Aviation Discussion

[Butts]

I'm off to Luxembourg on my fag run in September on one of Flybe's inaugural services from Manchester to the Grand Duchy. (Flying to Man from EDI on same Flybe)

It's a real pain as you have to book the services separately ie not thru from EDI to LUX unlike BA or any proper Airline.

However the fares were chickenfeed just the pesky baggage cost's to shoulder. Has anyone noticed how much they have shot up recently?

Just hoping it's an Embraer and not a Q400

Coming back on BA via LHR so my bag with the swag leaves me in LUX and rejoins me in EDI without having to go through Customs at LHR. Perversely it was cheaper (at the time) to book LUX to EDI than the other way around.

 

[WestCoast]

I'm off to Luxembourg on my fag run in September on one of Flybe's inaugural services from Manchester to the Grand Duchy. (Flying to Man from EDI on same Flybe)

It's a real pain as you have to book the services separately ie not thru from EDI to LUX unlike BA or any proper Airline.

However the fares were chickenfeed just the pesky baggage cost's to shoulder. Has anyone noticed how much they have shot up recently?

Just hoping it's an Embraer and not a Q400

Coming back on BA via LHR so my bag with the swag leaves me in LUX and rejoins me in EDI without having to go through Customs at LHR. Perversely it was cheaper (at the time) to book LUX to EDI than the other way around.

I never check in a bag on a short-haul flights if I can help it, it costs money and I hate waiting around for it at the other end! I suppose if you're on a fag run you need the space though!

Unlikely to be an Embraer as it's booked for a Q400, but you never know with Flybe.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Personally I'm not too keen on the idea that if I wanted to fly to Singapore, the plane will already have originated in Houston, but a direct flight is always good. And of course coming back from Singapore, Manchester will be the next stop.

Due to the risk of delays etc? I'm not sure through passengers Houston - Singapore will even be permitted to stay onboard during the stopover at Manchester, they aren't at Munich.

 

[Butts]

I never check in a bag on a short-haul flights if I can help it, it costs money and I hate waiting around for it at the other end!

Unlikely to be an Embraer as it's booked for a Q400, but you never know with Flybe.

Neither do I normally, but 4000 fags needs a suitcase.

 

[WestCoast]

Neither do I normally, but 4000 fags needs a suitcase.

Amended my post just as I thought of that! I have to limit fag requests when I'm to/from the Canaries due a) the limit b) I can't fit them in my suitcase.

 

[Butts]

Amended my post just as I thought of that! I have to limit fag requests when I'm to/from the Canaries due a) the limit b) I can't fit them in my suitcase.

Legally avoiding over £1000 in UK Excise Duty and VAT is heartwarming - I'm just hoping they have not got those silly "plain packaging" snouts yet. :roll:

Mind you with the Pound Euro situation they may sneak over £4 packet - still a lot cheaper than over £9 in the UK.

 

[atillathehunn]

The last time I flew this route was when it was operated by a 747 and stopping at Brussels and Mumbai before Singapore. Then at Singapore it was a 777 to Manila. We're talking about 2000/2001.

I've always thought about trying out Singapore to Munich but have never got round to it, and it looks like I'm going to have to be quick if I still want to do it!

Personally I'm not too keen on the idea that if I wanted to fly to Singapore, the plane will already have originated in Houston, but a direct flight is always good. And of course coming back from Singapore, Manchester will be the next stop.

I'm actually planning a holiday out to Philippines again for next year and Singapore probably will be the choice airline, despite my reservations on the flight originating in Houston, simply based on their excellent reviews and service.

Why would you have reservations about the plane coming from Houston?

Further, don't choose an airline on the basis of the airline! They are all fairly universally rubbish. Choose the best connection and the best price. SQ have a great connection for Manila, but are about £300 more than the cheapest.

 

[Tetchytyke]

777-10 is an interesting one, if boeing does develop it, it will effectively get rid of the A380. (And no doubt sell quite well). But also it would be admitting they wasted money on the 747-8.

The 747-800 is selling alright as a freighter, which is probably where the future lies for the 747. It's where Airbus dropped one, because the A380 is not easily converted into a freighter because of the low cockpit.

The 777-10 would need folding wingtips to be able to fit into airports. That's a complexity I'm not entirely convinced passengers or airlines would like very much. There's a limit to how much you can stretch something. If airlines want a VLA they'll buy a VLA, they won't buy a medium-sized aircraft that's been stretched into something it isn't. Boeing found that out with 767-400, really. The A380's main issue right now is that airlines don't want VLAs.

