Summer Holidays at Balmoral: 2019 - 2022

[Lumutqueen]

General News for the Cambridge Family Part 3: March 2017

Loganair and FlyBe are franchise partners.

As the statement says 'We operate services on the Norwich-Aberdeen route on behalf of Eastern Airways for Flybe – that is with Loganair aircraft and crew – but deployment of aircraft can and does change to meet airline operational requirements.'

I read the article I posted thank you, but your additional quoting of the article says the same thing I did. “That is with loganair aircraft and crew”, a quick google shows that the livery of a Loganair plane is red and black tartan, Flybe is white and blue or could even be completely purple coloured.

Whilst this plane switcheroo is all down to Flybe, you can’t really say nobody would have noticed the completely different plane and company flying them to Aberdeen. Yes the aircraft can change, but it doesn’t happen that regularly I bet.

 

[Rudolph]

Rebecca English replying on Twitter to someone labelling this a stunt;

“It was absolutely not a stunt. And those pictures were not ‘arranged’ by anyone, not the Cambridges and not the airline.”

 

[ACO]

I am sure she is saying that especially after all their headlines this week. And honestly I don’t think it was but the irony of it all.

 

[Madame Verseau]

But how could Kensington Palace not know about the plane switch? You're flying the future king and his family and the staff and security do not know which plane is going to come when and at what point? Unless there was unexpected weather or a malfunction on the plane (I haven't picked that up) it's a wonder people are crying publicity stunt.

 

[Osipi]

How do we know that Kensington Palace *didn't* know? Not every detail of every minute of every royal's waking minutes is for public consumption.

 

[VictoriaB]

Except the fact that they’re completely different logos attached to the plane..I for one would notice if I was supposed to fly a BA flight and the plane in front of me was Emirates.

I would just assume it was a code share. I can’t count the times my Qantas flight has been on an Emirates plane. I’ve also flown BA and Qantas on an American Airlines plane (unfortunately).

 

[alvinking]

OK let me see if I get it straight
A company flies 2 empty planes 500 miles to get them to Aberdeen, the tickets were booked on Wednesday, and all these was unbeknown to them.

 

[Dman]

It all sounds like fishy stuff, to me.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is a 12 1/2 hour trip by train with 3-4 changes—Norfolk to Aberdeen. I’d fly too.

Voilà, the best argument for a high-speed line to the North. It is weird that the short line between Dover and London St Pancras is the UK's only purpose-built high speed trainline. And that line is foreign owned (mainly French) since the UK even sold out this ownership in an essential and strategic infrastructure

Then we can see the Cambridges and the Sussexes "flying" to Aberdeen per comfortable amd super-fast rail.

 

[muriel]

More detailed account. The tickets were booked on Wednesday.

https://www.scotsman.com/news/trans...o-pick-up-royals-for-aberdeen-visit-1-4990308

I quote from the article:

"General manager (commercial and operations) Roger Hage said: “Following a call and details provided late evening on Wednesday as to members of the Royal Family having been booked onto the service, and that armed Royal Protection Officers would accompany the family on-board, we elected, given this service is operated for Flybe by Eastern, to provide our own aircraft and crew, given the approvals and clearance required 
to accommodate such.""

Not that there is anything wrong with the flights being booked on Wednesday per se, I did not read this statement as so. I think that what Roger Hage is saying is that details of who was flying were only provided on Wednesday; the flights could have been booked previously using pseudonyms.

Given the way the airline seems to have tried to "milk" the royal travel for their own PR, I can see why the BRF / RPOs would delay releasing passenger information until the very last minute.

 

[muriel]

But how could Kensington Palace not know about the plane switch? You're flying the future king and his family and the staff and security do not know which plane is going to come when and at what point? Unless there was unexpected weather or a malfunction on the plane (I haven't picked that up) it's a wonder people are crying publicity stunt.

It is an operational decision by an airline to decide which aircraft to fly on a particular sector on specific day. Why does KP need to know?

 

[hel]

I quote from the article:

"General manager (commercial and operations) Roger Hage said: “Following a call and details provided late evening on Wednesday as to members of the Royal Family having been booked onto the service, and that armed Royal Protection Officers would accompany the family on-board, we elected, given this service is operated for Flybe by Eastern, to provide our own aircraft and crew, given the approvals and clearance required 
to accommodate such.""

