dg4255

Saw this ticker on the stock board in Canary Wharf station.. then saw it here on Reuters.. http://www.reuters.com/article/AIRLI...EB122320071224

Wonder what this means for LCY service. For the moment, KLM has had somewhat crappy service, especially on the weekends, from LCY.. And then AF stopped flying the CDG-LCY route.. What next?

mgeldere

Mmmm, this sounds like good news - sounds like their will finally be a good London-Brussels and London-Luxembourg connection with an option to earn FB miles. Also, this is likely to bring back the route that KLM scrapped ages ago, LCY-Rotterdam.

This is likely to increase the frequency of SkyTeam flights from LCY to Amsterdam as VLM currently has several flights per day. Probably a wise move from AF-KL since BA recently announced the start of this route from May 2008 onwards.

Hope they will announce integration of the FF programmes soon, I live only a few minutes from LCY airport and adding VLM to the SkyTeam programme sounds like a great idea to me - it means that 80% or so of flights from LCY are now operated by AF-KL (via CityJet or VLM).

Matt.

johan rebel

And reduce the service standards to KL's pathetic level.

Johan

Jaimito Cartero

graraps

Fantastic news! Hopefully we'll soon be able to collect ST miles for MAN-LCY flights. ^

TheFrankFlyer

This is a great Christmas gift, especially as I just made Platinum for 2008

Wonder how long it will take them to integrate VLM into either KLM Cityhopper or CityJet, hopefully a codeshare by the summer timetable.

So what will happen to ScotAirways deal now, does AFKL really need them to operate to Strassburg, EDI and Belfast. They could just use a VG F50.

graraps

I guess they'd rather use as many slots as possible to as many destinations as possible out of LCY. May even see MAD back or even a couple of flights to LBA!

stimpy

I flew VLM once from LCY to AMS. I chose them because they were significantly cheaper than the other options. I wonder if those low prices will go away now.

FWIW I thought the whole experience on VLM was fine.

tgv2

mid 2008 AMS_LCY
Boarding at the gate? That's not possible anymore. Take a bus to the platform

browserden

Unless National Express ruins the GNER route why would anyone want to fly to Leeds? T3 tried the LCY-NCL route in 2006 but it wasn't very successful, I was always meaning to use it but the train was too convenient and the restaurant more than makes up for the longer journey time. Of course if VG offered a NCL route earning FB miles it may tempt me away from the train if NXEC don't come up with a loyalty programme to replace GNERtime.

As for the takeover itself I've always thought that VLM was a logical takeover target for KLM and also fits in well with AF plans at LCY. I'm mostly positive about the takeover but will be sad to see VLM disappear as an independent entity as their competition was responsible for improvements to KLM's LCY-AMS operation.

So what will happen with the VLM brand? Although AF has kept the identity of KL separate and has promised the same with AZ (and has recently given more significance to the CityJet brand) I can see someone in marketing seeing VLM as too close to KLM and kill the brand. If that happens they'd probably be branded either KLM Cityhopper or CityJet (full title: CityJet for Air France by VLM on behalf of KLM).

I imagine that KL will want to keep VG's LCY-RTM service and maybe add LCY-EIN to replace the LHR service.

I think this will see the end of Menzies ground handling at LCY as I think VLM is the only remaining airline to use them (ScotAirways and Eastern used to use them too), I think they should combine all the check-in desks for VG, AF and KL into one large check-in area - at the moment AF and KL seem like separate airlines at LCY due to AF doing their own ground services.

Leon

I started flying VLM because they were cheaper on one-day-returns. VLM would charge around 100 GBP for LCY-AMS rtr and KLM >200GBP. For a overnight stay KLM would drop the fare to 142 GBP and VLM to 90 GBP.

Then I continued flying VLM because their service level is so much higher compared to KLM Cityhopper's. As others in this thread I fear service will be brought down to KLM level and price up to KLM level. I am back to Easyjet from Stansted should that happen...

layz

I'd be more worried about reducing the service to CityJet level. KLC still has better sandwiches and a better drinks selection (not a patch on VG but could be worse).

Also VG's only jet I believe is in a 2-3 configuration as opposed to a 3-3 on the same CityJet metal.

VLM is profitable, hopefully they'll realise that they got into that position by competing on quality. AFKL is now undisputedly dominant at LCY, but BA is trying to increase presence at the airport and AFKL still has competition on many of their LCY routes. As well as direct competition at LCY the train is also a competitor for BRU, MAN, PAR and ANR (possibly AMS too at a push when the high speed line is done).

stimpy

And when will that be? 2018? The Dutch government was supposed to have approved high speed earlier this year but they said they need to "study it for some time".

JOUY31

UK authorities have approved the take-over of VLM.

http://www.businesstravelworld.com/p...6/EntryID=1230

layz

Until I read that article I had not realised that CityJet operated flights between LCY and AMS. None of the companies involved in the takeover are British so why does the UK have any say in the matter?

It sounds like Eastern Airlines will be launching a LCY-AMS service, personally I'd have preferred they'd reinstate their NCL service. There's competition on the AMS route with BA.

I class LCY as a premium airport, I'd rather see a wider range of destinations filling the limited number of slots rather than a number of airlines competing on the same route. There's plenty of cheap flights from the other London airports.