Great Western Coffee Shop

Campaigners fighting expansion plans by Bristol International Airport have suggested that complaints about night-time noise from the Bath area will increase if the development is approved.

But the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion pressure group has been accused of scaremongering by bosses at the airport, which wants to increase the number of commercial flights by more than 40 per cent.

"Mr Lyddon may work in a field which does not require him to travel, but thousands of people in the south west do rely on air links to do business.

That is why almost all of the flights from Bristol are to hot sunny places with beaches.

That is why almost all of the flights from Bristol are to hot sunny places with beaches.

One of the West Country's major transatlantic links is to cease as Continental Airlines discontinues flights between Bristol and Newark.

The route, which was opened in 2005, is not making enough money, the firm said.

A spokesman told the BBC that although the flights had good occupancy rates in the peak season, they struggle to fill planes all year round.

The last flight will be on 7 November. Ticket-holders after that date will be offered alternatives or a refund.

Continental's daily services - which have carried 400,000 people since they began, also failed to attract enough first and business class passengers, the airline said.

Campaigners say the move proves that the facility should scrap its expansion plans.

Stop Bristol Airport Expansion group spokesperson Hilary Burn said: "There is no justification for allowing the huge negative impacts on local communities that will result from Bristol airport's massive expansion plans."

An airport spokesman said they were disappointed with the decision and thought that the service had been hit by the recession.

B*ggeration. It's a useful flight that (although before I took it I had no idea that a 757-200 would make it all the way across the Atlantic without falling in). Odd that it's not making money though, when I've used it it's always seemed reasonably full, at least in cattle. However I guess if the pointy end isn't filling up with the expensive business class fares then that could impact on the profitability.

Oh well, back to Heathrow and BA it is then...

It was interesting, last night, to see BBC Points West revisiting the story that accompanied the launch of the Continental service. They sent a reporter to the Big Apple back in 2005, no doubt with cameraman and producer in tow. Strikes me as a little extravagent for local TV news, especially one funded by a license fee.

i too was amazed it was operated with a 757 obviously the fuel saving from having blended winglets retrofitted has made it just about possible to cross the pond.

Completely irrational: Air France Flight 4590 lost only one engine.  :(

Yes, Ollie: the point we are making is that just counting the number of engines, when deciding how safe any aircraft might be, is 'completely irrational'.

Or always sitting at the back since most planes go down nose first.

This is a long standing myth that has no basis in fact.  There is something on that subject here:-

http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=5433.msg51660#msg51660

B*ggeration. It's a useful flight that (although before I took it I had no idea that a 757-200 would make it all the way across the Atlantic without falling in).

Oh well, back to Heathrow and BA it is then...

i think you can also go charter to orlando on first choice although stand to be corrected.

but having said that i would still prefer to go via london on a scheduled service rather than charter where it costs shed loads in drinks etc.

personally i prefer 4 engine planes for long haul but i can understand with the reliable turbofans these days it is not a problem for twinjet to cross atlantic,but if you have problems mid way across atlantic is it really possible to divert to an airfield in the time limit stated in previous posts??

The South East desperately needs more capacity!

But why...? Continental's EWR service is still operating from Bristol for a few months yet! ;) Not sure if it's daily at this time of year though.

well that last link didn't work I'm afraid FA
But loyality to an airline...hoho ???

Aircraft was a fairly new 757-200, looked in pretty good nick and had a decent "on-demand" in-flight entertainment system with quite big screens (

I wonder if this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/10095080.stm) has anything to do with the decision to withdraw the EWR - BRS service...

I've flown so many time with Virgin that I automatically get upper class upgrades.  I book premium economy either with cash or airmiles and I don't think I've not been upgraded once in the last five years.

So yes, I do have loyalty even to the point where I'll fly to the west coast and fly back to the mid west if thats all that is available

am i the only person to wonder why some posters have to constantly tell people they travel first/upper be it by rail or air?

Airline opens flights from Bristol to Dublin (and onward to the US)

Two airlines have announced they will begin flying between Bristol Airport and Dublin with the option of onward connections to America.

Aer Lingus and Aer Arann will fly between the airports three times a day on weekdays from March 2011.

The firm added that passengers who were travelling to America could clear US customs at facilities in Dublin.

A direct Continental Airlines service from Bristol to New York, which was launched in 2005, was axed in November.

A spokesman for the airport said he hoped the ability to pre-clear customs in Dublin would make travelling to America from Bristol a more attractive option.

Not quite! If you arrived as an international passenger (i.e, no from DUB) on a connecting ticket, you shouldn't need to recheck your bags or exit the airside area to continue onto a US domestic flight.

