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Aircoach Dublin-Cork express

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    #122
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,542 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    bk wrote: »
    In terms of marketing I don't think you have to spend a fortune on it, with fancy TV ads, etc.

    Instead, well the first step would be to get articles in the newspapers and news about the new service. I'm very surprised this service launched and not a single mention of the new service in the press or news. This is first step would be simple PR.

    Then hire a few of those flat bed trucks with the ads on the back, put on the ad, Dublin to Cork 3hours for €22 and park them outside Heuston and Bus Aras and a few people wearing those ad boards with loud speakers and handing out leaflets outside Heuston and Bus Aras.

    Basically just directly target the existing people who travel Cork to Dublin.

    I think the bus industry needs a Michael O'Leary type of character. Someone to do controversial things and get lots of free publicity.

    Very often in the transport industry services have a "soft" launch before subsequently having a public launch at a later stage. This allows the operator an opportunity to monitor performance and establish that the schedule is achievable or to iron out problems. As an example, Bus Eireann had a soft launch for the X51 before being more visible in their marketing later.

    Perhaps Aircoach don't feel the need to be as agressive as you would like to be - not every company likes to adopt those sort of tactics. Similarly Gobus have not adopted these tactics on the Dublin/Galway route.

    Frankly I think that the last thing that is needed is a MOL approach.


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    #123
    Vahevala
    Registered Users Posts: 1,681 ✭✭✭Vahevala


    I see this happening on both routes from and to the airport, arriving into O'Connell Street from the airport with not a soul on it several times a day. No company can maintain that on a long term basis...


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    #124
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,457 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    lxflyer wrote: »
    Perhaps Aircoach don't feel the need to be as agressive as you would like to be - not every company likes to adopt those sort of tactics.

    Why wouldn't a compnay want to gain as many customers as possible?
    lxflyer wrote: »
    Similarly Gobus have not adopted these tactics on the Dublin/Galway route.

    Not true, there was a massive war on the Galway route at the start between GoBus and Citylink, with loads of local advertising on the Galway side and ticket prices of just €1.

    There is still loads of advertising on the Galway side with loads of ads on bins, posters etc. near to the bus and train stations.


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    #125
    serfboard
    Registered Users Posts: 4,675 ✭✭✭serfboard


    lxflyer wrote: »
    Very often in the transport industry services have a "soft" launch before subsequently having a public launch at a later stage. This allows the operator an opportunity to monitor performance and establish that the schedule is achievable or to iron out problems. As an example, Bus Eireann had a soft launch for the X51 before being more visible in their marketing later.

    Perhaps Aircoach don't feel the need to be as agressive as you would like to be - not every company likes to adopt those sort of tactics. Similarly Gobus have not adopted these tactics on the Dublin/Galway route.

    Agreed. I was on the early GoBus service, launched with no national advertising and limited local advertising. This was back before the M6 was even completed (IIRC Ballinasloe->Athlone was either just built or being built). I remember there were about 10 people on the bus.

    Now any time I get one it's either full or almost full.
    lxflyer wrote: »
    Frankly I think that the last thing that is needed is a MOL approach.
    Agreed. Some people think he's great crack - I think he's a pain in the h**e.


    I secretly agree with some of what he says, though :o


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    #126
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,542 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    bk wrote: »
    Why wouldn't a compnay want to gain as many customers as possible?

    Not true, there was a massive war on the Galway route at the start between GoBus and Citylink, with loads of local advertising on the Galway side and ticket prices of just €1.

    There is still loads of advertising on the Galway side with loads of ads on bins, posters etc. near to the bus and train stations.

    I was referring to when the services were launched originally.

    Every company has their own approach, and frankly I'm rather glad that Aircoach see themselves as being above taking what I would call the "gutter tactics" that you seem to be proposing.

    There are different ways of skinning a cat and all out war does not need to be one of them. I'm quite sure that Aircoach will market the service as they see appropriate. They are hardly amateurs at operating coach services, and as such, I would suggest, do know what they are doing.


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    #127
    bk
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,457 Mod ✭✭✭✭bk


    lxflyer wrote: »
    Every company has their own approach, and frankly I'm rather glad that Aircoach see themselves as being above taking what I would call the "gutter tactics" that you seem to be proposing.

