Flybe hits turbulence…again

Monday 18 March 2019

It might be less than one month since floundering Flybe was rescued by a Virgin-led consortium, but the airline has already hit turbulence…again.

The past two weeks have brought both legal and technical challenges for the airline.

The Telegraph reported that US airline JetBlue has raised competition concerns with the US authorities following its sale to Connect Airways, which saw share prices nosedive to a penny.

Pictured: JetBlue has raised competition concerns about the sale.

According to the North American flight provider, Virgin could use landing slots specifically designated for domestic uses to link up to European destinations – something that may be against competition rules.

It has therefore urged the Us Department for Transport to “take official notice”of the move.

Passengers have also raised concerns on a different topic: the website. 

Since its sale to Connect, which comprises Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital, as well as Virgin Atlantic, Flybe has had to update its flight booking infrastructure, meaning that customers have not been able to access their accounts.

https://t.co/unZo5zIkwL is available to book following planned system updates. We are experiencing a few intermittent issues with specific pages. If you are experiencing difficulties checking in, please use this link: https://t.co/zz1HAZbdO1. Thank you for your patience. pic.twitter.com/0x5Ohr7YMA

— Flybe  (@flybe) March 13, 2019

Flybe also warned in an email to customers that their card payment details, previous bookings, and upcoming flights wouldn’t be held under the new system, leading to check-in concerns from some due to travel with the airline in the near future. 

Explaining the change, it read: “We’ve recently updated the infrastructure that we use to make and manage bookings. This new system lays the foundation for delivering our future digital ambitions and will help us provide the level of customer experience we are aiming for.” 

Those who do not want their accounts to be moved onto the new system have been told they can opt out by midnight tomorrow, which will see all of their Flybe details deleted within 28 days. 

Can always rely on Jersey to serve up stunning window views

taken by rjmlaird on Instagram pic.twitter.com/WEwEoh5GRq

— Flybe (@flybe) March 17, 2019

In Jersey, Flybe has operated a franchise deal with Blue Islands since 2016, which saw the pair share booking infrastructure and use Flybe-branded uniform and planes. It remains unclear how this agreement will be affected following the sale.

The consortium's Flybe takeover marks Virgin's second stab at the domestic market. In 2012, it launched 'Little Red' as competition for British Airways on UK domestic routes, but the spin-off airline saw little success and ultimately ceased operations in 2015.