All the pre-clearance does as you rightly said is formalise the immigration process at Dublin; which means the passenger arrives as a domestic passenger.

I like your alternate universe - go read up on real life

Hmm, you've never flown to the US and connected have you? You'd be right about more or less any other country but here things are a little different.

Thailand, Rio, Dubai: Bristol Airport expansion will bring direct flights to some of the world's most glamorous locations

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People living in Bristol will be able to fly direct to some of the most glamorous locations and holiday destinations in the world within a couple of years ^ if everything goes to plan.

Bristol Airport is pushing ahead with expansion plans designed to allow a new breed of aircraft to land at Lulsgate.

In the past when it came to the truly glamorous destinations in far-off locations, Bristol always lost out to its rivals.

Thanks to the location of the city's airport the huge planes which fly people half way round the world have never been able to land at Bristol Airport.

Until now the huge success of the airport has been largely built on the rise of the budget airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet to European destinations.

But exotic destinations including Rio de Janeiro, the Caribbean and Thailand could be within the airport's grasp in a few years.

The West Coast of America could also be included on the airport's departure board along with the Middle East.

Other destinations being looked at include Mexico, South Africa and the Far East.

Continental Airlines flew direct to New York from Bristol for five years but decided to pull the plug when the recession saw demand for the lucrative business market collapse overnight.

Bosses at Bristol Airport are locked in talks with airlines and hopes are high that direct to the US could return in the near future.

At present the furthest direct flights from Bristol are to Turkey and Morocco but it looks as though all could be about to change.

As reported in the Bristol Post a new ^6.5 million central walkway complete with six departure gates has just been built.

The walkway has been designed with the next generation of jets in mind which include Boeing's Dreamliner and the Airbus A350.

Both planes are built with lightweight carbon materials and as a result are capable of flying further on less fuel.

The airline industry is increasingly turning its back on the huge passenger jets in favour of the cheaper more environmentally friendly planes which are starting to roll off the production lines in ever larger numbers.

The plan is to increase passenger numbers at Bristol Airport by four million a year and to offer more destinations.

Chief executive Robert Sinclair said: "The central walkway sets a new benchmark for passenger facilities at Bristol Airport. This significant investment demonstrates our ambition to become the airport of choice for passengers across the South West and South Wales. High quality infrastructure will also make Bristol Airport even more attractive to airlines, helping to extend the choice of destinations available ^ including long-haul services to North America and the Middle East in future."

I rather like the faintly quaint references in that Bristol Post article to 'people living in Bristol', and 'Lulsgate'.  ;) :D ;D

In fact the last time I flew from Bristol was on an airline called GO which dates it :)

The last time I flew from Lulsgate was with Dan-Air! 1982.  :o

Here's an alternative ... leave your car and dogs with Zanetta ... the car's free parking (!), lifts to and from the airport total ^30.    Sting in the tail is that you'll need to home board at least one dog with her at ^20 per day.

https://mydogbuddy.co.uk/sitter/home-boarding-house-sitting

To richwarwicker: I have a possible alternative solution to your parking problem, as I have a spare parking space on my drive in Nailsea - only three miles from the airport.  Details to follow, by PM.  ;) :D ;D

Easyjet working on 'wish list' of new destinations from Bristol Airport. Where would you like to fly to?

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Easyjet is already planning for further growth from Bristol in 2016

Low cost airline easyJet is already looking to add new routes for passengers at Bristol Airport. The airline announced record profits for a fourth year running and revealed it is already planning ahead for further growth in Bristol 2016.

At the moment the airline flies to 46 different destinations from Bristol and that is likely to hit the half century mark by the end of next year.

Over the last 12 months 3.4 million passengers flew with the airline out of Bristol ^ more than half the total number of passengers who used the airport over the last year.

Earlier this month, EasyJet announced four new routes to destinations in Sicily, Spain and Portugal.

But Sophie Dekkers, who is responsible for organising easyJet's flying schedule from UK airports, is already looking for new destinations from Bristol. She said: "Bristol is a key airport for us and that is not going to change in the near future. We are adding another aircraft next year and we are also looking at increasing capacity on our existing flights. We are basing another aircraft at Bristol next year which means that we can increase capacity on our existing routes."

The easyJet model means that the furthest destination the airline flies to is Egypt.

Ms Dekkers said: "We operate in destinations were we can get there and back in one day. We keep our costs low because we do not have to pay for overnight stays for our crew. At the moment our furthest destination is Egypt from Manchester which is a five and a half hour flight. We are not looking at destinations further afield but we are always looking to add new and exciting places to visit. At the moment we are in the process of drawing up a wish list of destinations we would like to fly to from Bristol. We will look at the various destinations and decide which ones are economically viable. We are putting our plans in place now for our Christmas timetable which we will be announced in 12 months time."

