 'terms and conditions'

Perhaps, although I hear that on the BA Mixed Fleet (what BA calls routes operated by the newer, cheaper crew) the difference is somewhat less than it used to be!

 

[306024]

It was interesting to see how BA are managing to recruit lower cost cabin crew on the basis of "prestige". From what I hear the take home salary for the crew could potentially be higher working for easyJet vs. these new BA contracts. Then again, easyJet crew won't get to see the world...

Haven't got round to firing up the iPlayer yet to watch the programme. Yes the Ts & Cs of the new BA 'hat fleet' (look out for the ladies wearing small red hats, and carrying a hat box around, as if they didn't have enough other stuff) are somewhat worse than their senior colleagues.

Interesting comparison last weekend, out with EasyJet, back with BA. Both crews perfectly friendly, both planes on time. EasyJet just gave the impression of being cheap and cheerful, and BA totally professional. Chatting to the Easyjet crew, I really do not envy them the Ibiza stag and hen run.

 

[starrymarkb]

Easyjet do pay fairly well from what I've heard. Though with a lot of Sun destinations there isn't much work to go round in the winter and the staff are zero houred

For low paid staff look at US regional carriers (the companies who operate the RJs for Delta, American, United) - £12-15k for Pilots!

 

[fowler9]

Easyjet do pay fairly well from what I've heard. Though with a lot of Sun destinations there isn't much work to go round in the winter and the staff are zero houred

For low paid staff look at US regional carriers (the companies who operate the RJs for Delta, American, United) - £12-15k for Pilots!

Yeah, read a few articles about American pilots entitled to food coupons. Not what you would expect.

 

[Butts]

Do you not take the inter-terminal airside bus when connecting on the Luxembourg Fag Run?
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[/QUOTE]

I would if they had "airside smoking" facilities like Luxembourg - prompt the clue is in the name -Lux fag Run !!!

 

[WestCoast]

Do you not take the inter-terminal airside bus when connecting on the Luxembourg Fag Run?
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I would if they had "airside smoking" facilities like Luxembourg - prompt the clue is in the name -Lux fag Run !!![/QUOTE]

Most German airports have "smoking rooms" which to me, as a non-smoker, look like my idea of hell. However, I think they're a good facility to keep people happy....

I'm often asked to do bulk purchases of cigarettes, found Gibraltar and the Canaries to be among the lowest. I wonder if you could do a quick fag run on a cheap flight from Edinburgh to say, Tenerife. Four hour flight each way, but I bet I could find a weekend return or even in one day...

 

[Jonny]

@Westcoast

You would need to be pretty careful, since the Canaries are outside of the 'duty paid area' (and Gibraltar probably is as well) and even so, the duty paid concession is only for personal use - i.e. not for further sale etc...

 

[tony_mac]

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/262685/Travelling_to_the_UK.pdf

When travelling from outside the European Union (including the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar)

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm#1

The goods are for your own use or as a gift. If the person you give the goods to pays you in any way - including reimbursing you for any expenses or payment in kind - then it's not a gift and the goods may be seized.

 

[WestCoast]

@Westcoast

You would need to be pretty careful, since the Canaries are outside of the 'duty paid area' (and Gibraltar probably is as well) and even so, the duty paid concession is only for personal use - i.e. not for further sale etc...

Quite, I give them to family as birthday or Christmas presents and never over the limit of what you can 'import'. I was referring to alternative aviation destinations for Butt's "Fag Run" (), which should of course follow all limit and resale rules.

Also to note, I believe that even within the EU, importing such goods is on a "personal use" basis...

 

[Butts]

I would if they had "airside smoking" facilities like Luxembourg - prompt the clue is in the name -Lux fag Run !!!

Most German airports have "smoking rooms" which to me, as a non-smoker, look like my idea of hell. However, I think they're a good facility to keep people happy....

I'm often asked to do bulk purchases of cigarettes, found Gibraltar and the Canaries to be among the lowest. I wonder if you could do a quick fag run on a cheap flight from Edinburgh to say, Tenerife. Four hour flight each way, but I bet I could find a weekend return or even in one day...[/QUOTE]

Gibraltar and The Canaries are I believe outside the European Union and therefore count as "Duty Free" - ie 200 Limit.

Luxembourg is within the EU and hence provided the goods are for personal use and transported personally there is no limit.

Butts latest trip yielded 5000 Benson and Gold (250 packets or 25 cartons) at a cost of around £4 odd per pack less than UK prices. Hence a £1000 saving - remove my costs of £250 and I am £750 up.

Why anyone buys cigarettes in the UK when such savings are available is a constant source of fascination to me :roll:
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https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/262685/Travelling_to_the_UK.pdf

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/customs/arriving/arrivingeu.htm#1

The reason I buy Benson and Hedges cigarettes in Luxembourg is down to the fact the ones sold there are made in the UK by Japan Tobacco International-ie the same product as available at shops here.

