Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

Massive queues for the 3-out-of-6 immigration desks open, while several
planes disgorge at once. But at least that meant the bags had been
delivered to the carousel by the time we got through.

The posh purple-FTR shuttle bus to the airport was replaced by a red
Citaro, all liveried-up so not a temporary thing. Had the vanity plate
'T5 FCC' disguising its age - but it was clearly not new. Ex-Boris,
maybe?

At Luton Airport Parkway, the "up" escalators are broken (no indication
of when they might be fixed) and a bus-load of PAX simply doesn't fit in
one trip of the lift. Having got to the platform, the PIS says that
"Easyjet tickets not valid on this service", which is understandable as
they don't sell northbound rail tickets!

Meridian to Nottingham with a very strong tiolet smell throughout. And
FC pax can apparently pick up their freebies from the buffet, now that
the chap "there must be an easier way to make a living" has finally won
his half hour battle to open the till.
--
Roland Perry

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

Roland Perry gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying:

The posh purple-FTR shuttle bus to the airport was replaced by a red
Citaro, all liveried-up so not a temporary thing. Had the vanity plate
'T5 FCC' disguising its age - but it was clearly not new. Ex-Boris,
maybe?

The vehicle details for T5 FCC a

Date of First Registration 15 05 2009
Year of Manufacture 2002

So it was imported to the UK, used, earlier this year.
Must be from an RHD country, so Irish?

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

In message , at 15:19:33 on Sat, 10
Oct 2009, Adrian remarked:
The posh purple-FTR shuttle bus to the airport was replaced by a red
Citaro, all liveried-up so not a temporary thing. Had the vanity plate
'T5 FCC' disguising its age - but it was clearly not new. Ex-Boris,
maybe?

The vehicle details for T5 FCC a

Date of First Registration 15 05 2009
Year of Manufacture 2002

So it was imported to the UK, used, earlier this year.
Must be from an RHD country, so Irish?

Googling the plate brings this up from a "bus spotter" site dated Aug
09:
"With the Wright Streetcars transferred to Swansea their place
on the Luton Parkway to Airport service has been taken by
Mercedes-Benz Citaro bendibuses from the Aircoach fleet at
Dublin Airport. Two were in operation in late June T3 FCC ex
02-D-74688 and T5 FCC ex 02-D-76812. The third of the batch
remains to be delivered."

I wonder if they'll be reducing the (zero before FCC arrived) fare, now
the main excuse (the FTRs) has disappeared in a puff of boiled frogs?
--
Roland Perry

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

"Roland Perry" wrote in message
...
In message , at 15:19:33 on Sat, 10
Oct 2009, Adrian remarked:
The posh purple-FTR shuttle bus to the airport was replaced by a red
Citaro, all liveried-up so not a temporary thing. Had the vanity plate
'T5 FCC' disguising its age - but it was clearly not new. Ex-Boris,
maybe?
Googling the plate brings this up from a "bus spotter" site dated Aug
09:
"With the Wright Streetcars transferred to Swansea their place
on the Luton Parkway to Airport service has been taken by
Mercedes-Benz Citaro bendibuses from the Aircoach fleet at
Dublin Airport. Two were in operation in late June T3 FCC ex
02-D-74688 and T5 FCC ex 02-D-76812. The third of the batch
remains to be delivered."

I wonder if they'll be reducing the (zero before FCC arrived) fare, now
the main excuse (the FTRs) has disappeared in a puff of boiled frogs?
--

There was definitely an FTR atrocity there last Friday - I couldn't get on
because (as usual) it was jammed full. The red Citaro came in just as the
FTR was leaving & the remaining passengers got put on that. I thought it was
an ex-London bus as well.

Agree about the comments about the up escalator - there was no sign of any
work being done to sort it last week & it seems nothing's changed.

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

On 10 Oct, 16:40, Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 15:19:33 on Sat, 10
Oct 2009, Adrian remarked:

The posh purple-FTR shuttle bus to the airport was replaced by a red
Citaro, all liveried-up so not a temporary thing. Had the vanity plate
'T5 FCC' disguising its age - but it was clearly not new. Ex-Boris,
maybe?

The vehicle details for T5 FCC a

Date of First Registration * * 15 05 2009
Year of Manufacture * *2002

So it was imported to the UK, used, earlier this year.
Must be from an RHD country, so Irish?

