Our local airlines...

Noxegon

Earlier today I flew on a domestic flight in Bangladesh from Dhaka to Chittagong, operated by local airline Novoair.

I was given a newspaper on boarding, and the flight included a meal service despite being in the air just thirty minutes. The plane was a spotlessly clean Embraer regional jet and there was ample leg room. There were no PA announcements about duty free, smoking, lottery tickets, a completely full flight, hand baggage, et al - just a concise safety demonstration and a prayer for a safe flight repeated in two languages at a sensible volume.

The flight cost about €35.

Makes you wonder.

Tenger

Plus la change indeed!

Tabnabs

Or SAS today...

dazed+confused

Noxegon wrote:

Makes you wonder.

Wonder about what you can offer fares for when you only have to pay staff a bowl of rice a day.

Shannon757

Noxegon wrote: »

Earlier today I flew on a domestic flight in Bangladesh from Dhaka to Chittagong, operated by local airline Novoair.

I was given a newspaper on boarding, and the flight included a meal service despite being in the air just thirty minutes. The plane was a spotlessly clean Embraer regional jet and there was ample leg room. There were no PA announcements about duty free, smoking, lottery tickets, a completely full flight, hand baggage, et al - just a concise safety demonstration and a prayer for a safe flight repeated in two languages at a sensible volume.

The flight cost about €35.

Makes you wonder.

What's this to do with Our local airline?

Graham

Shannon757 wrote: »

What's this to do with Our local airline?

We don't need to rely on a multi-lingual pre-flight prayer anymore???

Tenger

Shannon757 wrote: »

What's this to do with Our local airline?

Noxegon is making a comparison with the local airline market (dominated by FR and EI) as opposed to the market in Bangladesh.

However it is not that simple. Local economy, average wage, national GDP/GNP (whichever one is the important one!!) salary levels and demand have created the low cost fight in Europe. 'Our' legacy airline has had to go low cost in order to survive against the behemoth of the ULCC FR (who in fact are moving away from that model as their massive scale allows "extra's" to creep in)

Del2005

Noxegon wrote: »

Earlier today I flew on a domestic flight in Bangladesh from Dhaka to Chittagong, operated by local airline Novoair.

I was given a newspaper on boarding, and the flight included a meal service despite being in the air just thirty minutes. The plane was a spotlessly clean Embraer regional jet and there was ample leg room. There were no PA announcements about duty free, smoking, lottery tickets, a completely full flight, hand baggage, et al - just a concise safety demonstration and a prayer for a safe flight repeated in two languages at a sensible volume.

The flight cost about €35.

Makes you wonder.

The flight cost more than the average weekly wage.

J.pilkington

IMO a bit of a pointless post as I can see that Novoair only started commercial flights in 2013 and is on the other side of the world in a 3rd world country. Do you think they are making a profit from charging €35 a seat (I assume a 50 seater so €1750 total revenue assuming a full flight all paying what you paid)? They might get a bit of relief from lower wages but embraer dont give discounts based on location, neither do Shell aviation.

Most of the regional airlines in that part of the world fall into the following categories:
1. State funded so can happily give away a Michelin star standard meal with every flight, rack up losses and are bailed out by a government who can ill afford it but see it as a status symbol to have a large airline with shiny planes
2. A new startup which after they have eaten through their start up cash will disappear overnight
3. Airlines which are hanging on by the thread of their teeth and cut costs at every corner (safety records, ancient planes)

Its hard for a sustainable airline to exist long term beside the above competition.

Id gladly take EI / FR over the above both as a tax payer and a passenger who wants a sustainable airline industry to rely on.

Fabio

In fairness, I found the post interesting to read. I'd never have thought about aviation in Bangladesh apart from this post being on boards today!

Noxegon

Tenger has captured the purpose of my post – I was just pointing out that the in-flight service on a third-world airline was drastically better than I'm accustomed to when flying with either major airline operating from Ireland.

Only time will tell if their business model is sustainable or not.

Tenger

J.pilkington wrote: »

IMO a bit of a pointless post as I can see that Novoair only started commercial flights in 2013 and is on the other side of the world in a 3rd world country. .......

Fabio wrote: »

In fairness, I found the post interesting to read. I'd never have thought about aviation in Bangladesh apart from this post being on boards today!

I see your point, but I believe the OP makes an interesting point. And isnt the discussion more interesting that just someone just posting a link to something they saw on their facebook newsfeed?

VG31

I think EI should at least provide free drinks on board.

questionmark?

VG31 wrote: »

I think EI should at least provide free drinks on board.

