celtic_warrior

So 81,611 passengers used the route, from the inaugural flight to the end of April 2019. Roughly 55 %

bmibaby737

celtic_warrior

ah 10% below target then which isn't great. It's a shames numbers were so low initially as I feel they could have attracted a further 3,000 to 5000 passengers then.

Lets see what year two brings.

TravelDream

June's figures have been released. The route operated daily through June and carrier 6077 passengers.

That makes a load factor of 101 passengers per flight or 40%.

These are pretty horrendous number really. We had load factors in the 70% range in the winter, but what has happened to these number to collapse so much?

The number are better than last year though. There's been 35% growth from the 4,491 that used the service in June 2018. July 2018 saw a huge jump to 10,160. Let's hope for the same for July 2019.

I don't think Cardiff is an extreme outlier. Birmingham had a LF of 57% which isn't great either.

QatarA340

Perfect route for the A321LR

celtic_warrior

Perhaps they need to be more competitive on price ?

Richard Bell

I think QR usually feel that most new routes, like Cardiff, need to be able to support a daily wide-bodied aircraft, within a year-or-so of launch.

However in reality some routes can only deliver lower loads or are more popular with lower-revenue tourists rather than higher-paying business-travellers, so a smaller aircraft or less-than-daily service is required, to become profitable, the A321LR will certainly become part of the answer ... ask most travellers and I think they'll agree, they'd rather have a narrow-body than no service at-all !

On my own outlying route, from/to CNX/Chiang-Mai in Thailand, they decided to maintain a daily wide-body but make it seasonal instead. Roll-On the A321LR ?

Discounting to fill the planes is clearly not current QR commercial-policy, a strategy I personally disagree with, but have to acknowledge that it's up to the carrier ... if they want to price-push me to other OneWorld-carriers or their non-alliance competitors, then that's ultimately up-to-them.

My view would be that it's better to maintain the volumes so far as possible, until the blockade is eventually lifted & opportunities reappear to improve margins, and that since most people travel point-to-point via Doha, their network still benefits from the extra passengers on the onward-flights. Meanwhile an unusual commercial-situation requires lower-prices to maintain the business as-a-whole, longer term.

It will be interesting to see how they manage the Cardiff-route, once the initial two-year marketing-support deal expires.

NoY

I certainly wouldn't count on the blockade being lifted anytime soon.

IAN-UK

That can be a tough one. Tough because in broad terms a proportion of passengers happy to pay today's fares would leak into lower fares - so that increased revenue from new customers attracted by lower ticket prices could be wiped out by lower revenue from passengers who'd have paid more. In short, the demand curve rules

QR has some excellent revenue analysts. They're not given free rein, but rest assured someone capable will have run the ruler over CWL and passed his or her conclusions to the upper floors of QR Towers.

Whatever the message from analysts, AB seems intent on continuing the service. It could be that CWL punches above its weight in terms of its contribution to the network, and/or there could be local (Qatari) pressure to maintain the route.



I think the Welsh government is currently funding the operation to the tune of around £10,000 per week, and there could well be some additional, undeclared, subsidies. I don't know if the government will want to renew that arrangement, or, indeed, would be permitted to renew it. And no idea if the odd £million or so would, in any case, be a clincher

celtic_warrior

Perhaps the proposed devolving of air passenger duty will have an impact, if it goes ahead.

or a satay/saki esq fare. Saying that the lounge in Cardiff is poor from a business perspective.

IAN-UK

Cardiff is offering late August QR (economy) fares significantly cheaper than any other departure point in the UK. So I'll be training it down from Manchester to add one more bum on seat to that month's statistics.

I'm given the choice of changing trains in Cardiff itself or at Bridgend. Is one preferred to the other? And any oher words of wisdom to a first-time user of CWL ?

celtic_warrior

If it was me I would get off at Cardiff and then walk to the airport bus pick up ( they go every 20 minutes). They are far more frequent that the trains ( you also need to get a connecting bus with the train from Rhoose station to the airport)

The buses are free on weekends and for over 60s. Alternatively I think it is a £10 return journey. What date are you flying?

IAN-UK

Thanks for that!

So the Rhoose Cardiff International Airport that Trainline promises to deliver me to is a bus ride from the airport .. useful to know


I think the over 60 business is probably only for Welsh over 60s (better, resident in Wales over 60s). But it's a saturday, so the weekend free travel sounds good.


After a long journey, I hope the lounge will at least conjure up a beer and a sandwich Remember, I'm used to Manchester airport, so the bar for lounges is set pretty low ....

celtic_warrior

Sadly no Sandwich, but they do offer a soup or a cawl with some bread. There will be local craft beers in the fridge. You will be directed to use the lounge within the lounge.

I am flying on Saturday the 24th from CWL to Muscat.

IAN-UK

I look forward to discovering what cawl is. I shan't Google it: I look forwardsd to being delighted ....

Shame we shan't meet up, I'm two weeks earlier than you.