Ryanair at Brussels ?

[airazurxtror]

http://www.independent.ie/business/iris ... 50499.html

Big-city airports are keener to talk to Ryanair after the recession, Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said.
“Almost any airport that we don’t fly to is talking to us across Europe,” the CEO said in an interview in Dublin.
Ryanair has avoided some of Europe’s top airports, often routing passengers to terminals 25 miles or more from the cities they serve, such as Brussels Charleroi, Glasgow Prestwick and Milan Bergamo.
O’Leary’s plan rules out only London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt am Main as targets because of the need to turn planes around in 25 minutes.

Ryanair at BRU would be nice - they would attract a lot of people who don't like to drive the 50-60 km to CRL, and be welcomed by those who do go to CRL but would much prefer boarding their flight at BRU, even if it's 20-30 euros more expensive ...

[Ducatibiker]

No way, I dont want to pay 30 euros extra. Just returned from BDX - 60 euros ticket (without bags) and found check in people much more friendly at Charleroi than BRU. Also security is much more efficient at Charleroi.

[Stij]

No way, I dont want to pay 30 euros extra. Just returned from BDX - 60 euros ticket (without bags) and found check in people much more friendly at Charleroi than BRU. Also security is much more efficient at Charleroi.

Hi ducatibiker,

How do you knowhow the check in people are more friendly in crl then in bru if you didn't have any bags? Unless fr's website was really friendly to you, but he's irish! Personally my experiences are quiet the opposite.

Cheers,

Stijn

[guuuuuust]

Ryanair at BRU would be nice - [/quote]
That would be indeed very nice ! Now I often fly ryanair just because it's so far away but if they operate from BRU they would for sure attract more people as i heard alot of people don't want to drive to CRL !!

I really hope they are coming soon !!

[BrightCedars]

I don't think there is a place for Ryanair in BRU. First of all I don't think BRU can offer the kind of price Ryanair expects and second there is already easyJet in place. The low-cost terminal doesn't seem to be a priority and I would personnally not support that when the expansion of the A pier is still needed and when there are capacity issues at peak hours at the B pier.

The only way for Ryanair to start flights out of BRU is to get subsidies out the pockets of the Flemish taxpayers and I'm pretty sure NVA wouldn't allow that, even if it may hurt the Walloon economy in Charleroi. Wallonisering was the word of Quick's tweet? I think at this pace we'd soon have a solid enough definition for Vlaamiserie to use that word instead!

[Acid-drop]

i heard alot of people don't want to drive to CRL !!

Oh ? they don't like the road without trafic ? they don't like the cheaper parking ?

[regi]

http://www.independent.ie/business/iris ... 50499.html

Big-city airports are keener to talk to Ryanair after the recession, Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said.
“Almost any airport that we don’t fly to is talking to us across Europe,” the CEO said in an interview in Dublin.
Ryanair has avoided some of Europe’s top airports, often routing passengers to terminals 25 miles or more from the cities they serve, such as Brussels Charleroi, Glasgow Prestwick and Milan Bergamo.
O’Leary’s plan rules out only London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt am Main as targets because of the need to turn planes around in 25 minutes.

Ryanair at BRU would be nice - they would attract a lot of people who don't like to drive the 50-60 km to CRL, and be welcomed by those who do go to CRL but would much prefer boarding their flight at BRU, even if it's 20-30 euros more expensive ...

Look at his vocabulary: he states it as if the airports contact Ryanair. But that is not true. He says that they are talking to Ryanair, probably meaning that the secretary now is allowed to pass through a phonecall from Ryanair to a manager who goes about those contacts.
Btw, seems that Ryanair needs a lot of talking because we still don't see the return of Ryanair to Ostend airport. Or did something go wrong with the money transfer of the subsidies?

[guuuuuust]

i heard alot of people don't want to drive to CRL !!

Oh ? they don't like the road without trafic ? they don't like the cheaper parking ?

No they don't like the distance from East-Flanders !! And most of the people i know like to go to an airport by train, because it's easy and there is no risk for your car and no high parkingmoney !!

[Acid-drop]

let's do the test now, with route.tomtom.com that have live trafic :
Gent => CRL : 1h10
Gent => BRU : 0h59

And not everybody is leaving in east flanders
by train it's also easy, well, you have to take a 10min bus for the last km but it's ok.

