Vueling reduces activities at Brussels airport

[Shengenzone]

Vueling to stop flying the routes Brussels to Porto and Brussels to Lisbon. And one aircraft will not be based at Brussels airport anymore.
Article in dutch: http://m.hln.be/hln/m/nl/957/Binnenland ... port.dhtml

[sn26567]

And Ryanair reacts immediately by launching cheap flights to Lisbon and Porto.

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/ryanair ... seat-sale/

The strategy of Ryanair thus was successful. As soon as Vueling had decided to open a base in Brussels with 10 destinations, Ryanair stepped in, opened its own base in Brussels with flights to exactly the same destinations, but at a lower price. And Vueling was forced to retreat two years later…

[Stij]

... And Vueling was forced to retreat two years later…

Off course our Irish friends "forget" that Vueling is still flying from BRU to AGP, BCN, PMI, SCQ, IBZ,VLC and ALC. and if we include IB, also MAD.

Still, I think both FR and SN hurt VY a lot in BRU. Before also Italy (VCE and FCO) was stopped...

Cheers,

Stij

[lumumba]

It's a pity it was very useful to Lisboa ...

[sn26567]

It's a pity it was very useful to Lisboa ...

You can still choose between SN, TP and FR! Isn't that enough?

[Stij]

It's a pity it was very useful to Lisboa ...

If they weren't delayed...

[brabel]

... And Vueling was forced to retreat two years later…

Off course our Irish friends "forget" that Vueling is still flying from BRU to AGP, BCN, PMI, SCQ, IBZ,VLC and ALC. and if we include IB, also MAD.

Still, I think both FR and SN hurt VY a lot in BRU. Before also Italy (VCE and FCO) was stopped...

Cheers,

Stij

The article on hln doesn't mention SCQ.
I checked on vueling site and cannot see be any direct flights to SCQ

[sn26567]

The article on hln doesn't mention SCQ.
I checked on vueling site and cannot see be any direct flights to SCQ

SCQ was the only Vueling destination out of BRU that was not also served by Ryanair. It was briefly flown by Vueling before they realised that it was not profitable. It seems that Ryanair had a better marketing department.

[Passenger]

And Ryanair reacts immediately by launching cheap flights to Lisbon and Porto.
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/ryanair ... seat-sale/

The strategy of Ryanair thus was successful. As soon as Vueling had decided to open a base in Brussels with 10 destinations, Ryanair stepped in, opened its own base in Brussels with flights to exactly the same destinations, but at a lower price. And Vueling was forced to retreat two years later…

Ryanair announced its base at BRU in November 2013, and they started flying to/from BRU in February 2014. At that moment, Vueling was already present at BRU for ten years. And on 5th December 2014, Vueling announced its 3.000.000th million passenger at BRU (*).

To say that Ryanair chased away Vueling out of BRU, is typical O'Leary nonsense. Vueling is forced to reduce its operations at some airports because they have huge operational problems for months now: flights are planned, tickets are sold, but no aircraft are available. They already received a warning from the Spanish CAA about their delays and cancellations, so it's not abnormal they reduce activities at airports where they face triple competition: Ryanair, Easyjet and Brussels Airlines.

(*) https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/vueling ... -brussels/

[lumumba]

It's a pity it was very useful to Lisboa ...

You can still choose between SN, TP and FR! Isn't that enough?

I usely took the late flight around 20:00 this was a very practical flight ,I still have the TAP flight approximately at the same time but mostly it's more expensive....

[Flanker2]

Vueling is in a similar mess as Eurowings.
I think that the big win is for SN and TP. FR can bleed money on these routes, while SN and TP will do ok.
FR's half-*ssed strategy may have chased Vueling away partially, but it's also chasing its own customers away to SN and TP. If they had just stayed in CRL, the result would have been the same for them. Going back to CRL is not an option, as they risk losing their remaining customers.

FR is embarking on a suicide mission which will work in the short term, but they are turning into a legacy airline, so they will be another egg in the basket in a few years time.