Googling the plate brings this up from a "bus spotter" site dated Aug
09:
* * * * "With the Wright Streetcars transferred to Swansea their place
* * * * on the Luton Parkway to Airport service has been taken by
* * * * Mercedes-Benz Citaro bendibuses from the Aircoach fleet at
* * * * Dublin Airport. Two were in operation in late June T3 FCC ex
* * * * 02-D-74688 and T5 FCC ex 02-D-76812. The third of the batch
* * * * remains to be delivered."

I wonder if they'll be reducing the (zero before FCC arrived) fare, now
the main excuse (the FTRs) has disappeared in a puff of boiled frogs?

But how will they pay for the number plates?

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

Roland Perry wrote:
Massive queues for the 3-out-of-6 immigration desks open, while several
planes disgorge at once. But at least that meant the bags had been
delivered to the carousel by the time we got through.

The posh purple-FTR shuttle bus to the airport was replaced by a red
Citaro, all liveried-up so not a temporary thing. Had the vanity plate
'T5 FCC' disguising its age - but it was clearly not new. Ex-Boris, maybe?

At Luton Airport Parkway, the "up" escalators are broken (no indication
of when they might be fixed) and a bus-load of PAX simply doesn't fit in
one trip of the lift. Having got to the platform, the PIS says that
"Easyjet tickets not valid on this service", which is understandable as
they don't sell northbound rail tickets!

Luton Airport is the worst of any of them. No proper connection from the
station to the airport terminals themselves, which are full of surley
staff from budget airlines.

Meridian to Nottingham with a very strong tiolet smell throughout. And
FC pax can apparently pick up their freebies from the buffet, now that
the chap "there must be an easier way to make a living" has finally won
his half hour battle to open the till.

Never fly budget airlines. Pay the premium and just go on a normal
airline. In many cases it doesn't work out to be much more.

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

wrote in message
...

Never fly budget airlines. Pay the premium and just go on a normal
airline. In many cases it doesn't work out to be much more.

And it many cases it can be much less.

Ian

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

Ian F. wrote:
wrote in message
...

Never fly budget airlines. Pay the premium and just go on a normal
airline. In many cases it doesn't work out to be much more.

And it many cases it can be much less.

Ian

Indeed, it can be less at times. Much less hassle in any event.

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

In message , at 11:24:34 on Sun, 11
Oct 2009, " remarked:

Luton Airport is the worst of any of them.

In some ways it's pretty bad - but "worst" is a bit of a stretch.

No proper connection from the station to the airport terminals
themselves,

There's a bus every ten minutes, which is better than some other
airports (eg Bristol and East Midlands).

which are full of surley staff from budget airlines.

The airport staff are generally surlier than the airline staff.

Meridian to Nottingham with a very strong tiolet smell throughout.
And FC pax can apparently pick up their freebies from the buffet, now
that the chap "there must be an easier way to make a living" has
finally won his half hour battle to open the till.

Never fly budget airlines. Pay the premium and just go on a normal
airline. In many cases it doesn't work out to be much more.

I fly where there is route availability - and the budget airlines have
much more of that, to places I want to visit. Just got back from Lisbon,
for example, and Easyjet from Luton is much more convenient than TAP or
BA from Heathrow or Gatwick.

Typical pricing for 1-2hr flights from low-costs is half that of the
'normal' airlines.
--
Roland Perry

Wafted from paradise to Luton Airport
 

In message , at 11:38:48 on Sun, 11
Oct 2009, Ian F. remarked:
Never fly budget airlines. Pay the premium and just go on a normal
airline. In many cases it doesn't work out to be much more.

And it many cases it can be much less.

You'll have to quote a few examples, because I've been flying round
Europe at least once a month for the last three or four years, and
I think I've only seen it once (a late evening Brussels-Heathrow with BA
that came in at 26 Euros plus 56 Euro tax (~£70); not that Brussels is
overwhelmed with Budget carriers).

The (triangular) trip I've just come back from was booked a month in
advance, London(Luton)-Geneva-Lisbon-London for a very typical £148 all
inclusive of one hold bag. And every flight was chosen for convenience
not price (and all were, on the day, completely full - that BA Brussels
flight had about ten pax on it!)
--
Roland Perry