Viking Supporters Co-operative

Viking Chat => Off Topic => Topic started by: Dutch Uncle on October 04, 2016, 03:57:50 pm

Title: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Dutch Uncle on October 04, 2016, 03:57:50 pm
I was looking to book a trip over from Northern Ireland for a match and I see no more flights on this route. Does anyone know if the route has been permanently dropped, or is it just seasonal?
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: auckleyflyer on October 04, 2016, 05:21:18 pm
Know the Newquay was dropped for winter on the 1st Oct and that air Lingus Belfast was being taken on by Flybe.
So they may have axed for winter (strange as not seasonal) or there may just be some adjustments as the operator changes.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Dutch Uncle on October 04, 2016, 05:35:06 pm
Many thanks Auckleyflyer
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Copps is Magic on October 04, 2016, 05:54:07 pm
Dublin still runs if that's any good to you.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Dutch Uncle on October 04, 2016, 06:01:05 pm
Thanks Copps - yes I saw that but it's quite a trek down there from where I am, and the times available didn't suit that well either (although I was leaving it late). I may well do that another time. It beats the ferry to Stranraer, and if flying I want to keep travel in England to a minimum (i.e. rather Dublin to Doncaster than Belfast to Leeds-Bradford).
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: knockers on October 04, 2016, 06:14:16 pm
They announced that they were doing Belfast on my Flybe flight this morning so probably a winter thing
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Dutch Uncle on October 04, 2016, 07:31:58 pm
Thanks knockers. I'll keep my eyes open, looks like it might not be a permanent thing.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: knockers on October 04, 2016, 08:13:59 pm
No probs Dutch. Only 48 on my flight to Amsterdam this morning. only a Tuesday morning but the airport was empty!
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: big fat yorkshire pudding on October 04, 2016, 09:18:53 pm
Was fuller than that when we flew a few weeks back. It's a great service to be fair, we'll be flying with them to Dublin later in the year.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Draytonian III on October 04, 2016, 10:34:32 pm
I'm still using the Leeds/Bradford route,then bus to railway station, then the train south,should only take 3 hours in total from Belfast City to Doncaster, the buses run every 20 minutes or so from the airport, trains about every half hour from Leeds to Doncaster.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: rich1471 on October 04, 2016, 11:19:20 pm
I use East Midlands or Manchester to get to Belfast for work I find Leeds Bradford a pain to drive to because of the flight timers travelling from Doncaster
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Draytonian III on October 04, 2016, 11:30:13 pm
Being a none driver it's easier to use  Leeds / Bradford, also the journey time is quicker, train and bus ,compared train from Manchester. East Midlands Parkway is about 3 miles from East Midlands airport ( different sides of the M1,great bit of planning ) and the taxi firms really rip you off. Leeds /Bradford is also cheaper if you pre book set trains ,less than £15 return
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: German Rover on October 05, 2016, 08:58:16 am
Flights to dusseldorf start soon apparently. would be ideal for the England Germany match in Dortmund in the spring.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: idler on October 05, 2016, 09:07:36 am
The thing that narks me about Leeds Bradford is having to pay £3 to go through the car park even if it's only two minutes.
That means my taxis are £13 instead of £10. This is because Arrow cabs at the airport pay to stand there and don't want other cabs there.
I still use my local firm for the five mile journey but with tip it's £15.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: bobjimwilly on October 05, 2016, 09:23:03 am
Being a none driver it's easier to use  Leeds / Bradford, also the journey time is quicker, train and bus ,compared train from Manchester. East Midlands Parkway is about 3 miles from East Midlands airport ( different sides of the M1,great bit of planning ) and the taxi firms really rip you off. Leeds /Bradford is also cheaper if you pre book set trains ,less than £15 return

always found it a ball ache to get to Leeds/Bradford if you don't drive? Doncaster on the other hand is very good for bus services.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Filo on October 05, 2016, 11:51:31 am
The thing that narks me about Leeds Bradford is having to pay £3 to go through the car park even if it's only two minutes.
That means my taxis are £13 instead of £10. This is because Arrow cabs at the airport pay to stand there and don't want other cabs there.
I still use my local firm for the five mile journey but with tip it's £15.

