PK 709 cancelled

[Beads]

Does anyone know why this flight is cancelled? (weds 1 June)

[SENIOR]

PK709/710 - 01JUL09 and 08JUL09 LHE-MAN-LHE WED cancelled due poor loads @100 pax only booked both ways.
Not really feasible when operating B773.
Those pax originally booked have been transferred onto Fridays flight.

Other flights also cancelled -

PK785/786 - 05JUL09 ISB-LHR-ISB SUN

PK757/758 - 07JUL09 LHE-LHR-LHE TUE

[baberblues]

omg 100 pax only , is PK losing the MAN market too now, since EK will be adding a 3rd daily flight and EY romoured to go 2X daily, PK is seroiusly getting sqeezed out.

[zz]

omg 100 pax only , is PK losing the MAN market too now, since EK will be adding a 3rd daily flight and EY romoured to go 2X daily, PK is seroiusly getting sqeezed out.

Thats what happen,when u appoint md on sifarish.

[uetflyer]

Most of these 100 pax will have had their travel plans etc seriously disrupted. Some will not be able to fly on the new date due to work committments. You can be sure that very few would book with PIA next time they fly...

[nopy99]

The point of a scheduled flag bearing airline is that it dosnt simply cancel a flight due to poor loads.

[raihans]

In this case, where equipment is B77W and pax number is low like mentioned 100 pax both ways then why PIA is not replacing the equipment i.e. A310 instead of canceling the flight? Or they don't have spare A310 available for this flight at the time?

[pakistan712]

u can just see how quickly PIA is shrinking. who ever would have thought that PIA would cancel a MAN flight. I can see MAN freq. being reduced to 3 or 4 weekly flights. same with LHR. Foreign carriers rule the Pakistani market. I can see PIA just being reduced to a regional carrier in the next few years. i know nobody wants to see it happen but its probably true.

[adamalikhan]

Spoke to Servis Air the ground handling agents for PIA (and AirBlue) at Manchester Airport because my friend was due to travel today ...

They said flights been cancelled. No reason why. PIA just sent them a message and they are not obliged to give a reason why. However the gentlemen did say that the likely reason (As in the above posts) is low pax loads and because they are a scheduled airline and not charter, they can just cancel flights and move people around.

From a business point of you view fair enough but for poeple like my friend who work for decent companies which require them to book holidays. This has well and truley messed up his schedule.

[bernyjee]

Seems like PIA may have to reduce its MAN operations soon...cool.

PIAs top management need to be enrolled into some Business 101 class. I am sure IBA in KHI can offer its services in injecting a little business sense into them. But wait, they can do it only when they are not busy milking the airline, of course.

[t_kaay]

Now maybe someone on here can explain something for me. If they are cancelling the flight due to a low load, then why not try and reduce the prices during these hard times and fill the seats? I am 100% sure that if they knocked the prices right down then many people would take up the offer. Surely they would rather have the planes full and make a little money, rather than none at all. You see many western carriers reduce fares to the US from the UK, which is the same distance, down to really low prices...I've seen UK to New York for as low as £200-£250 return before. And I guess the overheads for PIA wouldn't be as high as the likes of Virgin/BA. Lets try MAN-ISB return for £199 and see the planes jam packed Well I can dream can't I?? The success of the low fares of Air Blue from Manchester shows that customers are quite willing to offset a direct/indirect flight for some savings in their pockets.

[boomtha]

I got one way ticket from Brussels to lahore on etihad Air just for 420 Euro for 24th june flight.where as non sense PIA travel agent was asking 600 Euro for one way ticket from Amsterdam to lahore for flight of 23 june.Then how we can opt for PIA with this fare.

[FKhan722]

Now maybe someone on here can explain something for me. If they are cancelling the flight due to a low load, then why not try and reduce the prices during these hard times and fill the seats? I am 100% sure that if they knocked the prices right down then many people would take up the offer. Surely they would rather have the planes full and make a little money, rather than none at all. You see many western carriers reduce fares to the US from the UK, which is the same distance, down to really low prices...I've seen UK to New York for as low as £200-£250 return before. And I guess the overheads for PIA wouldn't be as high as the likes of Virgin/BA. Lets try MAN-ISB return for £199 and see the planes jam packed Well I can dream can't I?? The success of the low fares of Air Blue from Manchester shows that customers are quite willing to offset a direct/indirect flight for some savings in their pockets.

^ Agreed 100% -- very well put.

Also another reason that comes to mind is that now that PIA are serving too many destinations in the United Kingdom - those passengers that would usually make the trip to MAN or LHR are no longer doing so!!

United Kingdom Destinations:
London Heathrow
London Stansted (offline now)
Birmingham
Manchester
Glasgow
Bradford/Leeds

Too many destinations in a relatively small country (area wise). I would say stick to LHR/MAN and serve them daily to as many Pakistan gateways as possible. I know the deal with LHR allows only 10 flights a week - but there is seriously an issue if they are cancelling an ISB and a LHE flight from LHR also - in other words if PK cant fill whatever aircraft from LHR on the verge of the peak summer season - then i'm at a loss of words for the demise of once a true International Airline!!

Kind Regards
F. Khan

[Huraiz]

I agree with F.Khan722 to some extent.Pia was flying up to 6 flights a week to Birmingham in near past now they've dropped to 4 flights.We can argue that capacity have been increased,considering Pia brings 773 into BHX but these days its frequency that matters most.
What im trying to say is Pia flying to Birmingham didn't effect PIA in MAN that much but flying to LBA did.I still cant figure out logic behind it.Its only 45min-1hour drive from Manchester,it obviously has helped people in Yorkshire but remember people living in Midlands also use Manchester,which is 70 miles from Birmingham compared to about 100+miles in heavy traffic for Heathrow.Now those people who cant get the seat from BHX simply take Emirates because there isnt enough flights into Manchester and getting to LBA is mission and most of the public is not very fond of Heathrow.Someone mentioned earlier about bereavement in families,its true we are not gonna wait around for PIA to come in two days time,we'll simply pick one of Emirates flights and go.
Manchester is a destination where IMO PIA can fly twice daily on few days.Canceling flight due to low load is not a good sign at all.Pia heads need to get their act together ASAP,otherwise there wont be anything left and i cant remember which other legacy airline canceled one of their main routes coz of low pax...
Its not the foreign carrires who are killing PIA,its the people sitting in PIA head office and of course in Islamabad ,who are doing it and man they are doing a brilliant job....

[baberblues]

The Only thing might save PK is to either operate to some cities once a week, i know there isnt no point in that, but atleast they save money, how ever i really think PK's lost the game here.!!