Geen Jets voor VLM

A318 · Post by **A318** » 16 Dec 2003, 16:12

Willem Vet, regionaal manager van de VLM in Nederland, vertelde dat met name de dienst van Rotterdam Airport op Londen City geweldig floreert. Uit onderzoek is gebleken dat het de snelste verbinding vanuit Nederland is met het Londense zakenhart, en met name de zakelijke passagier maakt er in toenemende mate gebruik van. VLM vertoont, mede daardoor, vooral in de omzet een gezonde groei. Net als bij de andere lowcost maatschappijen vertaalt zich dat helaas niet in een overeenkomstige toename van het resultaat.

VLM komt waarschijnlijk dit jaar net op de nullijn uit, maar blijft met optimisme haar dienstverlening uitbouwen, onder meer per 23 februari met een nieuwe lijndienst van Londen City naar Liverpool. Voor eventuele vlootuitbreiding komt vanuit overwegingen van efficiency alleen de Fokker F50 in aanmerking.

Hieruit blijkt dus dat VLM ook een lowcost maatschappij is en zij een eventuele uitbreiding van de vloot zullen doen met de Fokker 50.
Dus geen F70, F100 of Embraer voor VLM.

Greetz,

Erwin

Post by **sn26567** » 16 Dec 2003, 17:19

If Comet could understand this, she woud not be pleased. Would she remain a VLM fan? I'm not sure.

Erwin, since Dutch is not my mother tongue, I will leave it to you to translate

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 16 Dec 2003, 18:35

Can someone please provide a translation into English? This looks like it is a very interesting article and I am looking for more VLM news!

I saw the words "London City" and "low cost" in there, and whilst one goes with VLM, the other most certainly does not!!

This looks like it could be ominous!!!

Lien · Post by **Lien** » 16 Dec 2003, 20:04

Op het ogenblik blijft VLM met de F50, om zo weinig mogelijk risiko's uit te sluiten. Na een korte conversatie met hen moet ik hen wel gelijk geven.

Maar ze zullen ten slotte toch nog Jets kopen , op latere datum

:rock: :rock:

A318 · Post by **A318** » 16 Dec 2003, 22:24

Here the english translation:

Willem Vet, regional manager from VLM in Holland, told that the service from Rotterdam Airport to London City is having a great expansion. Results of a research showed that it is the fastest connection from Holland to the London business heart, and especialy the business traveller is using it more and more. Due to that VLM shows a healthy growth in gross results. Just like the other lowcost companies this growth is not shown in the netto results.

VLM expects this year to have a result ending with zero, but stays optimistic to keep on expanding, for example starting on 23 february with a new connection from London City to Liverpool, for a possible expanding of their fleet, due to efficiency, only the Fokker 50 would be the airplane for VLM.

All this shows that VLM is also a lowcost company and a possible expanding should be with a Fokker 50.
So no F70, F100 or Embraer for VLM.

Greetz,

Erwin

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 16 Dec 2003, 23:58

Let's just wait and see, we all know how quickly things can change in aviation!!

Anyway VLM does not want to get rid of their F50's, and I'm already more than happy with that

TWA

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 17 Dec 2003, 10:17

Thanks for the translation Erwin. From what Andre said, I thought it would be something really bad!! I am surprised though that they are sticking with the Fokker 50, I would have thought that they would want to increase capacity, as the F50s do get very full. The F50 is a wonderful little aircraft!!

Lowcost is not how I would describe VLM though.

A318 · Post by **A318** » 17 Dec 2003, 11:50

Comet wrote:Thanks for the translation Erwin. From what Andre said, I thought it would be something really bad!! I am surprised though that they are sticking with the Fokker 50, I would have thought that they would want to increase capacity, as the F50s do get very full. The F50 is a wonderful little aircraft!!

Lowcost is not how I would describe VLM though.

