black kettleHi
I have 2 x 400d’s but would cheerfully buy a 1000D and indeed have recommended to my brother rather than 450D.I believe for our hobby the couple of features lacking (I believe spot metering is one?) are irrelevant.
Presumably lenses are not an issue if you already had one or more with the 400D…….BTW did that pack up,’cos if not I’d stick with it?
Hope this helps you deliberations
Barry
black kettleAndy
As you’ve directly picked up my post,I suppose a response is called for.I’ve tried before (and IMHO been ridiculed on every occasion – not you I hasten to add) to say,of course,I agree with you as that is exactly how I feel about what happened to my very senior job in Insurance which I lost when the great unwashed started going to Direct Line etc,penny pinching all the way to the bank.Result – call centres where treatment of staff is not far removed from what you’re describing,people buying products that are inappropriate,far more challenging of claims etc etc.
The difference is I’m not vilifying the budget Insurers but,rather,blaming the “legacy” insurers for not seeing the writing on the wall and cutting costs much earlier,and the public for being penny pinching.
I suppose end result is I see FR as the chance to “if you can’t beat ’em,join ’em” as the saying goes,especially as it suits my hobby in enforced retirement!!I know the “real” costs,social ones included,but I don’t see much evidence of anyone worrying about them with any other product that is “doing down” British workers.
Barry
black kettleAnd others choose not to.
They had their chance with me and lost it before I even flew, when they changed my flight details without telling me, then wanted me to pay twice as much as the original price to put it back to how I had booked it.
Still trying to keep out of the general debate but have to say that’s exactly what Flybe did to me and 3 fellow enthusiasts this very year on our Milan trip to the point of committing us to another night’s hotel.It happens.
black kettleAs so many are putting their views for and against I’m keeping out of this on this occasion but I must say I have done 3 return FR flights in recent weeks.
STN – FDH (Friedrichshafen)
BRS – ACE (Lanzarote)
BRS – BGY (Bergamo)
TOTAL cost £29.98 …….and I mean TOTAL….no fees,no taxes and used an Electron Card (prepaid MasterCard in post to me as I write!!).
Just name me a “proper” airline,or a budget one for that matter,with which I can do all three for under £30 and I’ll see you at the gate.
Barry
black kettleHi
About the only outfit still flying them by 1993 (in Europe) was French based Air Toulouse,but they were fairly common visitors on sports charters,school exchanges etc.
Don’t know whether we’re allowed to post links to others sites but type into your browser F-GELP or F-BMKS and you’re bound to find pics of at least these two.
Hope this helps…proper a/c to debate,eh?
Barry
black kettlePaul………..I don’t intend to prolong this……I’ve no disagreement with ANYTHING you say in this last post,indeed,I was only thinking the same myself.A guy who posts on this forum and is substantially younger than me is obviously fairly senior in management at STN and I wouldn’t dream of questioning his expertise.It’s not about age…no-one who has met me would see me as arrogant and certainly not ageist but I do think there’s a history to UK aviation which those who haven’t lived thro’ it don’t always understand and,therefore end up cheering the wrong side…IMHO!!I accept also you are one of the exceptions!
Not really comparable with music or photography in some ways…..I regard myself as a real amateur at the latter even though it’s my hobby.I only want a record for my own use and a 10 year old could probably show me tricks.As for music I can’t play or hum a note and my tastes are seen as juvenile for my age,though you might rate Snow Patrol!!!!!
Enough said I feel
Cheers
B
black kettleHi Symon
Again,we’ll have to agree to differ.I’m sure there are plenty in the airline industry who are far more expert than me and I know of some on this forum but if you’re seriously suggesting a 19 year old check-in clerk or a baggage handler with a few years at an airport (NB must stress these are NOT specifics) knows more than someone who has followed the industry for 54 years,and has friends and family in it,then I’m never going to agree.
I think it’s this assertion that someone IN ANY JOB for just a short time is more expert than onlookers that is giving me the problem especially as after 40 years in total in insurance,I’m certainly not objecting to others expressing a view on what was MY area of expertise!!!