EasyJet is now the largest operator based at Bristol Airport ^ its closest rival is Irish airline Ryanair.

Last year six million passenger used the airport, which has plans in place for a ^120 million expansion scheme.

The last time I flew from Lulsgate was with Dan-Air! 1982.  :o

Bristol Airport rejects calls to add Bath to its name

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Some of the West's tourism experts have called on Bristol Airport to change its name

Bristol Airport has rejected calls to boost tourism by including the city of Bath in its name.

Some tourism experts in the West have said the area would benefit more from the American market if the airport included Bath in its title.

They claim it would attract US visitors who are "more familiar" with Bath as a destination.

Airport bosses said Bath was a "key part" of its marketing efforts but "there are no plans" for a name change.

Gwyneth Lloyd, who is originally from Boston and runs a tourism company in Bristol, said Bath was more of a pull for tourists.

"I wasn't really aware of Bristol as a mid-sized city and I'd lived in England before," she added.

(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81586000/jpg/_81586904_bath_abbey_2.jpg)
Bristol Airport said Bath had a strong international profile but it had no plans to change its name

Ms Lloyd, who has lived in Bedminster for two-years, said: "I didn't become aware of it until a friend of mine drove all around and came back and said 'oh my goodness, Bristol's amazing'."

Martin Poole, from Bristol and Bath Cultural Destinations Partnership Project, said: "I think it's an example, a symbol really, of how the two cities can work together to attract more visitors and tourists to the region."

Mr Poole said the two cities attracted more than 20 million visitors and tourists every year, contributing ^1.5bn to the economy.

In a statement, Bristol Airport said Bath's "strong international profile" was "incredibly important" in attracting visitors to the West of England. It has been promoting both cities and has seen an increase in passengers. "There are no plans to change the name of the airport now or in the foreseeable future," the statement said.

Can you fly from the US to Bristol? If not, little point in adding Bath to the name then?...

Not at present. Continental ran a daily service to/from NY Newark to connect with flights across the U.S. for a couple of years a few years back but it didn't pay its way so was dropped.

Air Lingus market themselves as flying to the USA from Bristol.  Of course you have to change planes in Dublin, but given that you can pre-clear US immigration on Irish soil, the inconvenience of having to change is somewhat outweighed by being able to arrive in the US as a domestic passenger and thereby avoid the sometimes horrendous immigration queues some US stations such as ORD have. 

First have truncated the Greyhound service ...

Also effective to fly Bristol to Rekjavik (Easy Jet) and Rekjavik to USA (IcelandAir).

Major ^24 million expansion plan launched at Bristol Airport

Bristol Airport is to launch one of the biggest expansion schemes in its history.

Within days of completing the expansion of its terminal building bosses have announced that it is to pump another ^24 million into the building.

The western end of the terminal building is to be extended transforming the way passengers pass through the security process.

At the moment there are often queues at peak periods but it is hoped the new facilities will solve the problem at the fast growing airport.

The latest expansion is the biggest building project at the airport since the since the existing terminal building opened for business in 2000.

The work will see state-of-the-art technology introduced in the extended security area to create a faster, more efficient experience.

The 9,000 square metre extension is two and half times larger than the ^8.5 million east terminal extension which has just been completed.

Other improvements will include a bigger baggage reclaim area, bew customs facilities, more shops in the arrivals hall and a meet and greet area.

The work will start in a matter of weeks and is expected to take 12 months to complete.

The improvements will see 10 lanes in the central search area alongside two additional security channels in a dedicated Fast Track zone. The airport is talks with firms to run the brand new facilities.

Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said: "Once completed, this major development will take the total investment in our terminal and wider airport infrastructure since 2010 to over ^120 million.

"Not only will the west terminal extension ease the congestion we are experiencing at times this summer as a result of high passenger volumes, it will create a more attractive and comfortable environment and help to remove some of the stress sometimes associated with air travel.

"This is going to give us a clear advantage over the competition by making it more attractive for airlines to fly from Bristol, and it is a significant step towards achieving our vision to provide passengers from the South West and Wales with a world-class customer experience when flying in and out of their local airport."

Chris Ware, Head of Security at Bristol Airport, said: "With this development we are responding to changes in security requirements, airline business models and passenger behaviour which have resulted in a greater quantity of hand baggage being carried through our central search area. The west terminal extension enables us to design new layout and processes tailored to meet this challenge but with the flexibility to adapt to evolving security needs without inconveniencing passengers."