The Benson and Hedges sold in most Duty Free outlets worldwide including the UK are made by BAT and in my opinion an inferior product. (A different blend - more Mayfair quality than a top brand )
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Back on the "Aviation Proper" topic....

I flew from Edinburgh to Southampton on Thursday returning Monday Night.

When we landed at SOU the Battle of Britain memorial flight was "parked up". A Lancaster, Dakota and two Spitfires - a joy to behold - were there for the D-Day commemoration services I guess.

Also saw The Red Arrows performing over Portsmouth on Friday while taking my Brothers dog for a walk in the park at Drayton - great show.

That's the good news - the bad news Flybe seem to be majoring on "Turboprops" on the EDB-SOU route at the moment - A Lancaster would be more comfortable

Bring back The Embraers and consign those Turboprops to The "Aviation Dustbin" where they belong. It's a bit like expecting an HST to turn up and being chucked on A Pacer :cry:

 

[Flying Snail]

Good to know, cheers. I was amazed at how cheap the fare was - presumably Dublin to London is a very busy and therefore competitive corridor?

Will make a change from low-cost flights!

They were usually a good deal more expensive than the others for similar flights athough very occasionally a good fare could be nabbed. Hopefully with the new owners they will try to be more competitive as London City is by far the quickest "London" airport to get through.

I'm pretty sure London Airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, City, Southend) to Dublin is one of the busiest air corridors in the world, although it 'only' has four operators; Aer Lingus, BA, Ryanair and CityJet, albeit each operating an intensive schedule.

Busiest route in Europe certainly, would be quite a few busier routes around the world.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Why anyone buys cigarettes in the UK when such savings are available is a constant source of fascination to me :roll:

Some of us don't exactly have the money at hand to exactly fly out to Luxembourg for a day or two for long-term savings. I've gone a couple of days without food due to money issues.

 

[Bill Stanier]

Yeah, read a few articles about American pilots entitled to food coupons. Not what you would expect.

This was considered a major factor in the Colgan Dash 8 crash at Buffalo in 2009. Pilots so low paid they sleep on rest room floors and bum rides to work over long distances in the jump seats of other airliners. No hotel overnights for them!

It's true that for decades airline flying was grossly overpaid (and some of those ex-WW2 captains were not actually very good with demanding swept wing jets like the Trident). But the pendulum, at least in US, seems to have swung too far the other way.

 

[fowler9]

This was considered a major factor in the Colgan Dash 8 crash at Buffalo in 2009. Pilots so low paid they sleep on rest room floors and bum rides to work over long distances in the jump seats of other airliners. No hotel overnights for them!

It's true that for decades airline flying was grossly overpaid (and some of those ex-WW2 captains were not actually very good with demanding swept wing jets like the Trident). But the pendulum, at least in US, seems to have swung too far the other way.

Spot on mate, who wants someone in such a safety critical role getting paid what I do on a call centre doing rubbish shifts.

 

[ivanhoe]

I'm flying from Birmingham to Chicago via Dublin in August(Aer Lingus). Are bags checked in at Birmingham , checked in all the way to Chicago? Appreciate any comments.

 

[Shrimper]

If you booked it all as one trip they will be.

 

[ivanhoe]

If you booked it all as one trip they will be.

Yeah, as 1 trip. Many thanks for replying.

 

[Butts]

Yeah, as 1 trip. Many thanks for replying.

You may clear US immigration in Dublin as well and if that is the case you will save a bundle of time the other end.

 

[ivanhoe]

You may clear US immigration in Dublin as well and if that is the case you will save a bundle of time the other end.

I've been made aware of that. I'll report back to this thread after my journey to Chicago on any issues arising .Appreciate your input.

 

[Flying Snail]

I've been made aware of that. I'll report back to this thread after my journey to Chicago on any issues arising .Appreciate your input.

Unless something goes awry you will pre-clear as all EI flights are now scheduled to pre-clear in Dublin. Your bags will be checked through so you don't need to collect them in DUB but you will be required to identify them with US officials, they will show you an image.

You should follow the signs for transfer in T2, do not go to the exit. Depending on your layover time you might need to go straight to the US pre-clearance, 1h30 before departure would be as late as I'd reccomend. They generally process flights individually so if yours hasn't been called yet don't be concerned. If you want something to eat do that first as there is not much choice at the gates beyond US border and you are not allowed back into the main terminal area.

Apart from that it is just the same as US Customs/Immigration across the pond, they are the same humourless asshats so make sure you follow all the rules to the letter, oh and don't bring fruits, etc to eat on the plane as once past the check you are officially entering US.

It is a bit of a faff but is much better than having to queue up for hours and deal with all that after landing. On pre-cleared flights once you land you should be able to just collect your bags and go, they are treated as domestic arrivals.

