News: Flightmapping August Newsletter
Flights > News > # 904 (07/08/2006)
Welcome to the August edition of the Flightmapping newsletter.
Site Changes
We have been making a number of improvements in recent weeks, including:
- Revamped page layout
- More drop-down menus and easier navigation
- Additional summary information about UK airports
- Links to relevant news stories about destinations, departure airports and airlines
- User tips and suggestions
We are not resting on our laurels though, and as ever welcome feedback about any aspect of our website, especially areas we are currently working on:
- Upgraded maps
- Ability for users to suggest tips
- James' travel blog and feedback
- Route updates and accuracy promise
- Clearer navigation for cities with more than one airport
Recent route developments:
The most significant new route development last month was the announcement by the Scottish budget airline Flyglobespan that they will be starting a programme of daily flights from Liverpool to New York from March next year. This is the first time that a no-frills airline has attempted to offer flights to New York, where competition amongst the traditional scheduled airlines is already intense.In early June, Flyglobespan started daily flights from Glasgow to Orlando Sanford. The airline has made a number of innovations to pioneer routes which London based no-frills airlines have not yet been prepared to try. In the case of New York, this might be largely down to the existing competition on Heathrow to New York flights, which ensures that there is always going to be some capacity available at prices which are well below those which a no frills airline could sustain. Prices for flights to New York from UK cities outside London rarely dip below £300 return, even at Manchester, where there are four airlines competing against each other on this route. Flyglobespan have the disadvantage of not being able to fill their flights with connecting passengers, as they are only a point-to-point service, but there should still be enough Americans with an interest in visiting Liverpool to sustain the demand for these flights from both sides of the pond.
July has also seen the long anticipated announcement by Ryanair that they will be complementing their previously announced flights from France and Germany to Morocco with new routes from London Luton to Fez and Marrakech.
Meanwhile, British Airways continue to suffer in the face of competition from their low fare rivals. Leisure offshoot GB Airways have axed a number of flights from Manchester and London Gatwick, whereas their BA Connect domestic flights are starting to feel the heat from Flybe, who've chased them away from routes between Southampton and Glasgow, and between Birmingham and Belfast. The failure of the latter route is hardly surprising, considering the airline's somewhat bizarre attempts to reinstate these flights earlier in this year, when BMI Baby were already providing healthy competition with Flybe.
What's in a name?
Flyglobespan have made a great deal out of the fact that they have chosen Liverpool John Lennon airport to operate their first flights to New York, even commandeering Yoko Ono for a message of support for the new venture. Meanwhile, spoilsports at the CAA have issued a note of caution about rebranding airports with names which they think could cause confusion. Perhaps they could have made this point before humble RAF Finningley was transformed into “Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield” - try saying that first thing in the morning!
How long before we see Ozzy Osbourne Birmingham International or even Morrisey Manchester Airport? We would be interested to hear any alternative suggestions you might have for your local airport.
The tragedy of Beirut
My brother (and Flightmapping partner in crime) Mark travelled to Beirut last summer, a city he described as “the most welcoming and friendly he’d ever visited”. Read his full comment on the current situation here.
Do you feel sinful about flying?
A couple of weeks ago, The Bishop of London fanned the already contentious environmental debate by suggesting that he felt it was actually "sinful" to fly on holiday. We've always felt that aviation, like all other methods of transport, should cover the costs of its environmental damage, but were not quite ready to pop round to Sunday confession and own up about our holiday habits. So, in this month’s forum poll we are asking whether you feel guilty when you fly.
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