Iberia Express takes to the skies

[sillydoll]

Iberia Express (I2), Iberia's new subsidiary for short and medium-haul flights, started scheduled flights Sunday with four A320s operating from Madrid (MAD) to four destinations in Spain.
The first routes are from Madrid (MAD) to Palma de Majorca, Alicante, Malaga and Seville. The network will gradually expand to 17 destinations this summer. The first international gateways are slated to be Dublin, Naples, Mikonos, Riga and Amsterdam. Other domestic destinations will include Vigo, Santiago de Compostela, Granada, Minorca, Ibiza, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Palma.

By year end, I2 will operate 14 aircraft, all leased from IBERIA, to over 20 destinations. The new airline is a 100%-subsidiary of IB but managed independently. It will utilize IB's maintenance and other services.

"It has not been an easy project but today is a day of birth and this has to be celebrated," Sanchez-Lozano told a press conference in Madrid Friday, stressing that I2 "will be a success story that adds value to the Iberia Group. It will restore profitability to short- and medium-haul routes, add new destinations and connections, and feed traffic to the long-haul network, where Iberia is focusing its growth strategy."

 

[Peter Robins]

these press reports are all jumping the gun, as they've not even started selling tickets yet http://www.iberiaexpress.com/en/
Not sure how this fits in with Vueling, as the CEO - who happens to be called Gallego - is also Vueling's chief operating officer. :?

 

[sillydoll]

http://atwonline.com/airline-finance-da ... skies-0323

IBERIA pilots so far have staged 12 days of strikes since December protesting the new carrier. They announced a further 24 days of industrial action between March 16 and May 28, but this was called off after they agreed to new talks led by a government-appointed mediator (ATW Daily News, March 14).

The problem with the pilots is not solved, IBERIA CEO Rafael Sanchez-Lozano confirmed to ATW. He declined to comment further, noting the negotiations are under government mediation.

 

[ivar]

They have their new website up today:

http://www.iberiaexpress.com/en

Buen Camino!
Ivar

 

[Anniesantiago]

Ivar, or anyone living in Spain, do you really think this strike could happen in the middle of tourist season and go on for months? Or do you think there will be some resolution?

IF it were to continue, what are the best options for a person getting from the Madrid airport to Pamplona?

 

[ivar]

This is not the first time the Iberia pilots have been on strike this year. They are not liking the new Iberia Express (they are not striking). What has happened earlier this year is the following:

By law, if there is a strike, it has to be announced 10 days in advance.

This has given Ibera enough time to re-book passengers to other flights. I am guessing they will be re-booked to Vueling (owned by Iberia) and/or Iberia Express (owned by Iberia)... and as a last resort, to another competing airline.

I don't think you will loose your ticket, you will just be re-booked... the problem is of course, if you have a connecting flight with another airline.. then you might loose that flight..

This is what Iberia say on their facebook page:

Iberia Airline’s SEPLA pilots’ union local has announced plans for new strike actions against the airline, to take place every Monday and Friday from April 9 to July 20. As soon as these actions are officially called, Iberia will file with Spain’s Ministry of Development for a mínimum services plan that will shield the most critical flights from the effects of the strikes, and will then incorporate that plan into our flight scheduling for that time period as soon as possible, so as to be able to inform our passengers of any changes and cancellations.

As with previous strike actions, once we have established which flights are cancelled, we will offer all of our affected passengers travel alternatives, either on Iberia or other airlines, at no additional cost. Those passengers who for whatever reason decline to accept these alternatives will have their fares refunded without penalty.

In the meantime, we offer guidelines from past experience as to which flights are most likely to continue to operate normally:
All flights between mainland Spain and the Balearic and Canary Islands.
All long-haul flights to the Western Hemisphere, South Africa and Angola, excepting those routes where we offer more than one daily flight; those would be reduced to one per day in each direction. (Note: this applies only to those flights operated by Iberia, not to flights opereated by other carriers as Iberia codeshares).
Between 25% and 50% of domestic flights within Spain and 50% (rounded up) of flights between Spain and other European countries as well as North Africa.
The planned SEPLA strikes would affect only Iberia Airlines, and therefore the following flights will not be affected and will operate normally:
Flights operated by AirNostrum (IB8000)
Flights operated by other airlines as Iberia codeshares: IB2400 to IB2699, operated by Iberia Express; IB5000 operated by Vueling; and IB4000 and IB7000, operated by various other carriers.

-- https://www.facebook.com/notes/iberia-a ... 3199859203

Greetings from Santiago,
Ivar

 

[Anniesantiago]

Thanks Ivar.