    While I disagree with a lot that MOL does, it can't be argued that he is a genius in publicity.

    Every time he opens his mouth, with another crazy idea, he gets massive amounts of front page press and unending conversations on talk radio shows.

    You couldn't buy publicity and marketing like that and he gets it all for free!!

    No reason the coach industry couldn't have a similar figure. Some one who would attack and question the ridiculous massive subsidies Irish Rail get and in doing so also increases the profile of his or her own company and the coach industry in general.


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    #128
    Cool_CM
    Registered Users Posts: 4,937 ✭✭✭Cool_CM


    devnull wrote: »
    Cool CM how many people were on your service? From what I saw last couple of days most coaches are at best a third full, no wonder with no advertising, GoBus will kill them when they launch and it'll be a very expensive defeat for them. Shame really as there is a huge number of people would use such service, if they knew about it.

    In any case, not content with one service nobody knows about, the word on the street is that they may be launching another service soon between two different cities!

    I was on the 10am from Cork last Thursday morning and it was more or less full, same with the 2pm to Cork on Monday.
    The wifi worked on the way up but not on the way down


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    #129
    dowlingm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    Ah, Michael O'Leary.

    If he was running Aircoach as an alternative to IE/BE he'd be running service from Dublin to Ballina but would switch to Westport and back again by finding some way to get each local town council to fund his operations and 12-24 months later play them off each other plus threaten to relocate the whole service to Sligo instead. And you can be damned sure he'd find a way out of the free travel scheme because OAPs and social welfarites wouldn't give his on-bus sales people 5 euro per passenger in sales over the course of the journey.


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    #130
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,326 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    bk wrote: »
    While I disagree with a lot that MOL does, it can't be argued that he is a genius in publicity.

    Every time he opens his mouth, with another crazy idea, he gets massive amounts of front page press and unending conversations on talk radio shows.

    You couldn't buy publicity and marketing like that and he gets it all for free!!

    Seriously doubt that any member of the public takes notice any more when Micko pulls one of his publicity stunts like claiming he's going to charge to use the onboard bog or charge a fat tax for overweight passengers.

    The reason he gets free publicity is because lazy journalists are only too willing to give over lots of acreage to his rantings but you can't go on fooling the public for ever.


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    #131
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    coylemj wrote: »
    Seriously doubt that any member of the public takes notice any more when Micko pulls one of his publicity stunts like claiming he's going to charge to use the onboard bog or charge a fat tax for overweight passengers.

    The reason he gets free publicity is because lazy journalists are only too willing to give over lots of acreage to his rantings but you can't go on fooling the public for ever.
    much of what Michael o'leary spouts about would be illegal to implement anyway just like claiming he would not refund passengers caught up in the volcano chaos even though Ryanair were legally obliged to, he soon apologised and backtracked when confronted with the possibility of being grounded europewide!

    What Bus routes need are companies like Aircoach who have vast experience of providing a quality reliable service which Irish Rail/Bus Eireann just dont have because there is no real accountability in semi-state companies.


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    #132
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens over the coming weeks and then we'll find out if their tactics have worked or not, I remain skeptical though unless they have some master plan that we just don't know about yet.


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    #133
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    devnull wrote: »
    I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens over the coming weeks and then we'll find out if their tactics have worked or not, I remain skeptical though unless they have some master plan that we just don't know about yet.
    Well Irish Rail have started cutting back by using 3car 22000 sets on the Cork service so I can only see the Aircoach service flourishing unless the clowns in government ban coaches from motorways.


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    #134
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,542 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    3 car 22000s have been in use for over two years on the 0800 and 0900 departures and their return from Cork (Mondays to Thursdays).

    Nothing new about that whatsoever.


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    #135
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    lxflyer wrote: »
    3 car 22000s have been in use for over two years on the 0800 and 0900 departures and their return from Cork (Mondays to Thursdays).

    Nothing new about that whatsoever.
    They are also being used on other services now it appears.


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    #136
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,542 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    Presumably due to a maintenance issue with a Mark 4 set. Frankly you are making a mountain out of a molehill as usual.

    All other Dublin/Cork services remain rostered for Mark 4 sets.