Much of the cargo issue on an A380 is simply that 600 passengers have a lot of bags, which means there's no room left for cargo. Sticking 450 people on a 777 is going to come up against the exact same issue.

 

[Butts]

Legally avoiding over £1000 in UK Excise Duty and VAT is heartwarming - I'm just hoping they have not got those silly "plain packaging" snouts yet. :roll:

Mind you with the Pound Euro situation they may sneak over £4 packet - still a lot cheaper than over £9 in the UK.

Gazooks I got an e-mail from Flybe this morning saying that I had been moved from the 1830 flight from Man-Lux to the 0910 one on the same day. This looked ominous as my flight from Edi-Man was timed to arrive only one hour before as I was going to do a bit of sightseeing between flights

As you can't book a through flight I rang up to amend the Edi-Man flight for the day before so as to be able to connect with the Lux Flight and they were determined to charge me even though I was having to make the change because they had cancelled the evening flight. This highlights the dangers of being unable to book a thru flight.

Luckily the UK based Customer Relations Call Centre I had to ring afterwards saw the logic of my argument and moved my booking free of charge.

Ominous that they are cancelling flights before the service has even started.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

So I enjoyed my Amsterdam to Tehran flight with IranAir on board their A300-600

It was a wonderfully old-school experience. A full check-in with no online check-in, bag drops etc. A 2-4-2 seating arrangement on the plane was very nice, particularly since we got a window pairing.

No entertainment system of course, but we did get a big screen TV at the front. Unfortunately I was too far back to film the whole thing, but a couple of highlights from the safety video were the specially shot actors in full hijab demonstrating the oxygen masks and the image apparently telling you not to use Gameboys or Nokia phones (no-one took any notice of this of course!).

https://www.instagram.com/p/BH_Ncqkg5yz/

Food on board was very nice, from a pre-flight Gaz (kind of a chewy sweet with Pistachios) to a tasty meal complete with non-alcoholic beer and a snack later on too.

I see that Iran Air have a whole host of Boeing and Airbus (even 380s!) on order, so you won't get this experience much longer.

 

[atillathehunn]

Looks like good fun. What was the main meal?

Can you share some pictures from Iran with us?

 

[freetoview33]

Iran air does have big plans now that sanctions have been lifted. They want to go from a fleet of 23 to somewhere in the region of 323!

 

[WestCoast]

Looks like a wonderfully old school experience, although the food looks/sounds better than you get on other carriers!

I suppose there's nothing to say that Iran Air couldn't be the next Emirates as Tehran is quite a good location for an East-West hub.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Gazooks I got an e-mail from Flybe this morning saying that I had been moved from the 1830 flight from Man-Lux to the 0910 one on the same day. This looked ominous as my flight from Edi-Man was timed to arrive only one hour before as I was going to do a bit of sightseeing between flights

As you can't book a through flight I rang up to amend the Edi-Man flight for the day before so as to be able to connect with the Lux Flight and they were determined to charge me even though I was having to make the change because they had cancelled the evening flight. This highlights the dangers of being unable to book a thru flight.

Luckily the UK based Customer Relations Call Centre I had to ring afterwards saw the logic of my argument and moved my booking free of charge.

Ominous that they are cancelling flights before the service has even started.

To be fair, they were quite generous to you there as they didn't have to accommodate you free of change on two separate tickets (railway rules definitely don't apply!). If it was easyJet or Ryanair they probably wouldn't have entertained it.

Flybe seem to one of the worst for changing routes and schedules though, new routes seem to pop up and then close down quite soon after. I think they work on the basis of "let's just give it a go".

 

[AlterEgo]

Wow, Tim. I am super jealous! What a great cop!

How was Tehran, anyway?

 

[Butts]

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


To be fair, they were quite generous to you there as they didn't have to accommodate you free of change on two separate tickets (railway rules definitely don't apply!). If it was easyJet or Ryanair they probably wouldn't have entertained it.

Flybe seem to one of the worst for changing routes and schedules though, new routes seem to pop up and then close down quite soon after. I think they work on the basis of "let's just give it a go".

I wanted to fly from Edinburgh to Luxembourg with Flybe. You are unable to book a through ticket so I had to book 2 singles.