Check out VLM from Waterford. Drink and snack and luggage included in the price although to be fair they are a little pricey compared to Ryanair.

Shannon757

questionmark? wrote: »

Check out VLM from Waterford. Drink and snack and luggage included in the price although to be fair they are a little pricey compared to Ryanair.

Cityjet give snacks as well if i'm not mistaken.

Del2005

Noxegon wrote: »

Tenger has captured the purpose of my post – I was just pointing out that the in-flight service on a third-world airline was drastically better than I'm accustomed to when flying with either major airline operating from Ireland.

Only time will tell if their business model is sustainable or not.

When we were paying more than the average weekly wage to fly to London there was the same level of service. Then Ryanair came along and people discovered that they could survive an hour long flight without food when it cost less than a days wage.

dzilla

questionmark? wrote: »

Check out VLM from Waterford. Drink and snack and luggage included in the price although to be fair they are a little pricey compared to Ryanair.

Just flew with them at the weekend from WAT and I was very impressed. Drink and snack and checked in bag included in the flight, nice flight times from local airport justifies the higher flight price for me.

Noxegon

I thought I'd wake up this thread to recount another interesting travel experience.

Today I flew Garuda Indonesia on a two hour thirty minute flight from Singapore to Denpasar. The service was impeccable and polite, with no sales pitch of any kind. The flight was operated by a spotlessly clean 737-800 with a seat-back in flight entertainment system with at least a hundred relatively recent movies. The food was airline undistinguished, but you can't have everything.

It remains amazing to me that third world countries can manage good service on short flights but those operating out of Dublin can't.

Locker10a

Noxegon wrote: »

I thought I'd wake up this thread to recount another interesting travel experience.

Today I flew Garuda Indonesia on a two hour thirty minute flight from Singapore to Denpasar. The service was impeccable and polite, with no sales pitch of any kind. The flight was operated by a spotlessly clean 737-800 with a seat-back in flight entertainment system with at least a hundred relatively recent movies. The food was airline undistinguished, but you can't have everything.

It remains amazing to me that third world countries can manage good service on short flights but those operating out of Dublin can't.

All of those niceties you speak of WERE offered on flights from Dublin not so long ago. My parents and relatives often speak of the day you got a full dinner service on Dublin to London flights, crew waiting on you with tea, coffee or anything stronger you desired.
Third word country airlines won't provide that service forever, in the same way it didn't last here. Michael o Leary put and end to this level of service you speak of and it's not conning back. People in Ireland (and Europe in general) only care about cheap cheap cheap!!! So that's what airlines here provide

Odelay

Noxegon wrote: »

I thought I'd wake up this thread to recount another interesting travel experience.

Today I flew Garuda Indonesia on a two hour thirty minute flight from Singapore to Denpasar. The service was impeccable and polite, with no sales pitch of any kind. The flight was operated by a spotlessly clean 737-800 with a seat-back in flight entertainment system with at least a hundred relatively recent movies. The food was airline undistinguished, but you can't have everything.

It remains amazing to me that third world countries can manage good service on short flights but those operating out of Dublin can't.

Are those people in third world countries paying the same prices for a house and childcare as those as those working from dublin airport?
What was the cost of your flight as a percentage of the national average wage compared to here?

Noxegon

Locker10a wrote: »

People in Ireland (and Europe in general) only care about cheap cheap cheap!!!

Many do. Those of us who don't, however, are not catered for for any more

Locker10a

Noxegon wrote: »

Locker10a wrote: »

People in Ireland (and Europe in general) only care about cheap cheap cheap!!!

Many do. Those of us who don't, however, are not catered for for any more

Yes true, on short haul anyway, if you want better service then you pay for it now through business class! While this mainly means long haul flight there are a fair few airlines in DUB offering a more premium product, BA, Swiss, Lufthansa etc. It comes with a premium price though!
Nothing comes for free, you pay for it ! And unfortunately for you, and me, the majority don't want to pay for it and the majority rules!

Elemonator

It's cheaper in that part of the world.

The thing that always bugged me about Ireland is that it is cheaper to fly to Kerry/Donegal (or ****ing Europe!) than it is by train.

VG31

Locker10a wrote: »

While this mainly means long haul flight there are a fair few airlines in DUB offering a more premium product, BA, Swiss, Lufthansa etc. It comes with a premium price though!