[Stij]

Vueling is in a similar mess as Eurowings.
I think that the big win is for SN and TP. FR can bleed money on these routes, while SN and TP will do ok.
FR's half-*ssed strategy may have chased Vueling away partially, but it's also chasing its own customers away to SN and TP. If they had just stayed in CRL, the result would have been the same for them. Going back to CRL is not an option, as they risk losing their remaining customers.

Having flown the route BRU LIS BRU 5 times this year, I can guarantee you that your theory is wrong: 4 times out of 5 FR was considerably cheaper than SN or TP. Once, a very last minute trip in August, SN was a few € cheaper and so I flew them.

I agree however that when they move there base to CRL, I would be tempted to fly SN/TP again even if they cost more.

On FR's operations in BRU in general: the average price of an FR ticket out of BRU went up considerably over the last 12 months, so my guess is that the bleeding must have stopped or at least have been reduced a lot. If I compare summer 2016 to summer 2017, I see they augment their daily flights from an average 21 to an average of 27 flights per day, or, +30%. So I guess they're not on their way out.

When I compare the frequency on the routes where SN and FR compete, SN has at least as much rotations per day as FR, mostly even more, BCN being the exception. To be noted that FR's growth is more on new destinations then on current destinations, so SN is not going out either.

As a passenger I love this situation: it keeps prices low. I understand those who work for SN love it a bit less.

Cheers,

Stij

[Stij]

I checked on vueling site and cannot see be any direct flights to SCQ

According to www.brusselsairport.be there are 2 flights a week: on Tuesday and Saturday... and I found them on Vueling as well...

Cheers,

Stij

[sean1982]

FR is embarking on a suicide mission which will work in the short term, but they are turning into a legacy airline, so they will be another egg in the basket in a few years time.

1.242.000.000 EUR PROFIT after tax (just to put that into perspective, that's 310 times more then SN last year), but ladies and gentlemen ..... flanker has decided FR is on a suicide mission

[flightlover]

FR is embarking on a suicide mission which will work in the short term, but they are turning into a legacy airline, so they will be another egg in the basket in a few years time.

1.242.000.000 EUR PROFIT after tax (just to put that into perspective, that's 310 times more then SN last year), but ladies and gentlemen ..... flanker has decided FR is on a suicide mission

No wonder, with a fleet that is 10 times bigger and included mostly bigger aircraft than SN's. And every aircraft clocking more cycles per day also.
FR also has 1 overhead structure. Which, due too advantages off scale, will be more cost effective.

It's comparing apples and oranges.

[sn26567]

Gentlemen, please, this is NOT a Ryanair topic, but a Vueling thread. Back to topic please.

[sean1982]

FR is embarking on a suicide mission which will work in the short term, but they are turning into a legacy airline, so they will be another egg in the basket in a few years time.

1.242.000.000 EUR PROFIT after tax (just to put that into perspective, that's 310 times more then SN last year), but ladies and gentlemen ..... flanker has decided FR is on a suicide mission

No wonder, with a fleet that is 10 times bigger and included mostly bigger aircraft than SN's. And every aircraft clocking more cycles per day also.
FR also has 1 overhead structure. Which, due too advantages off scale, will be more cost effective.

It's comparing apples and oranges.

I said "to put it into perspective"

[sn26567]

We have received the following clarification from Brussels Airlines:

- It is not correct at all that Ryanair decided all of a sudden to launch flights to Lisbon and Porto. These flights were already announced months ago. Long before the Vueling withdrawal. Their statement of yesterday was once more confusing and at least not 100 pct. correct

- Also Brussels Airlines is increasing its presence. Compared to last winter season we will fly 10 times a week to Lisbon (7 last year) and we will for the first time operate flights throughout the winter season between BRU and Porto

- Vueling obviously didn’t say something about it but they are also withdrawing their Brussels-Bilbao service (route launched in spring 2015)

[sean1982]

we will for the first time operate flights throughout the winter season between BRU and Porto

Because star and codeshare partner TAP stopped the route. Something about pot and kettle ...

[sn26567]

Vueling obviously didn’t say something about it but they are also withdrawing their Brussels-Bilbao service (route launched in spring 2015)

I'm booked on a Vueling flight to BIO on 14 October. This flight doesn't exist anymore and Vueling failed to notify that to me. I think they'll have to pay me a compensation as per EU261 !!!