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    #137
    token101
    Registered Users Posts: 3,050 ✭✭✭token101


    Bus Eireann have a sh*t service and deserve to go under. Their buses are in an atrocious state, seats ripped, ancient decor, and they seem to be always filthy. They seem to take far longer to get to Dublin from Cork, even accounting for stopovers on both services. Their WiFi is non existant, even in the city/ town centres it doesn't work. Aircoach on the other hand have clean, spacious coaches for almost the same price.


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    #138
    devnull
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 11,584 Mod ✭✭✭✭devnull


    lxflyer wrote: »
    Presumably due to a maintenance issue with a Mark 4 set. Frankly you are making a mountain out of a molehill as usual.

    All other Dublin/Cork services remain rostered for Mark 4 sets.

    Totally agree - just another excuse for foggy_lad to have a go at Irish Rail without any foundation, the changes on the Dublin to Cork train has nothing to do with the Aircoach service and anyone suggesting it does is misguided.


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    #139
    thewiseowl12
    Registered Users Posts: 169 ✭✭thewiseowl12


    2 quick questions I'm hoping for advice on:

    May have to head to Cork tomorrow evening from Dublin but not entirely certain so don't want to book ticket online in advance.. does anyone know if the 8pm or 23.59 service to cork are generally busy so that I could buy ticket on the bus.

    Secondly do aircoach charge to bring bikes?

    Many thanks.


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    #140
    BenShermin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 701 ✭✭✭BenShermin


    Took the 1400 train this afternoon from Heuston to Cork (cheap fare being the only reason) by the time I briskly walked from Kent Station to Patrick's Quay the 1400 express Aircoach had just arrived from Dublin.

    Proof enough for me that the service is quicker than the train city centre to city centre.


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    #141
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,542 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    BenShermin wrote: »
    Took the 1400 train this afternoon from Heuston to Cork (cheap fare being the only reason) by the time I briskly walked from Kent Station to Patrick's Quay the 1400 express Aircoach had just arrived from Dublin.

    Proof enough for me that the service is quicker than the train city centre to city centre.

    It's proof that it is comparable with a train making 5 stops or more en route. There is a difference.


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    #142
    markpb
    Registered Users Posts: 9,250 ✭✭✭markpb


    lxflyer wrote: »
    It's proof that it is comparable with a train making 5 stops or more en route. There is a difference.

    That's what the train offers right now on most of the services - any other comparison is pie in the sky. If and when Irish Rail improve the Cork-Dublin service, people can review their opinions.


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    #143
    LXFlyer
    Registered Users Posts: 17,542 ✭✭✭✭LXFlyer


    markpb wrote: »
    That's what the train offers right now on most of the services - any other comparison is pie in the sky. If and when Irish Rail improve the Cork-Dublin service, people can review their opinions.

    The statement made did not mention "most services" - it was a rather more sweeping statement than that

    The key business trains (0615 and 0730 ex-Cork and 1700 ex-Dublin) which are the most time sensitive all take 2 hours 30/35 minutes. Not every train throughout the day is as time sensitive as these - some are more price sensitive.

    Of course there is a need to improve journey times, through a recast of the timetable along with the proposed infrastructural investments, but sweeping statements that the bus is faster than the train are not completely factual.


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    #144
    dardhal
    Registered Users Posts: 121 ✭✭dardhal


    thewiseowl12 wrote: »
    Secondly do aircoach charge to bring bikes?

    Many thanks.

    According to the "conditions of carriage" and the information in the Cork - Dublin service flier, it may be possible to carry a bike at no additional cost, provided there is enough space left in the hold:
    Luggage allowance
    Up to 2 suitcases (up to 20kg each) in the hold
    and one small item of hand luggage in the coach.
    Additional luggage may be carried but is subject to
    space availability. Any item that can not be
    easily lifted may be refused and you should
    ensure all luggage is suitably packed.
    I think a quick phone call to the company is in order, and you would have greater chances of being allowed to carry your bike if it is packed in a dedicated bike bag, rather that as-is. Asking one of the drivers if you can drop by to one of the stops would be great, as they are the ones that will allow or deny your bike.


