Cardiff: KLM News & Hub Discussions

[Jerry]

I am planning a trip to Oslo early November and the 0600 flight from Cardiff is showing. Result!

At the moment November would still be on the default schedule. Will be a good few months until it's updated, so fingers crossed it stays at 3 daily!

 

[Em0866]

If the schedule is being cut I suspect it's because the numbers of bums on seats is low. Any number of reasons why that is but if pax aren't traveling on that 6am flight, then why would the airline keep it going if they aren't making any money on it.

 

[Seasider]

If you have a morning connection in AMS, you need the earlier departure.

 

[Jerry]

If the schedule is being cut I suspect it's because the numbers of bums on seats is low. Any number of reasons why that is but if pax aren't traveling on that 6am flight, then why would the airline keep it going if they aren't making any money on it.

It's not just the 6am departure but its also the 22.20 arrival which used to be about an hour earlier if I remember correctly.

For a hub route like Amsterdam to work it requires frequency to offer the destinations and connectivity. There will be some destinations now that won't be available as a 1 stop and others not possible to get to in the morning or early afternoon.
If AMS is struggling load factor wise and potentially yield wise to the point that it starts reducing frequency CWL is in serious trouble as a government owned airport.

 

[Aviador]

Not a good situation but clearly KLM and Amsterdam airport are having issues at the moment. Hopefully, whatever is going on there is resolved soon.

 

[Jerry]

It's not just the 6am departure but its also the 22.20 arrival which used to be about an hour earlier if I remember correctly.

For a hub route like Amsterdam to work it requires frequency to offer the destinations and connectivity. There will be some destinations now that won't be available as a 1 stop and others not possible to get to in the morning or early afternoon.
If AMS is struggling load factor wise and potentially yield wise to the point that it starts reducing frequency CWL is in serious trouble as a government owned airport.

This is the passenger stats for Amsterdam for 2023 so far as December isn't out yet.
January 6629
February 7058
March 8759
April 9058
May 8666
July 11,310
August 11,359
September 12,099
October 10,458
November 9267
So far 103,910 passengers have used the route, compared to 2019 where 148,440 passengers had used the route by November.

 

[Jerry]

Same source as the other info, but apparently slot restriction issues were the reason for the overnight aircraft being cut for the summer and KLM have told the airport it'll return for the winter.

 

[geoff]

I must have missed the info somewhere, but I've noticed that Amsterdam is only one flight today, is this to become a regular occurrence, or is it a one off. To think that there were four daily services in the past, what a difference!

 

[Samdorob]

I must have missed the info somewhere, but I've noticed that Amsterdam is only one flight today, is this to become a regular occurrence, or is it a one off. To think that there were four daily services in the past, what a difference!

It seems to be on random days, most likely where booking uptake has been low. It’s a slippery slope if it keeps happening as people will just go elsewhere.

 

[MrFenner]

I must have missed the info somewhere, but I've noticed that Amsterdam is only one flight today, is this to become a regular occurrence, or is it a one off. To think that there were four daily services in the past, what a difference!

It's not a fixed regular day kind of thing - it's very sporadic across the timetable and various days of the week as far as I could see.

 

[geoff]

Thanks Mr Fenner, it's really surprising, they don't seem to have cut anything from BRS and they are up against Easyjet there. I expect they realise that Welsh travellers will readily travel from BRS when they have no alternative.

 

[MJC73]

I am booking a KLM flight for late October and the 0600 flight is an option.

 

[Jerry]

Good! Fingers crossed you'll get to take it.

 

[geoff]

CWL is still losing a lot of passengers to BRS. This week the young Dance group the Troll Dancers, who recently appeared twice on BGT, flew from BRS to AMS, for a flight to Prague for the World Group Dance Championships, they travelled on the 13.45 flight from BRS. The whole group plus their parents must have filled half the EMB aircraft. I am really surprised at how KLM have cut back on their flights from CWL, at one time not so long ago, there were four AMS flights a day, sometimes these days CWL is down to one flight a day, to a destination that was once CWL's busiest scheduled route.

 

[Jerry]

CWL is still losing a lot of passengers to BRS. This week the young Dance group the Troll Dancers, who recently appeared twice on BGT, flew from BRS to AMS, for a flight to Prague for the World Group Dance Championships, they travelled on the 13.45 flight from BRS. The whole group plus their parents must have filled half the EMB aircraft. I am really surprised at how KLM have cut back on their flights from CWL, at one time not so long ago, there were four AMS flights a day, sometimes these days CWL is down to one flight a day, to a destination that was once CWL's busiest scheduled route.

It is worrying. I know they're having slot restrictions but it is one of CWLs main routes. The schedule is due to go back to 3 daily in the winter, hopefully that will actually happen.

 

[Foxlimayankee]

It is worrying. I know they're having slot restrictions but it is one of CWLs main routes. The schedule is due to go back to 3 daily in the winter, hopefully that will actually happen.

There must be a reason behind the cuts at CWL because it's been reported that Teesides LF is less than 70% recently. Hopefully it's only for one season and things will return to normal. Prior to covid AMS was seeing positive growth, even with Qatar around.

 

[Jerry]

There must be a reason behind the cuts at CWL because it's been reported that Teesides LF is less than 70% recently. Hopefully it's only for one season and things will return to normal. Prior to covid AMS was seeing positive growth, even with Qatar around.

Isn't Teesside though now operated at least in part by Eastern Airways? If the cuts are because the route itself isn't doing well it is concerning.

 

[Jerry]

Sadly it appears that the night stopper won't be returning for the winter at least and only time will tell whether it stays in place for next summer.
So for now CWL will be 14 weekly with departures at 10.15 and 17.25

 

[Samdorob]

Sadly it appears that the night stopper won't be returning for the winter at least and only time will tell whether it stays in place for next summer.
So for now CWL will be 14 weekly with departures at 10.15 and 17.25

That’s disappointing. Given they’re still offering the 6am flight in S25 I assume they’re still having operational issues?

 

[Jerry]

That’s disappointing. Given they’re still offering the 6am flight in S25 I assume they’re still having operational issues?

Yep they're having engine trouble with some of the E jet fleet. Its really disappointing that CWL has it seems lost its nightstopper.