East Midlands is the same but £2, Donny you get 15 mins free in the carpark, ideal for drop offs
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: idler on October 05, 2016, 08:43:58 pm
It was free here Filo but Arrow cabs complained that they were paying the airport for the privilege of parking there for customers while other firms were just dropping off and picking up for nothing.
My local firm still gets my trade so don't know if Arrow benefited in the long run. The airport have though. It's £7 for a minibus as well.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: MrFrost on October 07, 2016, 05:04:54 pm
Know the Newquay was dropped for winter on the 1st Oct and that air Lingus Belfast was being taken on by Flybe.
So they may have axed for winter (strange as not seasonal) or there may just be some adjustments as the operator changes.

It is the Dublin route they are taking over, not Belfast. Belfast hasn't been operated at the airport for sometime. Mickey Mouse outfit LinksAir were the last to operate it and they packed in about two years ago.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Draytonian III on October 07, 2016, 07:11:36 pm
I once used the LinksAir planes , got to the airport in plenty of time, got checked in then into departures. My flight was called and I made my way onto the tarmac and there was a bloke lifting bags into the hold,got on board and seated in one of the 19 seats ,then the same bloke did the safety instructions before pulling the curtain back at the front and climbing into pilot's seat !!!! I only used them that once
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: DearneValleyRover on October 07, 2016, 07:41:54 pm
Dublin flights will stop on 31/10/16. I'm having to fly from Manchester for the rest of the year.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: MrFrost on October 07, 2016, 08:00:00 pm
Dublin flights will stop on 31/10/16. I'm having to fly from Manchester for the rest of the year.

They stop with Lingus but FlyBe take over the route the week after Lingus finish
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Mike_F on October 10, 2016, 10:50:08 am
Hope Flybe have better flight times for business users. I fly into Dublin quite regularly for work (office in Co. Kildare) but always have to use Manchester or Leeds to get a 9am-ish flight as the flights from Donny are in the middle of the day so it would be a working day wasted on travel.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: big fat yorkshire pudding on October 10, 2016, 11:39:50 am
Our flight to Dublin is about 650 downside is there's only one a day so wouldn't work for you.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: GM-MarkB on October 11, 2016, 06:25:05 pm
Hoping to use the Dublin route to New York next year......the Aer Lingus run route is way cheaper than any other i've found
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: MrFrost on October 12, 2016, 08:16:31 am
Hoping to use the Dublin route to New York next year......the Aer Lingus run route is way cheaper than any other i've found

Flybe have the route from next month onwards, there aren't any onward US connections
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Mike_F on October 28, 2016, 04:46:28 pm
Our flight to Dublin is about 650 downside is there's only one a day so wouldn't work for you.

Yep. Bloody shote.

I'm over there for the day on the 10th and again on the 14th-15th and will have to schlep across to Leeds Bradford for both trips. Surely it would make more sense for them to run a morning flight out and evening flight back instead of turning round and coming straight back in the morning.

It can't be much use to business travellers getting into Donny at 10am!
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: MrFrost on October 31, 2016, 05:09:22 pm
Our flight to Dublin is about 650 downside is there's only one a day so wouldn't work for you.

Yep. Bloody shote.

I'm over there for the day on the 10th and again on the 14th-15th and will have to schlep across to Leeds Bradford for both trips. Surely it would make more sense for them to run a morning flight out and evening flight back instead of turning round and coming straight back in the morning.

It can't be much use to business travellers getting into Donny at 10am!

There isn't enough demand, and the way the aircraft basing works, they'd have to operate an empty plane back over to Docaster again, and then back out to Dublin for the return leg. Very costly. Like it or not, flights from Doncaster aren't aimed towards business travelers.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: Mike_F on November 02, 2016, 08:51:09 am
Right, so if the aircraft isn't based at Dublin it wouldn't be allowed to stay there for the day and fly back later? I bet it's practically empty on the return leg to Donny.

Maybe they could use it to go Donny-Dublin-Barcelona-Munich-Dublin-Donny therefore utilising more efficiently it for a full day. I bet it doesn't just sit on the tarmac at Donny when it gets back from Ireland.
Title: Re: Flights from Doncaster to Belfast
Post by: MrFrost on November 02, 2016, 10:15:12 am
Right, so if the aircraft isn't based at Dublin it wouldn't be allowed to stay there for the day and fly back later? I bet it's practically empty on the return leg to Donny.

Maybe they could use it to go Donny-Dublin-Barcelona-Munich-Dublin-Donny therefore utilising more efficiently it for a full day. I bet it doesn't just sit on the tarmac at Donny when it gets back from Ireland.

No, it will operate one of the other FlyBe routes when it returns to Doncaster.

The FlyBe Dublin route only commenced a few days ago, so no idea what the loads are like.