I booked a flight in the morning from EDI-MAN and the 1830 MAN-LUX same day in order to have plenty of time.

When they cancelled the 1830 flight and put me on the 0910 the same morning it scuppered my EDI-MAN flight which arrives only an hour before the 0910 LUX departure.

Hence their action was responsible for my dilema having a knock on effect on my first flight.Technically they may have been able to evade liability but when the lady at the call centre looked at my original itineary it was obvious that morally they were responsible and changed the first flight free of charge.

I think she was in the UK (Customer Relations) whereas my original point of contact was abroad. Indeed she seemed genuinely annoyed that it had not been resolved at the first point of contact.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Looks like a wonderfully old school experience, although the food looks/sounds better than you get on other carriers!

Definitely the nicest meal I have ever had on a plane. It was something with beef and my wife had something with chicken (it was two weeks ago, can't remember the full details!).

I suppose there's nothing to say that Iran Air couldn't be the next Emirates as Tehran is quite a good location for an East-West hub.

From a geographical stand-point it is perfect as an intercontinental exchange, saving time on flights from Europe to the Far East without having to go as far south as the UAE et al. However political issues might be the biggest pitfall - visas are still hard to get for UK/US travellers and legal requirements for women to wear the hijab in the country are unlikely to make it a popular exchange destination anytime soon, certainly not for a mini-break layover.

Wow, Tim. I am super jealous! What a great cop!

How was Tehran, anyway?

Hot! Nicer than a lot of Middle Eastern cities, although its sheer size makes it hard to get around. We mostly went to climb Damavand (5,600m) north of the city, which is the highest volcano in Asia and visit Persopolis in the south. This did involve a sleeper train ride and I will be posting some pics of this when I get a chance.

 

[thejuggler]

IranAir were operating a 707 until a couple of years ago. There's footage on youtube from a passenger on one of the last revenue services.

 

[Tim R-T-C]

Amusingly most of their promotional imagery, including in the retail offices in Tehran, they still have 747s as their main aircraft, although they no longer operate the type.

I did look out for any Concorde merchandise, but didn't find anything.

 

[Butts]

Flew from Edinburgh to Birmingham on Wednesday Morning and back into Glasgow today.

Outward journey on a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 - did it in 50 mins not bad for a turboprop. Can anyone over 5 Feet tall honestly say they are comfortable in these heaps of shi* The seats are dead narrow, the overhead lockers barely big enough for a handbag and as for the legroom don't even go there. Luckily I had a two to myself or it would have been unbearable. This is not just a gripe I think my observations are valid.

Return journey on an Embraer E-175 a step up from the Q400 , more elbow and leg room and a decent sized overhead storage locker. Still not as good as it's E-195 stablemate the "Blue Riband" of the Flybe Fleet.

One interesting thing at Glasgow Airport there was a stand with Free Newspapers from all sections of the market - tabloids and broadsheets.

 

[Strathclyder]

IranAir were operating a 707 until a couple of years ago. There's footage on youtube from a passenger on one of the last revenue services.

Saha Airlines of Iran was the last carrier to operate the 707 in scheduled passenger service, the last one being retired in April 2013, bringing 54 years of 707 passenger service to an end.

 

[Harbornite]

Flew from Edinburgh to Birmingham on Wednesday Morning and back into Glasgow today.

Outward journey on a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 - did it in 50 mins not bad for a turboprop. Can anyone over 5 Feet tall honestly say they are comfortable in these heaps of shi* The seats are dead narrow, the overhead lockers barely big enough for a handbag and as for the legroom don't even go there. Luckily I had a two to myself or it would have been unbearable. This is not just a gripe I think my observations are valid.

Return journey on an Embraer E-175 a step up from the Q400 , more elbow and leg room and a decent sized overhead storage locker. Still not as good as it's E-195 stablemate the "Blue Riband" of the Flybe Fleet.

One interesting thing at Glasgow Airport there was a stand with Free Newspapers from all sections of the market - tabloids and broadsheets.

I was slightly disappointed when I turned up at Brum airport en route to Edinburgh and we had an E 175 rather than a Q 400. The drone of their engines is one of my favorite sounds because I hear it almost every day.

As for the free newspapers in Glasgow, they are probably the only thing worth seeing in that city, although they are lost on the locals who can barely spell their own name, let alone read!

