Who was it that said "The natives are revolting"? Well this one certainly is!!
This is Nigel's blog for airing concerns about current issues on Alderney, and he invites you to comment too. Add your own thoughts be they humorous, insulting, satirical, critical or even full of praise. This is your chance to join the revolution!
Transport Links
With over 40 years serving the island, Aurigny do a great job. Yes it"s expensive to get here but at least it keeps the larger louts out! We can't have it both ways.
Yes but when you have family, i.e. children at college/university that need to go to and from the UK/Guernsey it soon adds up to, frankly ridiculous amounts! And what about residents that want to go on holiday, to have a break or go see relatives abroad? It costs the best part of £100 (unless you book months in advance) just to take a 30min trip (there and back) to Guernsey alone! In this economic climate where families are struggling enough as it is, even here, Aurigny should take that on board! It shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg just for a weekend away! Yes I agree that their service is great, however, it still feels more like Aurigny take advantage of us because we for the most part have no other choice! Also, tourism is a good thing! It helps the economy. We only get a very short season where this actually makes a difference and in the short time I've been alive I have already seen a steady downfall of visitors during the peak season! Many local businesses rely on the influx of people during the summer, how will they survive if the customer cannot afford to get here?
Just to be clear, is Anonymous a lout of rather substantial proportions or a lout who drinks a lot of the 'Amber Nectar' type of beer? Perhaps he is both? Alderney deserves to know!
C Thomas has a valid point. Its all very well the high cost of flights keeping those people you say you dont want here out of the Island but it also restricts those of us that live here who have children to educate and family to visit let alone going on a holiday. I think I recall years ago there was a reduced fare for those of us that lived here full time. Perhaps if Aurigny were to reintroduce that the local population would not feel quite so agreeved. Lets not forget its the key workers and families that live here that keep this Island going. As for larger louts perhaps we should remenber that most of us could have been accused of loutish behaviour at sometime in our youth! Maybe even the Revolting Alderney Native!!
If we don't solve the transport problem with more flights at lower cost from/to more destinations, Alderney will continue to shrink. And it is at the root of many of the other problems.
During the last 5-6 years we have lost direct flights to Bournmouth, Brighton, and Jersey, and Blue island, as a flight operator. And the commercial practises of Aurigny are very questionable. Like they just stopped charging £2 for debit cards - and increased all flight charges by £2!! And they need 14 days to clear cheques? Never mind the strange way the charge per flight changes based on when you book it.
Aurigny staff are great and they do their best, but the people who make the rules are not in the same class.
Aurigny, the staff and pilots are fantastic, if there was a prize for the most friendly airline in the world they would win hands down BUT they have be awarded a monopoly on the Southampton route by way of the rejection of the proposal from Blue Island to operate it-how have the bean counters at Aurigny rewarded us, less aircraft, less flights, that is not fair business in my book, there are obligations that go with a monopoly, the Airline is preventing people coming here, that is a fact(especially hard hitting in these difficult times) in large numbers, in the old days an intelligent phone operator would listen to extra demand and lay on extra flights in the modern world of computer booking it should be so simple to run extra services as demand requires the fact that they dont have enough serviceable planes (should not be an issue in a monopoly situation it should be a pre-requisite for being awarded it) considering their unique non competitive position.Trying to force people to hub through Guernsey will destroy our economy as serious business people and entrepreneurs will not move here as they cant daily commute, and second home owners/future settlers will stop buying here as it makes the journey a pain.Southampton route is the most important issue confronting this island.DONT IGNORE THIS WARNING states members.
I agree staff are fantastic probably the most friendly air line, i agree that the flights are expensive and this prevents people from coming in thus reducing tourism and extra income for the island. It would be interesting to know what the actual cost is to aurighny per flight, and see how much they are making before we judge to much! but i expect that they arn't losing money thats for sure
why charge them, they are bringing clients to the Island why not put up a big open for business sign above this harbour its amazing what a small gesture can do to encourage more traffic. As i understand it it costs more money each year to collect the mooring fees and administer them than the revenue collected, please can someone deny this if its not true.
I see that Aurigny has disclosed the fact that passenger numbers from Southampton are down from last year this only becomes a relevant piece of information when they also disclose the flight movements ie was the capacity reduced compared to last year i would take a bet that there was a whole lot less flights and thus less passengers please can someone in the know disclose this.
Aurigny have fessed up they intend to shrink capacity by 10 % and the result ? they increased the average flight to 78% full from 76%(i am sure this figure includes return flights back to southampton which you would expect to be fairly empty in July) why did nearly a 1000 passengers less travel to Alderney in July this year compared to last, the main reason is that they could not get flights here,i heard this from so many friends, and guess what they did not want to come via Guernsey either !, 1000 people spending on average £500 pounds each on the Island equates to £500,000 not being spent in the Island economy in this major summer month. A bloody disaster, the states should be looking to open the Southampton route up to alternative operators if Aurigny wont reconsider their strategy there is lots of money to be made on this route, its just the Bean counters at Aurigny have figured out that they can make more money if passengers hub via Guernsey, well that model is not working and the big loser in all this is Alderney.
The people have Alderney have got what they voted for, a monopoly. On the Guernsey flight, Blue Islands had 2 pilots, refurbished aircraft, a coach at the other end and they were cheaper. Yet still the lemmings went to the Aurigny desk. The people didn't understand Derek, suave, charming, wealthy, busy. Years and years and years of pent up resentment and jealousy of outsider success are coming home to roost. You've got what you vote for.
