Ryanair at Brussels Airport

[teddybAIR]

How many of their A/C are based at CRL?

I believe 12 and 1 spare, making 13 in total.

Well, then some of those could easily be relocated to BRU? Isn't a base with 13 A/C a rather large base for RYR?

[RoMax]

Well, then some of those could easily be relocated to BRU? Isn't a base with 13 A/C a rather large base for RYR?

Last summer they had 16-17 aircraft based at CRL. But indeed CRL is (or was?) one of their largest bases, I believe the largest in northern continental Europe (Dublin and STN are of course bigger and in Southern Europe maybe something like Bergamo?).

[sdbelgium]

Last Summer it was the 4th largest base in the network, indeed after STN, DUB and BGY. The 3 or 4 aircraft that were usually added in Summer, are now being relocated to the new bases in (mainly) BRU, CTA, PMO, SUF, FCO, ATH, SKG and LIS. There is no increase in the number of planes in CRL this Summer, so it will stay at 12-13.

[Sean_DM]

4) Seating arrangement: the one option I didn't check at RYR was to choose my seats while at JAF, by default I know they seat the entire family together. But again, this is quantifyable as at Ryanair it would have cost me 5€ a seat to book them in advance. 6 seats = 30€ extra...still financially more interesting to fly RYR but the gap is becoming very small now, isn't it? We're flying with a three year-old and last year (son was less than 24 months back then) there was exactly one empty seat on the plane and JAF staff made sure we were seated in the row that had the free seat...now that's a gesture I easily value at 50€ since we have to be honest: when your kid is less than 24 months, you don't pay for his seat.

Can I just clarify this point teddybair,
When checking in online with FR, the system will automatically alocate all people on the same booking next to each other, even when you don't choose your seats, so free of charge. Only when you check in last last minute and all seats are practically allready allocated then the system might seperate the group (as there are no seats together anymore)

But even then, the cabin crew is instructed to make sure childeren are never separated from their parents, so we would look for volunteers on board the re-sit them so families with childeren are always seated together

[teddybAIR]

Ok, thank you Sean! Didn't know that! That is actually very valuable information because I consider it very important to be able to sit together when flying with a 3yo. Will take it into account the next time

(btw, I sincerely appreciate how the mood has improved on the forum!)

[airazurxtror]

No need to believe anything sean, swissport still runs on the old Sabena software; we can look straight into your figures

Brussels Airlines indulging in a bit of industrial spying ?
Is their situation so very desperate ?

[cnc]

No need to believe anything sean, swissport still runs on the old Sabena software; we can look straight into your figures

Brussels Airlines indulging in a bit of industrial spying ?
Is their situation so very desperate ?

its a DCS system...
why do you always have to make a fool of yourself?

[teddybAIR]

Out of curiosity: what is a DCS system?

[cnc]

Out of curiosity: what is a DCS system?

it stands for departure control system, the sabena/swissport belgium DCS for example is from switzerland and mutliple companies use it (most have their own DCS client like WINDSM for sabena) and in turn the DCS systems are linkend with others.
in DCS flights are created, check-in, loadplan & loadsheet, ARR, DEP, LDM,... messages are generated and send
the reason why SN has access to the DCS swissport is using is because part of the handling process is done by SN nowdays.

[teddybAIR]

And it allows to look at another operator's load factors? I would consider that strategic information, no?

[cnc]

And it allows to look at another operator's load factors? I would consider that strategic information, no?

it doesn't but its very easy to request the flights of the day or an other date and see how many seats are free/used
you should see it as a counter part of CRS like amadeus and galileo but then for ground service/handling.

[teddybAIR]

ok, thanks cnc!

[Inquirer]

I have noticed on several accounts that airlines can indeed look directly into each others bookings, notably when they are seeking re-routing options, so I suppose that indeed such is possible yes, if you are on the same computer system, which apparently is the case with the ryanair flights from BRU.

I found this explanation on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departure_control_system
Looks like it is sort of a standardized computer interface which allows handlers (and apparently also others on it) to go straight into the reservation and check-in system of the airlines linked to it in order to gain all the operational data they may need, all without them having to gain access to the airline's own systems or asking for the information.

[Sean_DM]

Loadfactors is one thing but it is not a say-all-be-all. Yields and ancilliary revenues, THAT is strategic info

[Airbus330lover]

Re routing is one thing and was normal inter IATA airlines and before the expansion of LCC.
Is this kind of "semi open" system normal in 2014 and the future is antother thing.
Load factor OK, but for the rest, the system needs to be adaptated

[tolipanebas]

Load factor OK, but for the rest, the system needs to be adaptated

SN does semi-self handing at BRU, under the swissport umbrella: check in, transfer pax and their luggage handling, gate agents, northbound AFI cargo, VIP etc, so it's entirely normal to have full access to all operational data on their GDS, like pax loads, gender compositions,weights and fuels, number of bags expected and actually checked in, number of hand luggage moved to the holds, and other stuff, otherwise we can't do the semi self handling.
The Ryanair scratchcard isn't in the GDS, but other than that....

[sn26567]

The Ryanair scratchcard isn't in the GDS, but other than that....

You made my day

[Airbus330lover]

The Ryanair scratchcard isn't in the GDS, but other than that....

Another future IT development ?

[sn47031]

Regarding DCS:
Behind DCS you have an UCF (user control file) for each user. The UCF file is controlled by an airline admin or by the provider (before Atraxis Belgium for SN or Atraxis AG for the other ailrlines). SN took the option to provide the admin rights to Atraxis Belgium before. In the UCF is defined which rights you have into DCS or GDS. It can be admin, superuser, general sales, etc and for which airline.
I doubt very much that a B-air (SN) staff would have access to FR figures.
BTW there was even an option to play the game Tictactoe but we never granted that option.

[brusselsairlinesfan]

Do the FR flights out of BRU still perform at the same levels as the first days? Do the loadfactors show the same impressive figures?