5th A330 for Brussels Airlines

[tolipanebas]

Following summary are the additions to the SN long haul network, as found in the GDS

ACC: 4 weekly on monday (1), wednesday, friday (1), sunday
COO: 2 weekly thuesday, saturday (1)
LFW: 2 weekly monday(1), friday
OUA: 2 weekly on thursday, sunday

(1): with a stop

Also, some schedule increases are loaded, like
ABJ: from 4 times weekly to 6 times weekly

[RoMax]

As I expected from the time someone posted these four destinations. I thought they would fly 2 times a week to OUA, COO and LFW and I expected more flights for Accra.

[RoMax]

Also, some schedule increases are loaded, like
ABJ: from 4 times weekly to 6 times weekly

And what will be the other existing destinations that will get extra frequency with these new flights? Not only ABJ I think.

[tolipanebas]

As I expected from the time someone posted these four destinations. I thought they would fly 2 times a week to OUA, COO and LFW and I expected more flights for Accra.

You had expected more flights than 4 weekly? Don't forget LH also serves ACC....

I still remember some members in particular even expressed their doubts about SN opening several additional destinations at once with their 5th Airbus, and rather prefered to read SN's comment about them wanting to open ONE NEW destination strictly as such, although it was pretty obvious SN couldn't just limit itself to adding just 1 destination when analysing the situation carefully, even without any inside information

With hindsight, this discussion from a few months ago, is interesting reading:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=40177&start=180#p226020

[tolipanebas]

And what will be the other existing destinations that will get extra frequency with these new flights? Not only ABJ I think.

Currently, the only way to find all info on the new routes and destinations, is to do individual searches in the GDS, so it is only possible if you know more or less what to look for, so finding destinations previously not served is way easier than looking for additional services, especially if they are served in triangular flights, so I won't spend my time doing that, if you don't mind...

Maybe somebody with more time at hands, wants to do it? Otherwise, just wait for the schedule to be published officially by SN. Probably can't be long now....

[RoMax]

And what will be the other existing destinations that will get extra frequency with these new flights? Not only ABJ I think.

Maybe somebody with more time at hands, wants to do it? Otherwise, just wait for the schedule to be published officially by SN. Probably can't be long now....

Well if SN reads Luchtzak.be they must see that they don't have to wait any longer, so hopefully today or tomorrow.

[Air Key West]

Some will rejoyce seeing four new destinations. However, if "thinner" routes like COO, LFW and OUA want to be interesting for business pax and attract business pax, they need to be flown to at least three times a good in order to approximately have a flight every other day. In addition to the Accra service, imo it would habe been better to fly 3 x weekly to two new destinations instead of three. Again, I think that b.air's low cost mentality has prevailed : b.air thinks it can make (business) pax travel when b.air wants them to travel, which is completely wrong. No business traveler will stay more than one extra day at his destination to fly back. This why it is important to have a flight at least every other day, but that's something the tourist-and-backpackers-oriented strategy does not take into account. Unless b.air did not get traffic rights for 3 weekly flights, in which case I am in for a mea culpa, but two flights a week is really very little.
The increase to six flights a week to ABJ is, on the other hand, a big improvement.

[tolipanebas]

However, if "thinner" routes like COO, LFW and OUA want to be interesting for business pax and attract business pax, they need to be flown to at least three times a good in order to approximately have a flight every other day. Unless b.air did not get traffic rights for 3 weekly flights, in which case I am in for a mea culpa, but two flights a week is really very little.

Don't overestimate the economic importance of places like COO or LFW.
Most traffic on these routes is ethic even at AF, so frequency is not really that important to most pax, price is.

I am very pleased to see ABJ being increased to 6 weekly however, because contrary to COO for instance, ABJ is a major business destination, so adding frequencies does help make this route far more attractive to high yielding pax. I fully expect ABJ to become SN's third destination to be served daily, in a few years. :thumbup:

Also, launching ACC with 4 times weekly is fairly impressive, personally I would have guessed them not to go beyond 3 times a week, I have a feeling they are going to work together with LH on this route, and have them fill a large portion of the flight. LH currently serves ACC as well, and the route is doing great.

Finally, don't forget 2 times weekly to COO and LFW is the schedule at the launch of the route.
If ABJ is anything to go by: that route was launched with just 3 weekly flights, upped to 4 weekly after a few years and now moves to almost daily... Building routes in AFI takes time, you know? Who knows, COO and LFW might be upped to 3 weekly if they perform really well over time too...

I think the dots are pretty much on the map now, what's next for SN in AFI to build the network and up frequencies as they move along. Bring on that 6th long haul plane, I'd say!