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    #145
    foggy_lad
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,373 ✭✭✭✭foggy_lad


    lxflyer wrote: »
    It's proof that it is comparable with a train making 5 stops or more en route. There is a difference.

    The people on the bus don't want to stop along the route they want to get from City Centre to City Centre quickly and for a price that wont break the bank so the bus is just as fast or a bit faster depending on how you get between Heuston and Dublin City Centre.


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    #146
    Tragedy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,057 ✭✭✭Tragedy


    lxflyer wrote: »
    It's proof that it is comparable with a train making 5 stops or more en route. There is a difference.

    He said city centre to city centre. Heuston Station is not city centre. In his case, Aircoarch was ~5-15mins faster than the train.


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    #147
    dowlingm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    BenShermin wrote: »
    Took the 1400 train this afternoon from Heuston to Cork (cheap fare being the only reason) by the time I briskly walked from Kent Station to Patrick's Quay the 1400 express Aircoach had just arrived from Dublin.

    Proof enough for me that the service is quicker than the train city centre to city centre.
    By the standard of analysis presented, all IE have to do is swap the timetable for the 1400 (2h50) with the 1500 (2h45) so their customers will never see the Aircoach arrive because it will be 5 minutes further out. :rolleyes:

    I'll be interested to see what Aircoach do with phase 2 though. The harder they push IE the harder it will be for political forces to resist IE dropping frequencies on intermediate stops on the Dublin-Cork services - notably the two stops in Tipperary North constituency (correction - Ballybrophy seems to be in Laois Offaly).


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    #148
    Sea Filly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭Sea Filly


    Got the express service yesterday morning at 10am, Cork to Dublin. It was fully occupied, in fact people were turned away! It was great, a very pain-free journey, got to Batchelor's Walk in 2hrs 50mins. Will never get the train again for Cork-Dublin as long as this service lasts.


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    #149
    Sea Filly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭Sea Filly


    token101 wrote: »
    Bus Eireann have a sh*t service and deserve to go under. Their buses are in an atrocious state, seats ripped, ancient decor, and they seem to be always filthy. They seem to take far longer to get to Dublin from Cork, even accounting for stopovers on both services. Their WiFi is non existant, even in the city/ town centres it doesn't work. Aircoach on the other hand have clean, spacious coaches for almost the same price.

    +1.

    The big plus for me, which may seem like a small thing, is that Aircoach has leather (or at least leatherette) seats, not those awful fabric-covered ones the BE always has. Fabric-covered seats give me travel sickness, it's the dust and the mustiness. :(


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    #150
    dowlingm
    Registered Users Posts: 5,309 ✭✭✭dowlingm


    Sea Filly wrote: »
    Got the express service yesterday morning at 10am, Cork to Dublin. It was fully occupied, in fact people were turned away! It was great, a very pain-free journey, got to Batchelor's Walk in 2hrs 50mins. Will never get the train again for Cork-Dublin as long as this service lasts.
    Sea Filly, do you know if Aircoach indicated a relief bus for those turned away or were people just told to wait for the 1100 which is 1h45 later arrival? How was boarding order handled (since Aircoach says online bookers are guaranteed a seat). Even though I wasn't happy with my one Aircoach trip previously (where a late relief bus to Westmoreland Street and slow service from there meant I arrived at my destination unacceptably late) I would consider using them ex Cork or ex DUB when I go back in the summer as long as I can board the trip I booked/it leaves on time.

    EDIT: I note kids under 5 travel free which would be helpful in my case. Does the freebie kid get a seat of its own or must it travel on the parent's lap? The FAQ doesn't specify and the booking engine gives no place to specify you have a freebie travelling.


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    #151
    Sea Filly
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,213 ✭✭✭Sea Filly


    dowlingm wrote: »
    Sea Filly, do you know if Aircoach indicated a relief bus for those turned away or were people just told to wait for the 1100 which is 1h45 later arrival? How was boarding order handled (since Aircoach says online bookers are guaranteed a seat).

    The people who didn't get on were told to wait for the 11am bus (I always sit at the front of the bus to prevent travel sickness so take it all in. :)). The people who booked boarded first, then it was first come, first serve for the remaining seats. Glad I booked, wasn't going to! :)


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