 

[radamfi]

How about introducing pre-clearance from airports with heavy US-bound traffic, such as LHR and AMS?

 

[Matt Taylor]

British Airways took delivery of their latest 777 G-STBK last night.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/14222427537/


It arrived around 1930 and was put straight to work and headed off to Hong Kong around 2200.

 

[fowler9]

British Airways took delivery of their latest 777 G-STBK last night.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/40172673@N03/14222427537/


It arrived around 1930 and was put straight to work and headed off to Hong Kong around 2200.

I flew out to Hong Kong London on 11/08/11 at around that time, a tiny bit earlier I think, it was a 744 at the time. I thought that service was replaced with an A380? I am probably wrong. I am guessing loadings have changed if the flight is now a 773?

 

[158747]

I flew out to Hong Kong London on 11/08/11 at around that time, a tiny bit earlier I think, it was a 744 at the time. I thought that service was replaced with an A380? I am probably wrong. I am guessing loadings have changed if the flight is now a 773?

British Airways have two flights to Hong Kong. BA25 at 18.35 which is an A380 and BA27 at 21.55 which is a 777-300

 

[fowler9]

British Airways have two flights to Hong Kong. BA25 at 18.35 which is an A380 and BA27 at 21.55 which is a 777-300

Cheers for the info mate, I thought things had changed looking at Flightradar.

 

[trentside]

Two Ryanair 737-800s have been involved in a collision at Stansted Airport.

Two Ryanair jets were damaged when they collided on the ground at London's Stansted Airport.

One plane was approaching the stand and the other was "pushing back" when the incident happened at about 06:45 BST.

The wing-tip of one plane and the tail-cone of another "made contact", said Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely.

No passengers or crew were injured, an airport spokesman confirmed. The Air Accident Investigation Board is investigating.

Essex Police said it had conducted "routine breath tests" on both pilots after the incident, but there was no evidence of alcohol consumption.

Mr Kiely said passengers were put on other planes after a three-hour delay.

He said Ryanair's engineering team were "investigating, and will repair both aircraft and return them to service as soon as possible".

The crash involved a plane heading to Warsaw and an aircraft from Frankfurt Hahn that had just landed. Both were Boeing 737-800 models, which can carry up to 189 passengers.

One passenger on the Warsaw-bound flight said on Twitter: "Huge loud crashing noise and totally felt the crush sitting at the back. Thank God it only hit the wing as if it was the body of the plane it'd been apocalypse."

SOURCE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-28072770

Pleased to see that nobody was injured.

 

[Bill Stanier]

Thank God it only hit the wing as if it was the body of the plane it'd been apocalypse."

Don't you just love these airline pax one-liners! The fuselage is just a tube with seats in, the wing is full of fuel FFS!

 

[starrymarkb]

Looks like a Tug driver is going to be in trouble then?
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Mind you could be worse

Air Frog A380 vs Comair CRJ
[youtube]WJCqBQLTWmw[/youtube]

 

[telstarbox]

New Flybe "shuttle bus" flights - how long will the aircraft be on the ground at each intermediate stop?

An airline has launched a novel “hop-on, hop-off” service in an effort to encourage more Britons to take domestic flights.

Billed as a “shuttle bus in the sky”, Flybe’s new FlyShuttle service will see a 78-seater aircraft fly from Jersey to Aberdeen each morning, stopping at Southampton and Leeds Bradford en route to pick up and drop off passengers.

The daily Monday-Saturday flight will depart from Jersey at 7am, stopping at Southampton at 7.45am and Leeds Bradford at 9.35am, before terminating in Aberdeen at 11.15am.

A southbound service will ply the same route, departing Aberdeen at 7am, reaching Leeds Bradford at 8.25am, Southampton at 9.55am and Jersey at 11.20am.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10927223/Flybe-to-launch-shuttle-bus-in-the-sky.html

 

[flymo]

New Flybe "shuttle bus" flights - how long will the aircraft be on the ground at each intermediate stop?

BE7002 JER0700 – 0745SOU0825 – 0935LBA0955 – 1115ABZ DH4 x7
BE7004 JER1145 – 1230SOU1310 – 1415LBA1435 – 1555ABZ DH4 x6
BE7006 JER1750 – 1835SOU1915 – 2020LBA2040 – 2200ABZ DH4 x6

BE7001 ABZ0700 – 0825LBA0845 – 0955SOU1035 – 1120JER DH4 x7
BE7003 ABZ1150 – 1310LBA1330 – 1440SOU1505 – 1550JER DH4 x7
BE7005 ABZ1650 – 1805LBA1825 – 1930SOU1955 – 2040JER DH4 x6

So 25 to 40 mins on the ground in Southampton and 20 mins in Leeds Bradford.

From 26 October apparently