Flybe possible Administration

[Peko]

I rarely fly with Flybe, and have no comment to make on its customer service. The posts above did prompt me to look at how full its aircraft are.

Flybe load factors have mostly been in the 60-70% range for the last decade. A couple of times, after capacity cuts, they have got up to 75% (the latest figures I've seen are for 2018).

Ryanair is consistently over 95%, easyJet over 90%, BA (and all IAG carriers) are over 80%. The Flybe load factors suggest quite a few lightly loaded aircraft.

In an era when the public (rightly or wrongly) expects low fares, load factors need to be high to generate enough revenue from fares and ancillaries. Small/medium sized airlines, whose cost bases struggle to compete, are under immense pressure.

[stanleycamel]

Andrea Leadsom has announced "Delighted that we have reached agreement with Flybe’s shareholders to keep the company operating, ensuring that UK regions remain connected.

"This will be welcome news for Flybe’s staff, customers and creditors and we will continue the hard work to ensure a sustainable future."

[cornishfrogboy]

Whilst I am delighted for the 2000 staff involved and the safeguarding of their jobs, it seems very clear that they cannot continue in their present manner.

Whilst I stick rigidly to baggage allowances, it is clear that many customers are hacked off with the penny pinching attitude of the airline in this area.

People seem very unhappy with customer service and indifference at the point of direct customer/staff interface.

The seat occupancy figures of the airline are clearly not sustainable.

IMHO, there needs to be a huge effort to make the airline experience more accommodating and friendly and this may in turn increase airline usage (and therefore profitability).

As for me? I don’t need to use it to get from Falmouth to LHR or even more so, LGW as they no longer fly there. For me, the train or car for 4 of us takes the same time, door to door, home to the app Premier Inn, once you take in getting to the airport, security, embarkation, disembark and baggage collect. Driving or train with an overnight (roughly the same) is one whole lot cheaper, especially when you consider the cost of parking at Newquay Airport.

I will not be using them again.. unless the birds have flown the nest and there are just the two of us. Train will still be cheaper, though. (Not car).

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by stanleycamel

Andrea Leadsom has announced "Delighted that we have reached agreement with Flybe’s shareholders to keep the company operating, ensuring that UK regions remain connected.

"This will be welcome news for Flybe’s staff, customers and creditors and we will continue the hard work to ensure a sustainable future."

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Mixed feelings here! Not sure the business is sustainable and it’s not exactly a big vote of confidence. My cynical side wonders if the government will now plan what to do if/when it happens again and then be able to say ‘how sorry they were that the exceptional measures they took were not enough’ ...?

I really hope they can turn it around though. My youngest daughter graduated from the Flybe academy and the airport is literally two miles from my house, so as well as it being an important employer for my town I like the option of flights on my doorstep too.

[Tillyfloss]

Originally Posted by b00110908

They were all Flybe staff. I'm glad you had such success with them, I'd think a company who were great and had full flights all the time might be able to stay in business though?
Please go and have a look at the headlines about them or visit their Facebook page and see the number of complaints on a daily
basis - far far worse than easyJet or Ryanair put together.

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Flybe do not employ their own ground staff, they are contracted out and although flybe may be ultimately responsible they can not directly control the employment and attitude of the check in or gate staff as they are employed by the likes of swissport
and Menzies who are responsible for the hiring and firing. I fully agree they should maintain high standards but I don’t think flybe can be blamed and certainly not in your quoted examples, I assume you were not directly involved in any of these incidents.
IMO and as an ex employee I think the management structure has been poor, after acquiring the BA routes I felt they never fully operated as the size of airline they had become. They continued to try out some of the more obscure routes which passengers were grateful for but did not use them enough to sustain operation.
The management in place at the time of the recent takeover did not seem to have the companies interest to the forefront!
I truly hope the present rescue operation is successful, they are a great airline, not without faults but name one that isn’t, the majority of staff are committed and love their jobs.
To the lady whose daughter just graduated from the academy I’m sure she will enjoy her flying career and wish her luck.

[bighal]

All that seems to have happened is that the talks have just made the 3 co-owners put in more money and the Government will then have a look at APD cuts or deferring payments.
The whole mess could have quite easily been avoided if the owners paid up in the first place, like they said they would when the bought the company for a misery Ł2.8 million and not try and get the Government to bail them out.

[Jon&Emz]

Feel a lot better about our Cardiff-Dublin-Orlando codeshare with Aer Lingus now, must admit I was not looking forward to trying to find an alternative.

Until this most recent flight hunt I never knew they flew to so many places from Cardiff.

[TIMCSS]

I use Flybe alot. We have alot of clients in jersey, northan ireland and Scotland and Flybe have links from birmingham and Manchester which is ideal as I live in Stoke. I also use them when going to see clients in Southampton and Cornwall so it really is vital for our business and is for many. Ive seen alot of comments online saying why didn't this happen with TC and they are completely different situations. Flybe going under would effect business all over the UK. Even more so with Flybe working directly with the channel Islands to get people to Southampton hospital.

[mazzie]

Reading some pretty awful comments on here about Flybe staff.

My husband worked for Flybe for 11 years and was TUPE to Monarch aircraft engineering. We got the news about Monarch whilst on honeymoon. He was then TUPE back to Flybe overnight just before Christmas in cloak and dagger form, not knowing whether he would have a job or not.

He now works for BA but in Heathrow and we live in Shropshire. Its not ideal but there is little work in this area.

Some of Flybe's employees have been pushed from pillar to post going to Monarch then to Thomas Cook and then back to Flybe.

[itsmeGAV]

Hold up.. so the government are prepared to bailout Flybe.. but not TC. 🤦🏻

No wonder why IAG have put in a formal complaint for misuse of tax payer funds.