Apr 16, 2018, 1:34 am
Last edit by: Seat54
Inaugural Flight Wiki:
Flight Number // FT username // Seat Number // Connecting from/to
QR324 : lost_in_translation : classified : QR874 (DOH-CAN)
QR323 : seat54 : 7K : QR831 (BKK - DOH)
QR324 : seat54 : 7K : QR946 (DOH - SIN)
Flight Number // FT username // Seat Number // Connecting from/to
QR324 : lost_in_translation : classified : QR874 (DOH-CAN)
QR323 : seat54 : 7K : QR831 (BKK - DOH)
QR324 : seat54 : 7K : QR946 (DOH - SIN)
The CWL (Cardiff) Master Thread
Aug 23, 2018, 2:19 am
#166
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Great
But I think others might not have been. I reckon there were around 25 flights leaving Cardiff for Doha in June: so, using the CAA stats, that suggests an average of around 90 bums on seats through that month. All sorts of caveats about statistics, and my back-of-an-envelope maths
It will be great if the airline manages to increase that performance by the 70-odd percent required to lift it to the 160-170 average passenger load "doing the rounds on the internet" . But perhaps better not to hold your breath .....
Aug 23, 2018, 2:44 am
#167
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Cardiff
Programs: qatar airways platinum
Posts: 731
Aug 24, 2018, 6:28 am
#169
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
Aug 24, 2018, 8:13 am
#170
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Cardiff
Programs: qatar airways platinum
Posts: 731
Aug 25, 2018, 2:51 am
#172
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
About the bear: the artist produced three of them, another yellow and the third blue. The Doha one cost Qatar's royal family just shy of £15 million: no idea if they sold it on to the airport, or donated it, when they found it too big for the living-room.
Aug 25, 2018, 3:39 am
#173
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
Thanks for that - I spend more time in economy than business-class, so it's refreshing to see trip reports reflecting the experience of the vast majority of travellers.
About the bear: the artist produced three of them, another yellow and the third blue. The Doha one cost Qatar's royal family just shy of £15 million: no idea if they sold it on to the airport, or donated it, when they found it too big for the living-room.
About the bear: the artist produced three of them, another yellow and the third blue. The Doha one cost Qatar's royal family just shy of £15 million: no idea if they sold it on to the airport, or donated it, when they found it too big for the living-room.
£15 Million for that bear!? If you’d asked me to guess how much it cost, i’d of said maybe £10,000!
Aug 26, 2018, 1:10 am
#174
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Doha, Qatar
Posts: 374
My parents were on QR 321 yesterday (Saturday) morning. The seat map was full when checking their seats. I know that doesn't mean anything though! I haven't asked them yet it it was a full flight. They did tell me they had to wait ages for the bags to arrive in CWL!
When the flew QR 322 last Friday (17th) they said it was roughly half full.
When the flew QR 322 last Friday (17th) they said it was roughly half full.
Aug 28, 2018, 4:43 am
#175
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
Cardiff Airport July stats are out.
Doha saw 10,160 passengers which is around 163 per flight and a load factor of 65% (not my calculations but seems about right). For comparison, Birmingham airport saw 12,256 passengers use Qatar for July.
Doha saw 10,160 passengers which is around 163 per flight and a load factor of 65% (not my calculations but seems about right). For comparison, Birmingham airport saw 12,256 passengers use Qatar for July.
Aug 28, 2018, 9:56 am
#176
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 380
Not bad loads I suppose (65% is correct) and Qatar haven't been offering fares from Cardiff any cheaper than anywhere else in the UK (IME) so yield per passenger shouldn't be that different.
For comparison, with 12,256 passengers from Birmingham the load factor was 78% - but that's a more established route.
I mainly worry about this route in the winter. I have a feeling the October/ November/ February/ March load factors will be absolutely dreadful.
Some good news for Cardiff is that passengers on the AMS route with KLM (the only other major connecting airline) are up 14% (raw figures) on July last year and I work out the load factor to be 78% (presuming KLM ran 84 flights in July on the E175) - so it seems that Qatar are generating new passengers/ stealing from other UK airports rather than cannibalizing KLM's passengers.
For comparison, with 12,256 passengers from Birmingham the load factor was 78% - but that's a more established route.
I mainly worry about this route in the winter. I have a feeling the October/ November/ February/ March load factors will be absolutely dreadful.
Some good news for Cardiff is that passengers on the AMS route with KLM (the only other major connecting airline) are up 14% (raw figures) on July last year and I work out the load factor to be 78% (presuming KLM ran 84 flights in July on the E175) - so it seems that Qatar are generating new passengers/ stealing from other UK airports rather than cannibalizing KLM's passengers.