BA are no longer serving free drinks and snacks/meals on their short and medium haul flights. Maybe this doesn't matter too much on a DUB-LHR flight, but if you're flying to somewhere like Turkey, Greece, Cyprus etc. it does

From what I've heard Luxair probably offer the best short haul economy product from Dublin. Checked bags are included as standard and drinks, meals and newspapers. Champagne is even served in economy!

Aegean have a fairly decent meal service on DUB-AMS flights.

Locker10a wrote: »

It comes with a premium price though!

Not always, LH and LX can often be cheaper than EI to FRA/MUC/ZRH/GVA.

Aegean are often cheaper than EI or FR to Athens or the Greek islands.

Locker10a

VG31 wrote: »

Locker10a wrote: »

While this mainly means long haul flight there are a fair few airlines in DUB offering a more premium product, BA, Swiss, Lufthansa etc. It comes with a premium price though!

BA are no longer serving free drinks and snacks/meals on their short and medium haul flights. Maybe this doesn't matter too much on a DUB-LHR flight, but if you're flying to somewhere like Turkey, Greece, Cyprus etc. it does

From what I've heard Luxair probably offer the best short haul economy product from Dublin. Checked bags are included as standard and drinks, meals and newspapers. Champagne is even served in economy!

Aegean have a fairly decent meal service on DUB-AMS flights.

I was referring to airlines that offer short haul business class or other premium products ! 
Yes BA short haul economy is now no different to EI/FR etc but they still have a full frills business class product

Bus Boy

Noxegon wrote: »

I thought I'd wake up this thread to recount another interesting travel experience.

Today I flew Garuda Indonesia on a two hour thirty minute flight from Singapore to Denpasar. The service was impeccable and polite, with no sales pitch of any kind. The flight was operated by a spotlessly clean 737-800 with a seat-back in flight entertainment system with at least a hundred relatively recent movies. The food was airline undistinguished, but you can't have everything.

It remains amazing to me that third world countries can manage good service on short flights but those operating out of Dublin can't.

Economies of scale. Employment is cheap so hence tickets are too. Garuda was on a European blacklist not so long ago. Can't vouch for the airline you were on but I bet the cost of living is significantly lower then the first world(Europe). You gets what's ya pays for.

rightyabe

Garuda Indonesia are hardly a small airline. Plenty of flights to Australia. They are also a major sponsor of Liverpool FC.

L1011

questionmark? wrote: »

Check out VLM from Waterford. Drink and snack and luggage included in the price although to be fair they are a little pricey compared to Ryanair.

Didn't help them avoid bankruptcy, though.

JCX BXC

Elemonator wrote: »

It's cheaper in that part of the world.

The thing that always bugged me about Ireland is that it is cheaper to fly to Kerry/Donegal (or ****ing Europe!) than it is by train.

No it's not, train is €15, flight is €42 to Kerry.

Irish Steve

Was a couple of years ago since I was over there, the flights to and from Istanbul with Turkish have an excellent on board service, and the IFE is above average for a 737, and with the length of the flight, it's possible to watch at least 2 full length films without being under pressure, the film selection was good, individual seat back screens, and the food service was also very good, regardless of which flight it was.

It's all about what the airline sees as being necessary to get the load factor that they need to make the route viable, and realistically, while it was nice to have the Full Irish breakfast on the early Heathrow flight back in the days of Club class, that level of service on a route of that length was not always easy to provide, there were times when they'd start the service about 2 minutes after take off, and be struggling to get the cabin ready for landing when there was less than 6 miles to go, especially coming from London to Dublin late in the evening, when the direct route over Mid Wales was available, and there was no holding for the approach.

sandbelter

Noxegon wrote: »

I thought I'd wake up this thread to recount another interesting travel experience.

Today I flew Garuda Indonesia on a two hour thirty minute flight from Singapore to Denpasar. The service was impeccable and polite, with no sales pitch of any kind. The flight was operated by a spotlessly clean 737-800 with a seat-back in flight entertainment system with at least a hundred relatively recent movies. The food was airline undistinguished, but you can't have everything.

It remains amazing to me that third world countries can manage good service on short flights but those operating out of Dublin can't.

Garuda are a seriously underrated airline, my experience of them has been very good.  Personally I find any American, Australian and European airline I've taken to be universally on par with taking a long distance bus.  Except in Thailand where its is an insult to compare the bus company's service with a western airline.   
One airline I found extraordinarily good was Air Calin when I when down to New Caledonia, Y was comfortable with pre-dinner drinks, free wi-fi, good evening meal and breakfast, and the wine wasn't too bad either.  They handed out hard boiled sweets before we landed in Noumea, I had forgotten that airlines used to do that.    They pay French wages as well.