SN Brussels Summer Only Routes

Humberside · Post by **Humberside** » 30 Sep 2005, 19:51

SN Brussels Airlines announced it was satisfied with results on its summer destinations and has already announced it will resume seasonal summer service in 2006 from Brussels to Bari, Cork, Naples and St Petersburg and is already planning new destinations incuding Genoa and Lourdes with at least 2 flights a week on each route.

www.justplanes.com

No Jersey next summer then?

yagoceron · Post by **yagoceron** » 30 Sep 2005, 19:55

Do you think Lourdes can be a profitable route? It would be a miracle

tolipanebas · Post by **tolipanebas** » 30 Sep 2005, 21:02

Indeed no more Jersey next year. It was a strange idea from the start and even the people from 'network' at SN admitted it was a big gamble. If VLM couldn't fill a F-50 on this route only a few years ago, then how could SN possibly think to do much better? Anyhow, with only 2 weekly flights and some financial support of the tourist board from Jersey, the risk was deemed acceptable and JERSEY was launched. A clear hint that this destination was underperforming all summer long was the fact tickets were given away almost for free to Privelege members (only a few thousand miles were needed) and SN staff was given the chance to get their tickets for as less as 1 euro plus taxes!

Anyway, the other summer destinations did very well indeed:

-) SAINT PETERSBURG can hardly be considered a real summer season destination, not so much because of it's geographical position, but because it is served the full IATA summer season. In fact, if it wasn't for the extreme winters, the technical problems and the high cost associated with operating the AVRO in extreme cold WX conditions, SN would probably serve this destination all year round.

-) BARI and NAPLES did very well too and as mediterranean destinations, it doesn't come as a surprise. SN already anticipated this BTW, hence the fact they were served more often than the 2 other summer destinations CRK and JER.

-) The fact that CORK will return next year is a pleasant surprise however! SN launched this route with 2 weekly return flights due to the fact this Irish city was named 'cultural capital of Europe' this year and would thus attract many one-time visitors, but apparently they have found out there is a solid customer basis for summer season flights to the south of Ireland not just this year.

Now for the newly announced destinations:

-) LOURDES seems a safe bet. SN operates weekly charters to the place from Eindhoven and occasionally also from Brussels and the place is also the most popular flight-only destination from TUI Airlines Belgium, or Jet Only as that product is called.

-) GENOA is -just like Bari- yet another Italian coastal city, so it has the the same ideal combination of sun and sea which made Bari a success.

Any idea on a third new summer destination? I'd go for AJA....

beaucaire · Post by **beaucaire** » 30 Sep 2005, 21:23

I would add three flights /week to Montpellier or Nîmes- there are quite a lot of belgians visiting the Languedoc and flights from Charleroi to Carcassonne on FR are very well booked.

tolipanebas · Post by **tolipanebas** » 30 Sep 2005, 21:38

I think Nimes is just a bit too close to Mairseille to be considered since the last thing SN wants to do is to undercut its own business route to MRS.

Montpelier would already be slightly better, and as a coastal town, always has a plus.

What about Perpignan? As the last sea side reasort before the Spanish Border, this city is well known by many Belgian tourists yet quite a drive away from any airport currently served from Belgium.