 

[me123]

As for the free newspapers in Glasgow, they are probably the only thing worth seeing in that city, although they are lost on the locals who can barely spell their own name, let alone read!

Go up to Glasgow and say that to a few people in George Square. Go on.

What a bigoted and unprovoked comment.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

One interesting thing at Glasgow Airport there was a stand with Free Newspapers from all sections of the market - tabloids and broadsheets.

I think it's BA that do this. When I flew recently from Edinburgh, there were plenty of these stands at the gates BA tend to use, although I'm sure they aren't marked as being specifically for BA passengers.

 

[WestCoast]

Flew from Edinburgh to Birmingham on Wednesday Morning and back into Glasgow today.

Outward journey on a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 - did it in 50 mins not bad for a turboprop. Can anyone over 5 Feet tall honestly say they are comfortable in these heaps of shi* The seats are dead narrow, the overhead lockers barely big enough for a handbag and as for the legroom don't even go there. Luckily I had a two to myself or it would have been unbearable. This is not just a gripe I think my observations are valid.

Personal preference, I like the Q400 a lot. They feel much sportier than the ATR42/72. Worst I've done recently was a Wizz Air A321, couldn't feel my legs after a while....

 

[Butts]

Go up to Glasgow and say that to a few people in George Square. Go on.

What a bigoted and unprovoked comment.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I think it's BA that do this. When I flew recently from Edinburgh, there were plenty of these stands at the gates BA tend to use, although I'm sure they aren't marked as being specifically for BA passengers.

The BA ones are normally through the gate on the way to the Airbridge. These were in a public area (airside) where anyone could grab them.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Personal preference, I like the Q400 a lot. They feel much sportier than the ATR42/72. Worst I've done recently was a Wizz Air A321, couldn't feel my legs after a while....

So you'd prefer a Q400 to an E-195? - are you two feet tall
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I was slightly disappointed when I turned up at Brum airport en route to Edinburgh and we had an E 175 rather than a Q 400. The drone of their engines is one of my favorite sounds because I hear it almost every day.

Are you another midget ?

 

[Harbornite]

Go up to Glasgow and say that to a few people in George Square. Go on.

What a bigoted and unprovoked comment.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I think it's BA that do this. When I flew recently from Edinburgh, there were plenty of these stands at the gates BA tend to use, although I'm sure they aren't marked as being specifically for BA passengers.

Lol, did I touch a nerve? Having said that, the jocks are well known for being dour and I can only think of three who have a sense of humour!

Where I come from, we don't get offended by jokes about each other's cities, my advice is don't take stuff personally as there are genuine things out there to be offended by, this isn't one.

 

[WestCoast]

So you'd prefer a Q400 to an E-195? - are you two feet tall

Heck no, the E195s are lovely. However, the Q400s are quite frankly the Rolls-Royce of turboprops so give me one over a Fokker 50 or ATR anyday!

Like I say, I've been on much worse as far as legroom is concerned, mostly in the ultra low cost airline department..

 

[Harbornite]

The BA ones are normally through the gate on the way to the Airbridge. These were in a public area (airside) where anyone could grab them.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


So you'd prefer a Q400 to an E-195? - are you two feet tall
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Are you another midget ?

Oi, I've got three inches so no, I'm not!

 

[Butts]

Heck no, the E195s are lovely. However, the Q400s are quite frankly the Rolls-Royce of turboprops so give me one over a Fokker 50 or ATR anyday!

Like I say, I've been on much worse as far as legroom is concerned, mostly in the ultra low cost airline department..

Ah, I see - what a silly Fokker I am
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Oi, I've got three inches so no, I'm not!

Boasting again

 

[WestCoast]

Ah, I see - what a silly Fokker I am

:We should all charter a private smoking Q400 to Luxembourg, you wouldn't be complaining then!

 

[Harbornite]

Ah, I see - what a silly Fokker I am
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Boasting again

Sadly not, I'm sick of airport security constantly flagging me because of my concealed package, fnarr fnarr

 

[Techniquest]

I like the Dash 8s for the noise, but of course an E175 or even better E195 is preferable for the general ambiance.

Went to Heathrow on a rail bash on Thursday, passing by the many planes on the final approaches to the bus station had me seriously wishing I had my passport with me! Saw an American Airlines craft landing, quite like that livery. Same for the Gulf Air craft I saw from the bus in that gold livery, looks very smart indeed.