[fcw]

Look at his vocabulary: he states it as if the airports contact Ryanair. But that is not true. He says that they are talking to Ryanair, probably meaning that the secretary now is allowed to pass through a phonecall from Ryanair to a manager who goes about those contacts.
Btw, seems that Ryanair needs a lot of talking because we still don't see the return of Ryanair to Ostend airport. Or did something go wrong with the money transfer of the subsidies?

FR is the biggest intra European carier, BRU would be foolish no to talk to them!
AMS, BCN, CPH and LIS, to name a few, are all talking to Ryan and or Easy and offering lots of facilities and slots.

[Didymus]

by train it's also easy, well, you have to take a 10min bus for the last km but it's ok.

It's f***** not okay! During weekends, there is only one crammed bus an hour and the trains are often subject to heavy delays which subsequently results in missing that one bus. Arriving on time in Charleroi-Sud does still not mean that you actually can get on the bus.

Two weeks ago, we arrived in the nick of time at Charleroi Airport despite leaving Ghent 5 hours before the departure of our flight. The road distance between Ghent and CRL is only 110 km...

Reaching CRL easily by public transport? Think again!

[Conti764]

Look at his vocabulary: he states it as if the airports contact Ryanair. But that is not true. He says that they are talking to Ryanair, probably meaning that the secretary now is allowed to pass through a phonecall from Ryanair to a manager who goes about those contacts.
Btw, seems that Ryanair needs a lot of talking because we still don't see the return of Ryanair to Ostend airport. Or did something go wrong with the money transfer of the subsidies?

FR is the biggest intra European carier, BRU would be foolish no to talk to them!
AMS, BCN, CPH and LIS, to name a few, are all talking to Ryan and or Easy and offering lots of facilities and slots.

I am pretty sure that although FR would bring in a lot of pax, they would bring much less to BRU financially. FR asks so much incentives the financial margin for an airport like BRU would be to small to give up valuable slots and parking space for an airline like FR.

CRL ten years ago was the perfect airport for FR. Few pax, few companies, lots of slots and space available and a government willing to grant them the incentives they need. None of those conditions are present at BRU. The airport is too small in the morning, the terminal is cramped with pax and the current users of BRU would go frantic if BRU would grant FR the incentives they need. Have you forgotten the stir they created when BRU was going ahead with its low cost terminal?

[airtrotter]

It's f***** not okay! During weekends, there is only one crammed bus an hour and the trains are often subject to heavy delays which subsequently results in missing that one bus. Arriving on time in Charleroi-Sud does still not mean that you actually can get on the bus.

so true!
well, maybe there are two busses an hour, but in my experience (3 times) they were always delayed (once more than 30 min) and crammed with people and baggage...really don't like it.
Man, going by train to BRU...stopping and literally walking into the airport, what a difference! Going to be even better when DIABOLO is finished.

[regi]

It's f***** not okay! During weekends, there is only one crammed bus an hour and the trains are often subject to heavy delays which subsequently results in missing that one bus. Arriving on time in Charleroi-Sud does still not mean that you actually can get on the bus.

so true!
well, maybe there are two busses an hour, but in my experience (3 times) they were always delayed (once more than 30 min) and crammed with people and baggage...really don't like it.
Man, going by train to BRU...stopping and literally walking into the airport, what a difference! Going to be even better when DIABOLO is finished.

The son just did the Ryanair thing combined with another trip with Easyjet. When I asked him Ryanair or Easyjet, it was immediately Easyjet ( better boarding, less tricky (!) , better seats, just better ) . And if possible from Brussels instead of leaving home very early to reach Charleroi with 2 trains and a bus.
But...if Ryanair would depart from Ostend, that would change matters for us, from Bruges.

[Stij]

Well, if FR starts flying from major airports I don't expect them to want to negotiate the deals they did at secondary or tertiary airports. FR's bargaining position just isn't so favourable.

I would imagine FR flights out of major airports to be 20 to 40€ more expensive then form secondary airports.

But pay attention: they want to move into Easyjet territory. U2 should have more experience with this kind of business model.

These are gonna be interesting times!!!