Not that there is anything wrong with the flights being booked on Wednesday per se, I did not read this statement as so. I think that what Roger Hage is saying is that details of who was flying were only provided on Wednesday; the flights could have been booked previously using pseudonyms.

Given the way the airline seems to have tried to "milk" the royal travel for their own PR, I can see why the BRF / RPOs would delay releasing passenger information until the very last minute.

I agree; I wouldn't assume that the tickets had been booked on Wednesday, and I think it would be folly to try to book a group that had to comprise a dozen people (Cambridges + Carole + Maria + RPOs), all of whom needed to sit together, the day before the flight. I simply don't believe that happened, otherwise we'd also be hearing "I booked a premium ticket on that flight and they moved me to the back" stories from other passengers.

 

[wartenberg7]

 

[Alisa]

I am confused... So the Cambridges and company flew on an empty jet ie. They had the planes all to themselves?

 

[hel]

I am confused... So the Cambridges and company flew on an empty jet ie. They had the planes all to themselves?

No. Apparently the jet that would normally take that scheduled flight had a partner's markings on it.

So, since the company wanted their own markings on it, they flew an empty jet (which had the "right" markings) to Norwich, which the Cambridges (and everyone else on the flight) then flew to Aberdeen on.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is beyond belief how every futility is played out in British media.

 

[Denville]

OK let me see if I get it straight
A company flies 2 empty planes 500 miles to get them to Aberdeen, the tickets were booked on Wednesday, and all these was unbeknown to them.

How woudl they know how the plane got to their airport?

 

[muriel]

I am confused... So the Cambridges and company flew on an empty jet ie. They had the planes all to themselves?

Not quite. THe Cambridge family and other passengers flew on a regular commercial airplane. The only difference seems to be that once the airline were informed who was flying the evening before the flight, they chose to "milk" the situation and replace the regular plane with one that had the Flybe livery on it. This was a decision taken by the airline and not by KP. To get the Flybe plane in the right place at the right time, empty planes had to be flown.

 

[Hallo girl]

I live in a university town, the local bus company has a service for the students attending the uni, they are all in a blue livery different to the usual service bus.. In the summer when the students are away they use these buses but change the route numbers for the other journeys round the city. Nobody says I am not getting on that bus because it is the wrong colour, they get on it because it is going where they want to go. Get my drift. I am now away to literally watch paint dry as I am in the middle of decorating. It is obvious what is going on here, people are determined to find fault with the Cambridges to offset the media storm over the Sussex s, lets just leave them all alone.

 

[MARG]

I agree; I wouldn't assume that the tickets had been booked on Wednesday, and I think it would be folly to try to book a group that had to comprise a dozen people (Cambridges + Carole + Maria + RPOs), all of whom needed to sit together, the day before the flight. I simply don't believe that happened, otherwise we'd also be hearing "I booked a premium ticket on that flight and they moved me to the back" stories from other passengers.

It definitely smells fishy to me. Someone has to know ahead of time to enable them to get crews to fly the repositioning aircraft as well as get another plane to cover the original flight schedule for the Flyme plane.

It seems with the best will in the world people are still going to exploit the members of the BRF. HM is aware of this and is Prince Charles. To be honest, if you are travelling with three kids a train journey would be a nightmare and not just for the Cambridges. But now the Cambridges are aware they have been exploited it will be interesting to see how things. Go on.

 

[Hallo girl]

It is beyond belief how every futility is played out in British media.

And here..........

 

[Nico]

There's is OBVIOUSLY a trench warfare between the two households of the media battlefront.
It's silly, sad and the only thing irremediably damaged in these ridiculous stories in the Crown.
And don't yack again about "who began what" The "Fab four" are gone, we get it, now time to get over it. The problem is here and they better fix this asap and stop this tedious cannibalism, for the sake of the Monarchy.

 

[Denville]

There's is OBVIOUSLY a trench warfare between the two households of the media battlefront.
It's silly, sad and the only thing irremediably damaged in these ridiculous stories in the Crown.
And don't yack again about "who began what" The "Fab four" are gone, we get it, now time to get over it. The problem is here and they better fix this asap and stop this tedious cannibalism, for the sake of the Monarchy.

um, would there be this warfare between the 2 households.. if there wasn't tension between the 2 couples.? I am not sure. The Press is going to enjoy the whole thing..