I couldn't agree more
ReplyDeleteYes but when you have family, i.e. children at college/university that need to go to and from the UK/Guernsey it soon adds up to, frankly ridiculous amounts! And what about residents that want to go on holiday, to have a break or go see relatives abroad? It costs the best part of £100 (unless you book months in advance) just to take a 30min trip (there and back) to Guernsey alone! In this economic climate where families are struggling enough as it is, even here, Aurigny should take that on board! It shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg just for a weekend away! Yes I agree that their service is great, however, it still feels more like Aurigny take advantage of us because we for the most part have no other choice! Also, tourism is a good thing! It helps the economy. We only get a very short season where this actually makes a difference and in the short time I've been alive I have already seen a steady downfall of visitors during the peak season! Many local businesses rely on the influx of people during the summer, how will they survive if the customer cannot afford to get here?
ReplyDeleteI find it difficult to rant here as I concur.
ReplyDeletei find it difficult too, as i am a larger lout
ReplyDeleteYou can't be that much of a lout,as you have found the time to comment. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteJust to be clear, is Anonymous a lout of rather substantial proportions or a lout who drinks a lot of the 'Amber Nectar' type of beer? Perhaps he is both? Alderney deserves to know!
DeleteYou're right but the bitter drinker tends to be more eloquent.
ReplyDeleteC Thomas has a valid point. Its all very well the high cost of flights keeping those people you say you dont want here out of the Island but it also restricts those of us that live here who have children to educate and family to visit let alone going on a holiday.
ReplyDeleteI think I recall years ago there was a reduced fare for those of us that lived here full time. Perhaps if Aurigny were to reintroduce that the local population would not feel quite so agreeved.
Lets not forget its the key workers and families that live here that keep this Island going.
As for larger louts perhaps we should remenber that most of us could have been accused of loutish behaviour at sometime in our youth! Maybe even the Revolting Alderney Native!!
If we don't solve the transport problem with more flights at lower cost from/to more destinations, Alderney will continue to shrink. And it is at the root of many of the other problems.
ReplyDeleteDuring the last 5-6 years we have lost direct flights to Bournmouth, Brighton, and Jersey, and Blue island, as a flight operator. And the commercial practises of Aurigny are very questionable. Like they just stopped charging £2 for debit cards - and increased all flight charges by £2!! And they need 14 days to clear cheques? Never mind the strange way the charge per flight changes based on when you book it.
Aurigny staff are great and they do their best, but the people who make the rules are not in the same class.
Aurigny, the staff and pilots are fantastic, if there was a prize for the most friendly airline in the world they would win hands down BUT they have be awarded a monopoly on the Southampton route by way of the rejection of the proposal from Blue Island to operate it-how have the bean counters at Aurigny rewarded us, less aircraft, less flights, that is not fair business in my book, there are obligations that go with a monopoly, the Airline is preventing people coming here, that is a fact(especially hard hitting in these difficult times) in large numbers, in the old days an intelligent phone operator would listen to extra demand and lay on extra flights in the modern world of computer booking it should be so simple to run extra services as demand requires the fact that they dont have enough serviceable planes (should not be an issue in a monopoly situation it should be a pre-requisite for being awarded it) considering their unique non competitive position.Trying to force people to hub through Guernsey will destroy our economy as serious business people and entrepreneurs will not move here as they cant daily commute, and second home owners/future settlers will stop buying here as it makes the journey a pain.Southampton route is the most important issue confronting this island.DONT IGNORE THIS WARNING states members.
ReplyDeleteI agree staff are fantastic probably the most friendly air line, i agree that the flights are expensive and this prevents people from coming in thus reducing tourism and extra income for the island. It would be interesting to know what the actual cost is to aurighny per flight, and see how much they are making before we judge to much! but i expect that they arn't losing money thats for sure
ReplyDeleteWe need better transport links all round, The States are encouraging charter boats with reduced harbour fees etc which is a big step forward.
ReplyDeletewhy charge them, they are bringing clients to the Island why not put up a big open for business sign above this harbour its amazing what a small gesture can do to encourage more traffic. As i understand it it costs more money each year to collect the mooring fees and administer them than the revenue collected, please can someone deny this if its not true.
ReplyDeleteI see that Aurigny has disclosed the fact that passenger numbers from Southampton are down from last year this only becomes a relevant piece of information when they also disclose the flight movements ie was the capacity reduced compared to last year i would take a bet that there was a whole lot less flights and thus less passengers please can someone in the know disclose this.
ReplyDeleteAurigny have fessed up they intend to shrink capacity by 10 % and the result ? they increased the average flight to 78% full from 76%(i am sure this figure includes return flights back to southampton which you would expect to be fairly empty in July) why did nearly a 1000 passengers less travel to Alderney in July this year compared to last, the main reason is that they could not get flights here,i heard this from so many friends, and guess what they did not want to come via Guernsey either !, 1000 people spending on average £500 pounds each on the Island equates to £500,000 not being spent in the Island economy in this major summer month.
ReplyDeleteA bloody disaster, the states should be looking to open the Southampton route up to alternative operators if Aurigny wont reconsider their strategy there is lots of money to be made on this route, its just the Bean counters at Aurigny have figured out that they can make more money if passengers hub via Guernsey, well that model is not working and the big loser in all this is Alderney.
The people have Alderney have got what they voted for, a monopoly. On the Guernsey flight, Blue Islands had 2 pilots, refurbished aircraft, a coach at the other end and they were cheaper. Yet still the lemmings went to the Aurigny desk. The people didn't understand Derek, suave, charming, wealthy, busy. Years and years and years of pent up resentment and jealousy of outsider success are coming home to roost. You've got what you vote for.
ReplyDelete