However, if starting an airline was easy during the flow-on effects of the US sub prime mortgage crisis and subsequent international equity markets volatility, then everyone would be doing it. We won’t mention the high oil prices, which some airlines are even using as an excuse to reduce services. Unbelievable.
It’s a difficult thing too, because while we want to share as many of the exciting developments and milestones we continue to achieve with our supporters, due to commercial sensitivity (you know what we mean, allowing potential competitors to see our amazing, industry-leading ideas before we go on sale and potentially filch them off us – one carrier has even introduced a blog!), there is a lot going on in the background that is very hush-hush.
Particularly the development of our website. There have been informed debates among the management team (no one was seriously injured), our creative agency have had lots of ground-breaking ideas (they are quite, quite mad) and our ancillary service providers have been incredibly helpful (thank you chaps!).
The resultant developing site is looking superb. It will be very simple and fast to use, and there will be targeted added extras and functionality that we believe will be useful, fun and informative. We obviously are not going to unveil this to anyone aside from our founder investors until we go on sale. However, we are keen for regular bean blog readers to have a play around with it once it is launched and give us your feedback so we can continue to improve it.
As always, we will keep you updated and we are genuinely grateful for the e-mails of support we receive and you interest in our development – thank you.
The Beans Team
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I’m sure you all will have read in the newspapers about airline failures. Many airlines are finding the current financial outlook, and the high price of fuel, very hard to deal with. I am delighted to report, however, that we remain very much here, and making progress.
Our plans are based on what at the time we wrote them were very high fuel costs, which then seemed incredibly pessimistic, but we have been proved right... That’s a prediction we would have liked to have got wrong, I can tell you! British Airways reported this week that it was once again hiking its fuel surcharges – FFB will not, ever, have fuel surcharges, and you can hold me to that.
We’ve seen a few airlines fail recently. Interestingly, none of them have been true 'low cost' airlines, which suffer much less in times of economic squeeze than full service airlines.
We continue to work with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and we can report that our route plan analysis supports our view that Cardiff needs our routes very badly – the market is most definitely there, and our fares will be very competitive. The people of South Wales want to travel from their local airport – for those who think the road to Cardiff Airport isn’t exactly a four lane highway, they should try the road to Bristol!
We’re working very hard to make FFB happen. No one is more frustrated than me that we are not in the air right now, but we are sure that we will repay your patience.
We do have very positive news on our progress and plans to share with you as soon as we can. So bear with myself and the rest of the team, and I'll keep you updated.
One more thing - we believe in open and honest communciation. Yes - we were hoping to go on sale some time in April. Clearly it wasn't possible. But you won't see us amending or deleting our previous blogs which we hope will serve as an interesting, insightful journey to the first flyforbeans flight!
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My name is Mark Nurton, and I am Head of Quality at flyforbeans. Like my family and friends, you may be anxiously waiting for us to take off (pardon the pun!) so we can safely and swiftly whisk you away to some fantastic European destinations. However, like most good things in life, they take time to build from the foundations up if you want to get them right, and airlines are certainly no exception!
Forming the very base of our foundations is the absolute requirement that the flyforbeans team will provide our customers with the highest possible levels of safety and quality.
Getting things absolutely right is my priority as flyforbeans’ Head of Quality.
As you probably know, the commercial aviation industry is highly regulated to ensure aircraft are operated safely and kept airworthy.
Safety and quality cannot be inspected into our systems and services as a matter of ongoing process or hindsight; it must be systematically planned, designed and built into them from the outset.
To ensure this happens the whole team have been busy refining our business processes, procedures, policies and standards that will ensure this happens and that we comply with regulatory requirements.
For example, one of my key priorities right now is to ensure a robust and integrated Quality Management System is implemented that will monitor compliance with requirements so that everything - from training to toilet rolls - will be fit for its purpose.
Additionally, I’m also involved with the establishment of a Safety Management System to ensure the highest possible levels of safety are maintained.
We are currently in the process of gaining the necessary approvals from the Civil Aviation Authority that will allow us to start flying as soon as we are ready to. As part of the flyforbeans team, I am confident that we will be able to offer you new and exiting destinations and service that will take you to places you have never ‘bean’ before!
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When one of my former colleagues, aviation guru Tim Lee, called me about 18 months ago and asked me if I wanted to help him set up a low fare European airline based at Cardiff International Airport, I thought, "About time!".
It’s incredible, when you really think about it, that no international carrier before flyforbeans has decided to base itself by Europe’s youngest, and arguably most dynamic and progressive, capital city. But so often the most brilliant ideas are the ones that have been there for the taking for a long time. Sliced bread springs to mind.
My role as a head of marketing and strategic communications is all about managing our brand, our reputation and ensuring our communications with all our stakeholders – from investors to customers – are of an industry-leading standard.
It’s a stressful and challenging role, but at the same time is fun (we have a great team, though I am the only female right now!) and incredibly rewarding.
Projects I’m currently involved with (yes... simultaneously!) include finalising our Communications Policy, ensuring our investors are getting all the information they need, putting our ancillary service programme in place (this means our customers will not only be able to access fantastically-priced flyforbeans flights, but simply and quickly book hotels or villas, car rental, travel insurance and other services), working on our launch marketing and media campaigns, and, what I’m really, really excited about, our website. I’ve said it to my colleagues – and I’ll tell you too, so feel free to come back and haunt me if I’m wrong - the flyforbeans website is going to be fantastic!
It was disappointing when we couldn’t launch last year (it’s amazing what a flow-on effect the US sub prime mortgage crisis has had), but we are now gearing up for first flights in June and plan to go on sale in April, subject, of course, to Government approval.
I know you must be wondering: “What great European destinations will flyforbeans take me to for fantastically low fares?” Well, I can’t tell you. Not just yet. But, trust me – we have a brilliant range of unserved business and leisure routes that will make all of you living within a comfortable drive of Cardiff Airport the envy of those living closer to many other airports.
So, it’s all happening right now. And you’ll be hearing a lot more about our plans very soon. In the meantime, if you want to make sure you are personally kept up-to-date and one of the first people to receive news from us, please e-mail me at iamfullofbeans@flyforbeans.com, clearly stating that you are happy for us to place your on our VIB (Very Important Bean) Customer Contact List and I’ll respond with a welcome e-mail. We are really looking forward to you flying with us.
Polly Stewart
Executive Director, Head of Marketing & Strategic Communication
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On behalf of all of us at flyforbeans, I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and prosperous New Year.
We look forward to you travelling with us in the New Year.
Tim Lee
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