Cheers,

Stij

[liege-bierset]

Not willing to be ironic...But MOL was talking about big- city airports !
On the other hand, do you expect eurocrats flying Ryanair ?

[Stij]

Not willing to be ironic...But MOL was talking about big- city airports !
On the other hand, do you expect eurocrats flying Ryanair ?

Well, according to Wikipedia BRU was nr. 24 in 2009, so 23 "big" airports are in front of BRU, but:

MOL ruled out 3: LHR, CDG and FRA.
FR is already flying to 7: MAD, LGW, BCN, PMI, DUB, STN and MAN
4 destinations aren't in the EU: IST, ZRH, DME and AYT

In conclusion: BRU is in MOL's top 10!

Another problem: AMS, ORY, MXP, FCO MAN, LGW and CPH are already well served by Easyjet (the market is taken!!!)

BRU's position is now 5 or something...

To be honest, when I made this list I was supprised to see that Easyjet has already major operations at 30% of the EU's major airports. I'm wondering more then ever now how FR's gonna enter that market... If the future of low cost is not anymore in secondary airports, Easyjet has better cards in their hands then Ryanair.

Cheers mate!

Stij

[liege-bierset]

All in all, I agree with you Stij.
But If ever FR were to move to BRU, it would be devastating for the home carrier, since you can imagine they would go after most profitable SN routes
On top, as Acid-drop is suggesting, acces to Zaventem is not always that easy and quick.
When I was still active (a few years ago), I needed to catch an early fight, say twice a week.
Due to usual traffic jamming, unexpected accidents, road works, poor weather (and you name it) ; very often I needed to leave home before 5.00 am. Not to mention: once there, searching for a car parking, I.D. check and long queuing at security gate!
And this is not only true for those travelling from Liège but also coming from Limburg, Antwerpen,Oostende, West, South and East of Belgium.
The Diabolo thing is not for tomorrow and traffic is getting worst and worst but this and other story.
Rgds.
JCC

[airazurxtror]

On top, as Acid-drop is suggesting, acces to Zaventem is not always that easy and quick.
When I was still active (a few years ago), I needed to catch an early fight, say twice a week.
Due to usual traffic jamming, unexpected accidents, road works, poor weather (and you name it) ; very often I needed to leave home before 5.00 am.

Well, if you come from Liège, it can indeed take some time to arrive at Zaventem.
But i was speaking of the Brusselaars, who are an important part of the BRU customers.
Coming from Brussels is easy and quick, especially early in the morning.
From the European quarter to the BRU airport, it takes less than 15 minutes - a bit more later in the day, let's say 20 minutes - even with the works in progress at the moment : Meiser place, and the tunnel near the NATO (the tram line is nearly finished).
From the same place in Brussels to the CRL airport, early in the morning, it takes no much less than 45 minutes ...

[regi]

All in all, I agree with you Stij.
But If ever FR were to move to BRU, it would be devastating for the home carrier, since you can imagine they would go after most profitable SN routes
On top, as Acid-drop is suggesting, acces to Zaventem is not always that easy and quick.
When I was still active (a few years ago), I needed to catch an early fight, say twice a week.
Due to usual traffic jamming, unexpected accidents, road works, poor weather (and you name it) ; very often I needed to leave home before 5.00 am. Not to mention: once there, searching for a car parking, I.D. check and long queuing at security gate!
And this is not only true for those travelling from Liège but also coming from Limburg, Antwerpen,Oostende, West, South and East of Belgium.
The Diabolo thing is not for tomorrow and traffic is getting worst and worst but this and other story.
Rgds.
JCC

I agree here with you. Each time I depart from BRU I watch the traffic website. But departing from Charleroi isn't that perfect as well. There are road works on the A17 between Lichtervelde and Roeselare, taking at least 15 minutes away for those who want to travel to Charleroi on the southern loop, and other roadworks near Tournai/Doornik. There are roadworks at Charleroi, coming from Brussels.
Coming from West-Flanders, it is easier to go to Brussels by public transport than to Charleroi.

IMHO I don't think that Ryanair gives a damm about travel delays of its passengers. Ryanair only wants better connections to the airports its serves to get more traffic, not to make it easier or more reliable for the customer. And Ryanair will not pay for those solutions.