Is the new name for Flybe meant as a taunt to BA
Oct 15, 2019, 4:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Mucci, BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,038
Is the new name for Flybe meant as a taunt to BA
Flybe is being renamed Virgin Connect is this meant as a dig to BA and it's failure to serve the regions as per the now long lost BA Connect?
Oct 15, 2019, 4:36 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,399
I always thought that the name Flybe was a reference to the old USA legacy (I forget which one) carrier's ad:
"I'm XXX [female first name]. Fly me."
"I'm XXX [female first name]. Fly me."
Oct 15, 2019, 8:28 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
Oct 15, 2019, 8:33 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
”i’m Mandy/fly me” was national airlines I believe
Oct 15, 2019, 9:44 pm
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,517
I liked British European better...
Oct 15, 2019, 9:46 pm
#6
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,172
nancypants It was indeed National Airlines. it was Mandy/Candy/Karen/Lauren or whatever name came to some adman’s mind. I think that Mandy was the 10cc song. They actually served LHR at one stage from. I get solicitations almost daily fly Flybe so I imagine that they’re probably about to be swallowed and the bits/routes that don’t suit will be spat out. The regions are not well served now, what will happen in the future is far from certain.
Oct 15, 2019, 9:58 pm
#7
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NT Australia
Programs: QF WP
Posts: 4,160
Yeah the whole fly thing feels like a modern trend, a la i-everything or e-everything
i still remember the pretty colours on the jersey European bag tags at LBA back in the 90s. So many memories...
PUCCI, yes i’m sure nothing will be done as a public service here. The SOU flybe routes were always notoriously unreliable when I was living there, I think SOU-LBA (my primary route back in the day- when it happened...) was canned and then turned into a milk run, no idea what the current status is
i still remember the pretty colours on the jersey European bag tags at LBA back in the 90s. So many memories...
PUCCI, yes i’m sure nothing will be done as a public service here. The SOU flybe routes were always notoriously unreliable when I was living there, I think SOU-LBA (my primary route back in the day- when it happened...) was canned and then turned into a milk run, no idea what the current status is
Oct 16, 2019, 12:21 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
nah, it was originally jersey European, then renamed British European (presumably coinciding with an increased route network taking in more of mainland UK), and then became flybe which i suppose is just FlyBritishEuropean, along the lines of similar such as flyDubai, I think flyBMI was a thing at some point, etc etc
ISTR that when Jersey European rebranded to British European, it needed consent from BA to adopt the new name. (Which, clearly, was given.)
Oct 16, 2019, 2:27 am
#10
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Around somewhere
Programs: Gold, Some red card and some hotel cards.
Posts: 708
Oct 16, 2019, 7:17 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,607
Flybe's previous position for me was to provide a pretty decent set of destinations in the EU from Birmingham. Hannover, for instance. But a lot of its routes will have competed with AF/KLM's money makers, though they might do ok for the regionals to smaller airports.
From my experience when they changed for the E170's to the Prop planes, they were Fly May be Some Time.
From my experience when they changed for the E170's to the Prop planes, they were Fly May be Some Time.
Oct 16, 2019, 7:54 am
#14
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: LON/NYC/SIN/Peckham
Programs: BA Gold, FB Gold, *G, Hilton Diamond, Just Eat Platinum For Life
Posts: 168