B
black kettleAll spot on but I think MAN does stand out as alarming in it’s decline and no other management seems quite as dismissive about it.As I said the other day in a post,the CEO at BHX is on record as saying their stance against budget carriers has cost them dearly….perhaps even 10m passengers!!
Surprised you’re the only responder and no-one has commented on the sad news at Baby for whichI have a soft spot.
B
black kettlePaul……sorry you think I’m patronising you ‘cos I’m certainly not…..I have a lot of respect for your contributions.My problem is,at my age,I’ve seen the build up to where we are now with the budget carriers after years of any airline daring to compete with the big boys having to scratch around for the crumbs.
I spend five hours every day (seriously) following airline/airport news and I regard myself as knowing my history (including knowing the background to PIK just posted).
My two analogies,to which you refer,were simply meant as illustrations as to where I regard people with an involvement as the worst people to express an opinion.
BTW….I feel Insurance is EXACTLY comparable.It’s another product where the public want cheap,cheap,cheap with little regard to quality and where the traditional providers were squeezed out by budget ones.I should know….I lost a very senior position as a result but I don’t spend my time praying for the demise of the “victors”!!
Regards
Barry
black kettleSchorsch
Separate issue,but are you confusing Ireland’s Ryanair with a major US lessor called Ryan Air?
Ryanair don’t buy and sell 737-800’s on any scale apart from disposing of an older batch as new one’s join the fleet.
Barry
black kettleStrangely it wasn’t Ryanair I had in mind though you may think otherwise.They have been dismissive about EVERY loss since the big BA pull-out.They were about Delta to JFK recently as well.You may not have had the benefit of reading their response,as I have,to this latest one.Astonishing their reply was “these airports are served by other carriers”.So no sad loss,then?
Actually,MAN is by far my favourite airport (most accommodating to enthusiasts) in the UK.I simply can’t understand they seem in denial about it’s shocking decline in traffic.
black kettleKevinwm……..We’ll have to agree to differ,PIK could never survive if it could only tap the area you describe but,surely,these two are under the same ownership,aren’t they?Also,correct me if I’m wrong,but Prestwick has had a rail station for donkey’s years,surely.
PMN…..simply don’t agree.I worked for Norwich Union for 35 years and always felt we exaggerated our own importance in people’s lives and we most definitely sneered when the equivalent of FR came on the scene (DirectLine/Churchill etc) I’d NEVER solicit insider’s views as I think they’re nearly always biased.A classic example is I’d never ask someone who’d lost a loved one on the road about road safety policy….they’d always go for draconian measures.
Thats my view from 64 years of “experience”!!!
black kettlekevinwm…..don’t take me too seriously…..this is a friendly forum.With respect,I’ve not said you’ve slated PIK,but you have joined the implicit criticism of it’s (and other’s) re-branding.I do not agree with you on either count.
1) I do not believe it’s playing outside it’s catchment area…..they certainly don’t operate it for the population of Ayr etc.
2) I do not believe the getting there is any less pleasant than to GLA which is probably one of the poorest located in relation to road congestion etc.in the UK……not it’s fault I hasten to add.
If I’m wrong on your allegiance to GLA,I apologise.I have never worked in the airline or airport industry,but I do think too many on here have prejudices because they do.
What’s incredible about all this,as a classic example,is the whole thread started when FR announced a £330m profit for 6months trading.There’s never been even a grudging acknowledgment from many.The prejudice to which I refer is the cause of us (including me!) straying so far off topic.Perhaps we should move on……….
Barry
black kettleSorry Paul,assumed you’d understand!The airport have tended to refer to every other route loss (and,God, there have been some) as though it’s been some sort of triumph.
B
black kettleKevinwm……….no-one has ever said it was actually named Glasgow Prestwick…..we all know it wasn’t.The point is,possibly over 40 years ago,it WAS referred to as such by airlines who were denied access to GLA and many around the world see it as such.It’s got a much better runway,has the rail link GLA so wants and almost certainly has less environmental impact.I worked in Glasgow for ages and know the exact geography.You wouldn’t build an airport at Abbotsinch if you were starting with a clean slate. Yet again there’s obviously an “axe to grind”….you work at GLA so you’ll obviously not be a PIK fan.
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