Aug 28, 2018, 10:29 am
#177
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
Not bad loads I suppose (65% is correct) and Qatar haven't been offering fares from Cardiff any cheaper than anywhere else in the UK (IME) so yield per passenger shouldn't be that different.
For comparison, with 12,256 passengers from Birmingham the load factor was 78% - but that's a more established route.
I mainly worry about this route in the winter. I have a feeling the October/ November/ February/ March load factors will be absolutely dreadful.
Some good news for Cardiff is that passengers on the AMS route with KLM (the only other major connecting airline) are up 14% (raw figures) on July last year and I work out the load factor to be 78% (presuming KLM ran 84 flights in July on the E175) - so it seems that Qatar are generating new passengers/ stealing from other UK airports rather than cannibalizing KLM's passengers.
For comparison, with 12,256 passengers from Birmingham the load factor was 78% - but that's a more established route.
I mainly worry about this route in the winter. I have a feeling the October/ November/ February/ March load factors will be absolutely dreadful.
Some good news for Cardiff is that passengers on the AMS route with KLM (the only other major connecting airline) are up 14% (raw figures) on July last year and I work out the load factor to be 78% (presuming KLM ran 84 flights in July on the E175) - so it seems that Qatar are generating new passengers/ stealing from other UK airports rather than cannibalizing KLM's passengers.
Word of mouth seems to suggest it’s a steal from LHR/BHX. Qatar will have some victory if it’s stolen passengers that would normally fly EK/EY, but could of potentially canabilised their own LHR pax.
Sep 4, 2018, 1:54 am
#178
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Cardiff
Programs: qatar airways platinum
Posts: 731
Well my two recent flight to and from CWL were packed. 4 spare seats in Econ on Sat 25th August ( 2 Qatari ladies upgraded to Business at check in for £1500.00)
On my return flight today, economy was over sold so they upgraded me to Bus for free. Only 1 seat left in Business.
The girl at check in @cwl told me that in August they were regularly getting 190 pax
My flights to and from Bangkok , both in C were very low loads. 7 in J on the q suites on the 26 August and about 40% full on the A380 on Sunday 2 September.
On my return flight today, economy was over sold so they upgraded me to Bus for free. Only 1 seat left in Business.
The girl at check in @cwl told me that in August they were regularly getting 190 pax
My flights to and from Bangkok , both in C were very low loads. 7 in J on the q suites on the 26 August and about 40% full on the A380 on Sunday 2 September.
Sep 4, 2018, 1:36 pm
#179
Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 380
That's good to hear! I've only flow in and out of CWL once. The inbound flight was very quiet, but the outbound flight had a pretty good load. Business also seemed pretty full on that second flight - though on the first flight there were only four in that cabin.
I wait with baited breath to see the CAA figures at the end of the month for August. Hopefully the route can keep this momentum.
It seems like CWL-BKK is the go to route! When I flew out of Cardiff the person in-front of me, next to me and the person arguing over excess luggage were all heading to BKK. I'd be interested to see where passengers actually end up and I imagine BKK would be right up there.
I wait with baited breath to see the CAA figures at the end of the month for August. Hopefully the route can keep this momentum.
It seems like CWL-BKK is the go to route! When I flew out of Cardiff the person in-front of me, next to me and the person arguing over excess luggage were all heading to BKK. I'd be interested to see where passengers actually end up and I imagine BKK would be right up there.
Sep 5, 2018, 2:28 am
#180
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Cardiff
Programs: qatar airways platinum
Posts: 731
That's good to hear! I've only flow in and out of CWL once. The inbound flight was very quiet, but the outbound flight had a pretty good load. Business also seemed pretty full on that second flight - though on the first flight there were only four in that cabin.
I wait with baited breath to see the CAA figures at the end of the month for August. Hopefully the route can keep this momentum.
It seems like CWL-BKK is the go to route! When I flew out of Cardiff the person in-front of me, next to me and the person arguing over excess luggage were all heading to BKK. I'd be interested to see where passengers actually end up and I imagine BKK would be right up there.
I wait with baited breath to see the CAA figures at the end of the month for August. Hopefully the route can keep this momentum.
It seems like CWL-BKK is the go to route! When I flew out of Cardiff the person in-front of me, next to me and the person arguing over excess luggage were all heading to BKK. I'd be interested to see where passengers actually end up and I imagine BKK would be right up there.