[Air Key West]

As usual, tolipanebas, you have got very valid points. And, indeed, now bring on the 6th A330 ! I would rather invest in additional A330s (low to medium risk investment) than in Korongo (high risk investment), but that's my personal opinion.

[tolipanebas]

As usual, tolipanebas, you have got very valid points. And, indeed, now bring on the 6th A330 ! I would rather invest in additional A330s (low to medium risk investment) than in Korongo (high risk investment), but that's my personal opinion.

LH serves ACC on _234_6_
SN will serve it on 1_3_5_7

meaning the combined schedule is in fact DAILY, with a double flight midweek even; I'd say that is fairly impressive as an offer to pax from allover Europe: KL/AF or BA won't be pleased to see this...

wonder if they have moved around flight days on other destinations too?
Notably the flightdays to NBO weren't really ideally scheduled in this perspective.

[sn26567]

Notably the flightdays to NBO weren't really ideally scheduled in this perspective.

LH does not fly to NBO: they send their pax to ZRH to catch LX flights, which indeed are not coordinated with the SN flights (the coordination with SR in the past was much better).

Why does LH not better cooperate with SN to NBO?

[Air Key West]

The answer could be that LX flies 6 times a week to NBO (although one flight is a charter operation also in some cases marketed as a regular flight) whereas SN only flies three times a week to NBO. In addition, LX flights are nonstop. So, it does make sense to favour LX over SN to NBO, although the old Business class still offered by LX to Africa is far inferior to SN's.

[diminbru]

message from SN on twitter :

All the information concerning the launch of the new African destinations will be communicated next week!

[FLYING CARPET]

LH serves ACC on _234_6_
SN will serve it on 1_3_5_7

meaning the combined schedule is in fact DAILY, with a double flight midweek even; I'd say that is fairly impressive as an offer to pax from allover Europe: KL/AF or BA won't be pleased to see this...

wonder if they have moved around flight days on other destinations too?
Notably the flightdays to NBO weren't really ideally scheduled in this perspective.

Just a small correction:
LH serves ACC on 1_34_67
SN will serve it on 1_3_5_7 (as stated correctly)

= Not a daily "LH/SN frequency as day 2 is having no flights on either.
But then, on 1,3 & 7 will be a busy day in ACC...

[diminbru]

what about the flight to DKR? Will there be direct flights? These flights are usually full...

[tolipanebas]

Just a small correction:
LH serves ACC on 1_34_67
SN will serve it on 1_3_5_7 (as stated correctly)

= Not a daily "LH/SN frequency as day 2 is having no flights on either.
But then, on 1,3 & 7 will be a busy day in ACC...

Are you sure about the LH flight on Monday?

I can't find it back in their timetable: http://www.lhtimetable.com/LH.pdf

[FLYING CARPET]

Just a small correction:
LH serves ACC on 1_34_67
SN will serve it on 1_3_5_7 (as stated correctly)

= Not a daily "LH/SN frequency as day 2 is having no flights on either.
But then, on 1,3 & 7 will be a busy day in ACC...

Are you sure about the LH flight on Monday?

I can't find it back in their timetable: http://www.lhtimetable.com/LH.pdf

Yes, according to 1A:

TE05JULFRAACC/ALH
** AMADEUS TIMETABLE - TE ** ACC ACCRA.GH 05JUL10 12JUL10
1 LH 566 1 FRA 1 ACC 1015 1440 0 28JUN10 25OCT10 333 6:25
2 LH 566 3 FRA 1 ACC 1025 1450 0 07JUL10 11AUG10 343 6:25
3 LH 566 4 FRA 1 ACC 1000 1430 0 15APR10 28OCT10 343 6:30
4 LH 566 6 FRA 1 ACC 1025 1450 0 26JUN10 14AUG10 333 6:25
5 LH 566 7 FRA 1 ACC 1025 1455 0 18APR10 24OCT10 343 6:30
NO MORE FLIGHTS 05JUL10 TO 12JUL10

[HighInTheSky]

According to Metrotime (newspaper Metro) SN will organise a press conference on monday to announce several projects.

Dutch:
http://www.metrotime.be/nlnewsbelga.htm ... d=46342300

French:
http://www.rtlinfo.be/info/economie/bel ... le-burkina

News is provided by the BELGA press agency.

[Darjeeling]

Six times a week for Ivory Coast seems a bit weird.
Loads have been so so for the last months and Ivory Coast is all set to live a new major political crisis in the coming months. Economy there is in serious continuous decline: Even EK could reconsider its presence there.

[EICAS]

Can anyone confirm the registration will be OO-SFV?