[Anonymous]

[Swissdiver]

Might have to fly to IOM and it seems that Flybe is pretty much the only possible carrier. Any feedback? Are they as bad as EasyJet?

Thanks

[BRUSHES]

the worse attitude of any airline ever!!!! i even paid several extra dollars and flew to another airport from belfast due to their attitude and luggage costs. better fly, drive, ride a bicycle, take a cruise or stay home.

[Swissdiver]

Thanks, Brushes. Riding a bicycle to IOM might be challenging though. I might consider a paddle boat then…

[MartynSinclair]

As long as you know what you getting for the price price you pay, FlyBe is perfectly adequate. A 62 inch pitch with gourmet meals, in your dreams. A cost effective and reliable LCC it is up there with the best.

Crew are not the jolliest and their baggage rules are strict, but thats their pricing model.

I would hesitate using them for a 3 hour flight in a propjet, but anything up to 90 minutes, its perfect – just manage expectations.

[SimonS1]

I use them quite regularly LGW to IOM. Effectively a monopoly situation so expensive for the service bearing in mind you pay extra for everything on board. Crew are generally miserable as well. They use LGW South terminal which means you will feel out of place unless you are carrying a bucket and spade.

Positives are that timekeeping to IOM is quite good, and I have never yet been challenged carrying 2 bags on board as the gate staff really don’t seem to give a wotsit.

Adequate is indeed the word.

[flyingformiles]

I fly them regularly from Glasgow to Beflast and Birmingham. Can’t say I have had any major issues with them at all.

[DanDare1975]

I have flown Flybe regularly for almost 10 years on domestic flights. I agree with the previous points that with Flybe you are getting what you are paying for, a low cost short haul carrier with no frills. Adequate is definitely the word. Easyjet competes on one of the routes on which I use Flybe, and BMIBaby competes on the others, and I have used a mixture of all three due to availability and price. I can honestly say that Flybe has been by far the most reliable of the three airlines on these routes and is now my preference. When it comes to attitude and customer service, I have not experienced anything worse than BMIBaby, who have stranded me twice after keeping me hanging around for a long time, and when they told me the flight wasn’t going to operate I struggled to recover the cost of the ticket I had paid for.

[BRUSHES]

may have been too harsh. The flybe agent chased me around the terminal yelling at me that I would not get better treatment nor lower ‘
extra weight’ charges (about 240 sterling) for my belfast-birmingham flite. I tried to buy 2 extra seats which were cheaper than the freight but ‘no chance’ so BMI flew me to lhr and took all my luggage (1 k member of Star Alliance) without an moment of regret. Even tho I spent and extra hour or two by changing airports, it was worth it in an attempt to negate Flybe’s personnel and attitude.

[DanDare1975]

I have also had positive experiences with BMI, but not with BMI Baby which I find very different and vastly inferior. They are however much cheaper. My point is that when you choose and LCC like Flybe, Easyjet or BMI Baby you need to lower your expectations (and ideally have time on your hands) or you are just going to be disappointed with what you get.

[seasonedtraveller]

In my experiences of Flybe – when things good well, they go well BUT when things go wrong (delays etc) they go badly wrong and there seems to be absolutely no-one to talk to….A recent flight from exeter to Leeds was cancelled (by text) as I was on my was to the airport…the text tells you, the customer, that you have to call their (peak rate) customer service line…..after many, many attempts, I finally got through only to be told “nothing we can do” ” You will need to apply for a refund” – Result, £20.00 refunded – cost of rail ticket £150.00

[Travellator]

I use FlyBe regularly ex BHD, once you get to master their website so as NOT to pay for travel insurance it is OK. Their hand baggage size is 50mm smaller than other carriers so regulation size bags with wheels are 50mm too big. They are inconsistent with their hand baggage rules also, I have seen huge carry ons from LGW and sometimes a bag just and I mean just outside gets flung in the hold.
Onboard their new Embraers are nice to fly in but 3hours as MS suggests would be too much, I even enjoy the Q400’s.

They could be so much better with the minimum of effort.

[router21]

There is an alternative of Aer Arran from London City. Far more pleasant airport. They do fly smaller planes either an
ATR 42 or sometimes a leased Suckling Airlines Dornier
which has about 32 seats. The crew are 100 x better than FlyMaybe as are their call centre staff. They give a free 20kg
baggage allowance on the IOM route and even a free tea/soft drink and biscuit and the latter would cost you about
£5 on FlyMaybe. If you do use FlyMaybe do not get conned into agreeing to accept the seat they assign you during the online booking process as they cunningly (or should I say conningly) charge you £5 whereas if you say continue without seats they charge nothing and you can either be assigned seats at airport check in or when you check in online for free. Also bear in mind on Flybe their overhead lockers are so small that virtually nothing except a coat and very small computer bag etc will fit and the seating is so tight
that nothing can really be put under the seats so Flymaybe virtually force you to pay for luggage also watch out for them trying to sell you travel insurance. Good luck and support the Irish !

[WarrenStanborough7]

After reading all the negative comments about FlyBe I was very sceptical about using them from ORY/SOU recently. But to my surprise the whole experience was enjoyable. However I did familiarise my self with all their rules before I arrived at the airport. As an (apparently) added bonus we had a cheery crew.

[Swissdiver]

Thanks all.

In general I avoid by all means those airlines that would simply let you down in case of a problem to arise (hence not applying the Iata rules). It seems that Flybe is among them… But, as noted above, it seems that Flybe is almost in a monopoly situation in IOM. Se (Fly)be it!

Btw, I considered Aer Arran from LCY. But then I would have to use two different tickets (GVA LCY and LCY IOM). Let’s not make things worse…

For the dates that would suit me, I’ll have to connect in SOU on the outbound journey (inbound would be direct) but heard it is a decent airport. Any comment?

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