The F-50 is a good aircraft for them since the efficiency is very important as you can read, so in my opinion a very wise decision.
About the lowcost part I have to disagree with you, even mr. Vet said that they are also a lowcost company so let's be it that way, that doesn't mean they offer lowcost service and from your stories heard I think they are offering more.Anyway just checked their website and sorry Comet, but they are lowcost.
Rotterdam - London City (one way) incl. all taxes € 35,- !!!
Not a price that a full carrier would ask, for example check the KLM site for a flight Rotterdam - London City I think you getting a little sick when you see the difference

Greetz,

Erwin

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 17 Dec 2003, 12:00

When I say about VLM not being regarded as low cost, I am also thinking about the £100+ supplement added to the cost of an inclusive holiday to fly from Manchester with VLM and connect in LCY to Brussels or Antwerp. Their service is second to none though, I can vouch for that, and the inflight snacks are really nice. Maybe abolishing business class was a first step to this low cost thing, but the onboard service is still exactly the same as the best full service carrier.

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 17 Dec 2003, 13:58

As you all know VLM operates from BRU to LCY in cooperation with VEX.
But their tickets are not exactly low cost.

Erwin, you could praise yourself lucky, if you would have bought that 35€ o/w ticket from RTM to LCY.

Airporttaxes of BRU and LCY are already over 50€, and the cheapest ticket I could find on VEX-site was around 150€.
Whereas SNBA offered me on the same date a ticket return incl. tax for 85€ only (to LGW)!!!
Who is the low cost carrier now?!

As for VLM service on board , I agree with Comet: definitely not low cost.
Has anybody ever seen a low cost airline serving coffee in china!!!!, ..... well VLM does.
Not to mention their seatcomfort!!!! (which is btw the largest seat pitch I've erver seen on short-haul flights within Europe).

TWA

A318 · Post by **A318** » 17 Dec 2003, 17:37

Since you all know it better then the regional manager of VLM, I suggest you apply for a position in their management team.
It's just the way they say it themselves, VLM is a lowcost airline

Erwin

gliding-glider · Post by **gliding-glider** » 17 Dec 2003, 19:00

A318 wrote:Since you all know it better then the regional manager of VLM, I suggest you apply for a position in their management team.
It's just the way they say it themselves, VLM is a lowcost airline

Erwin

I must agree with Erwin ..... it happens more and more that some people on the forum seems to know it better then the specialist or the airline itself.

But OK, that's of course the aim of the forum .... open minded discussions.

Greetz

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 17 Dec 2003, 19:42

I tell it the way I see it

Low cost - ultra cheap, not always even tickets issued, on board service at extra cost, boarding free for all with no seats allocated at check in.

VLM - for the British traveller it is not the cheapest option (and none of you Belgian so-called "experts" can argue with that one because for me it would have cost more with VLM than SNBA), you get a standard airline ticket, the on boards ervice is like that of a full service carrier and very good, the seats are allocated at check in.

And that is from someone who has flown with the airline!!!!!!

TWA · Post by **TWA** » 17 Dec 2003, 22:49

Louise is right,
our comments are based upon true, objective facts and experiences with the airline.
The VLM management should be flattered when we experience their low cost airline as a full service one.

I have no problem with acknowledging them as a low cost company. But as already said, I've never seen fares like 35€ to LCY on VLM here in Belgium.

TWA

Post by **sn26567** » 18 Dec 2003, 09:49

Would RTM be a low-cost airport, like CRL?

That could explain the low fares!

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 18 Dec 2003, 09:52

TWA - you are talking sense and I agree with you. As you say, both you and me have experienced VLM and we base our comments upon experience of what the airline offers. The on board service of VLM is certainly not low cost, it is often of a higher standard than other full service carriers.

Looking at VLM fares from the UK, they are certainly not low cost, I can assure everyone of that.

A318 · Post by **A318** » 22 Dec 2003, 22:08

Comet wrote:TWA - you are talking sense and I agree with you. As you say, both you and me have experienced VLM and we base our comments upon experience of what the airline offers.

Since you base your comments on your experiences I wonder how you can always be so negative about Ryanair when you never ever took a flight with them????

Erwin

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 23 Dec 2003, 10:20

Because what I read about the "service" on Ryanair is enough to put me off flying with them, that's why!

A318 · Post by **A318** » 23 Dec 2003, 13:02

Comet wrote:Because what I read about the "service" on Ryanair is enough to put me off flying with them, that's why!

Bad excuse when you make a statement that you base your comments on your experiences!

Erwin

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 30 Dec 2003, 16:47

To all those who think that VLM are "low cost".

I have booked flights on SNBA for £96.30 between BHX and BRU, returning on the same day. The equivalent from VLM, from LCY (shorter flight) with similar times out and back would have cost £156.

Still think VLM are cheap!!???!!