To Flybe or Not to Flybe. That is the question.

How painful are the alternatives? You should work up a specific Plan B now so you can make a rational comparison, and (perhaps) so you can execute it if you decide to ditch Flybe (or if they ditch themselves). Without knowing how trivial or awful that alternative would be, it's going to be hard to choose.

The interested parties involved with Flybe keep their cards to their chest so it's difficult to envisage what the picture will be in several months. I would reccomend the Normandie Express from Portsmouth to cherbourg but they only start the service at the end of April.

The possible plane seizure hasn’t been reported in the UK to my knowledge. As the government has bailed them out, I would have thought that the planes wouldn’t be repossessed unless Flybe missed payments.

https://simpleflying.com/aircraft-owners-are-worried-flybes-fleet-could-be-seized/

Article does not paint a 'warm n fuzzy' picture.

New name for the airline? 'fly(may)be'

If I had the trip upcoming I would compare the cost of early purchase ticket vs walk up and look at what alternates cost to make an assessment of how to 'place my bet'

Good luck

I don't know anything else than what has been reported in the media, but I think in the end it depends on your travel style and how you deal with risk. Where are you actually going? Is this a trip from London or do you actually start in Southend?

Personally I like to decrease risks when travelling and not having to deal with last minute rebookings, so I would probably book with less risky companies. But if you don't mind the risk, you could still book the flight. April is not that far away, but things can happen fast. When Thomas Cook went under it was only a few days from "everything is fine" to bankruptcy. So try to at least have a plan for what to do in a worst case scenario.

Flybe has a lot of outstanding debts it is juggling to the likes of Government and airports with next to no assets to guarantee against further loans with the planes leased, and others such as buildings already mortgaged. Ultimately it seems likely to me to come down to its two major shareholders Stobart (which has problems of its own) and Virgin Atlantic (and Delta higher up the chain of ownership) to sort out.

My alternate choices are:

1) Train to Portsmouth, spend the night at a hotel, early morning ferry to Ouistreham, bus to Caen, train to Bayeux. (Total for travel day about 8 hours. I have been to Portsmouth on a previous trip so I have seen most of the sights. And a six hour ferry ride in April may not be a lot of fun.)

2) Eurostar to Paris, transfer from Gare du Nord to St. Lazare, train to Bayeux. (Between 7 and 7.5 hours total time)

These other options are also more expensive.

I have read all of the articles and that is why I am concerned.

Are you willing to drive in France? Ryanair fly from Stansted to Dinard. From there to Bayeux it's about a two hour drive.

I wouldn't fancy a cross channel ferry in April.

skyscanner lists other flights from London to Caen but with at least one connection, and a number require "self-connection" which involves retrieving luggage, going through European border control and checking back in with another airline. The least uncertain route is by train, with that cross-Paris commute and no cheaper. You can buy the tickets now, knowing they will be good on your travel day (except, of course, if strikes flare up.) And the weather on a channel crossing can be very unpleasant, even though the French port is adjacent to Caen. There's always something that can ambush you, isn't there?

I've flown Ryanair from Stansted to Dinard and then rented a car. It's quick and cheap. There are three car rental companies at the airport: Avis, Hertz, and Entreprise. It might be a better alternative.

Thanks for the replies......

I have never flown Ryanair and don't want to start now. I don't want the hassle of renting a car, worrying about parking and then returning it when I had planned more stops in France after Bayeux.

I think I will be optimistic and book the fight.

If a problem occurs, I can either take the train or just postpone that part of the trip. As long as it is at least three days ahead of time, I can cancel my hotel. I would only lose my d-day tour tickets.

Of course, there could still be strikes going on in France affecting transportation.

Frank II,

If the flight actually takes place, I'd be interested to know how it all works out. That route provides a convenient way to bypass Paris to get from London to Normandy. Hopefully FlyBe can get their act together and return to a stable business situation.

The Caen airport (Carpiquet) has some historical significance for Canadians, which would interest me.

On this trip Ken, I'm trying to bypass Paris if I can. I've been numerous times and frankly, it's gotten too crowded. I know many people love it but I prefer smaller cities and towns.

Frank II,

That was my rationale too. I'd like to pay another visit to Normandy and it would be nice to bypass Paris.

I understand your dilemma. Last Sept. I bought a ticket for a Flybe flight from Exeter to Paris. It's scheduled for March 2nd, but I'm wondering if it's going happen at all. I've been reading up on the latest news on the BBC News website, but there's so little to go by. My plan B is to fly out of Bristol. It would be inconvenient for me, but probably better than having to go all the way to London.

I just checked the flight I want to take and realized it is operated by Stobart Air. So even in Flybe goes under, Stobart might start flying the route on their own.

"I have never flown Ryanair and don't want to start now"

Having flown both Ryanair and Flybe frequently, even without Flybe's financial issues, I think I'd rate my chances higher on Ryanair.

I hope that you have a plan B, Flybe has just collapsed. https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/flybe-news-flights-administration-collapse-coronavirus-outbreak-bust-latest-news-a9376421.html

Fortunately, I never bought the ticket. Looking at alternatives.

RIP according to a report on the CNN website. 😢

Was thinking of you when I saw the news just now!

It's eerily quiet. 90% of my local airport traffic was Flybe. I feel really sorry for the airport staff who will be unemployed.

Loganair is picking up 16 routes formerly flown by Flybe. I got this in email this morning.

https://www.loganair.co.uk/flybe-routes-protected-by-loganair?utm_source=Email%20Prev%20M%20DB&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Customers%20info%20flybe%20closure

And yes, I realize that I am posting in the England forum about a Scottish airline but that is where this thread is located.