 

[muriel]

There's is OBVIOUSLY a trench warfare between the two households of the media battlefront.
It's silly, sad and the only thing irremediably damaged in these ridiculous stories in the Crown.
And don't yack again about "who began what" The "Fab four" are gone, we get it, now time to get over it. The problem is here and they better fix this asap and stop this tedious cannibalism, for the sake of the Monarchy.

Trench warfare? With respect, that is just preposterous. To me, this is just some Sussex fans rather ineptly trying to show William and Catherine up, and the media "milking" it.

There may or may not be issues between the W&C and H&M, but I see no evidence of their households being at war. The Firm is hierarchical by its very nature, and every one ought to know where they stand.

 

[Denville]

Trench warfare? With respect, that is just preposterous. To me, this is just some Sussex fans rather ineptly trying to show William and Catherine up, and the media "milking" it.

There may or may not be issues between the W&C and H&M, but I see no evidence of their households being at war. The Firm is hierarchical by its very nature, and every one ought to know where they stand.

Of course the meidia are milking it to sell papers.. but there is something -. I think that the Sussexes are getting a lot of criticism and the story of Will and K dutifully taking a cheap flight was intended to show up H and Meghan as hypocritical and using their rich friends. Then it began to look as if W and Kate's flight was not so virtous after all. However that IMO is down to the Airline.. and I can't see that they are to blame for it...

 

[Nico]

Trench warfare? With respect, that is just preposterous. To me, this is just some Sussex fans rather ineptly trying to show William and Catherine up, and the media "milking" it.

There may or may not be issues between the W&C and H&M, but I see no evidence of their households being at war. The Firm is hierarchical by its very nature, and every one ought to know where they stand.

Mmmm don't sure about that any more. Pretty know that some die hard fans of the Sussexes would love to throw the Cambridges under a bus, but the amount of offensives and counter-offensives concerning both couples PR wise is becoming a tad suspicious.

 

[muriel]

It seems with the best will in the world people are still going to exploit the members of the BRF. HM is aware of this and is Prince Charles. To be honest, if you are travelling with three kids a train journey would be a nightmare and not just for the Cambridges. But now the Cambridges are aware they have been exploited it will be interesting to see how things. Go on.

I think that is correct. How they tread from here will be interesting to see. Flybe's attempt at free publicity may well have backfired here.

It definitely smells fishy to me. Someone has to know ahead of time to enable them to get crews to fly the repositioning aircraft as well as get another plane to cover the original flight schedule for the Flyme plane.

The airline appear to have been informed the evening before of the true identities of the passengers. Most airlines will have enough "spare capacity" to switch an aircraft if required.

 

[muriel]

Of course the meidia are milking it to sell papers.. but there is something -. I think that the Sussexes are getting a lot of criticism and the story of Will and K dutifully taking a cheap flight was intended to show up H and Meghan as hypocritical and using their rich friends. Then it began to look as if W and Kate's flight was not so virtous after all. However that IMO is down to the Airline.. and I can't see that they are to blame for it...

Some thougths:

> It is entirely possible that the Cambridge family were due to fly on a private jet to Balmoral, they saw the criticism of H&M and changed plans. If that is indeed the case, I don't see a problem in sensing the public mood and changing course accordingly.

> Is the Cambridge family taking a commercial flight to Balmoral purely show up the Sussex family, or merely a future King recognising the public mood and acting accordingly? Clearly the latter, IMO.

> Does the switching of planes make KP or the Cambridge family look bad: Not really. It is just the airline that looks silly, IMO.

 

[Rudolph]

Would anyone flying really care what plane is used? The Cambridges along with all the other passengers paid £73 a head for a regularly scheduled flight to Aberdeen.

That the airline switched planes, which happens all the time, is the airlines business not the paying public’s.

 

[Denville]

Would anyone flying really care what plane is used? The Cambridges along with all the other passengers paid £73 a head for a regularly scheduled flight to Aberdeen.

That the airline switched planes, which happens all the time, is the airlines business not the paying public’s.

No but it looks as if the airline isn't exactly being responsible in terms of carbon emissons..