Cheap flights hit ferry firms

[Yann Ferries]

Good evening with all,


Cheap flights hit ferry firms:

HOLIDAYMAKERS have ditched Portsmouth's port in droves as competition from low-cost airlines bites.

The ferry port suffered massive drops in the number of passengers and cars taken on ferries to the continent and the Channel Islands last year.

Port chiefs blamed the 300,000 drop in passenger numbers on a reluctance to go abroad because of safety fears sparked by the Iraq war. Also, the
exceptionally hot weather at home last year would not have helped.

But the biggest fear is that cheap air travel may have tempted people to dump ferry trips in favour of trips further afield.

Last year 3.19m people travelled on Portsmouth ferries - an eight per cent drop on 2002 and the worst figure for seven years. Passenger vehicle numbers on P&O, Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries plunged to 931,000 -nine per cent down on the previous year.

Truck numbers were up two per cent to 319,000, an increase due to the entry into service of new ships for Brittany Ferries and P&O.

Portsmouth's decline was mirrored at Eurotunnel, which yesterday revealed a four per cent drop in passengers and two per cent cut in cars.
Dover saw a nine per cent fall in peak-season ferry journeys.

21 January 2004 The News.


Good Weekend.

Yann ferries

[Paul]

I wondered if anything like this would happen, after seeing all those ads for cheap airfares lately.

Personally, though, I would rather take my own car, and go on the spacious ferries, rather than be cramped up on a plane, even if the travelling time is shorter. I've never been keen on flying, anyway.

I wonder if this will prompt the ferry companies to reduce their prices.

[memorykarl]

it was going to happen anyway. its cheper to fly for say £10.99 each way on a special low cost fare than it is to go by ferry, even if you rent a car for a week!

[bfemp]

brittany only dropped 2% on 2002 figures, p&o lost far more trade than BF. the freight side however has done very very well (not sure of the figures) but considerably up on 2002!

[Andy]

BF 2003 Results:

http://users.boardnation.com/~bfe/in...y;threadid=240

[bfemp]

interesting that it shows 6% drop. i have info here (i can't show you as it is in a memo!) that says 2%??

[Andy]

Hi,

The 2003 Results were taken from the French BF website, although to be fair, I am sure your information is far more reliable and accurate!

[bfemp]

i wouldn't be too sure, i'd personally take what it says on the website. it was in info sent at christmas so may not have taken the entire year into account. It may just have compared it to the same period of 2002 or something like that.

[Matts]

Presumably portsmouth will be increasingly hit by FLYBE expansion at Southampton. Poole looses out to Ryanair from Bournemouth and Plymouth loose out to FlyBE Exeter. All are relatively new low cost airports but have the potential to attract alot of discretionary travellers away from the ferries. The choice will come down to where shall we go for our weekend away, Cherbourg or Bordeaux, Caen or Salzburg etc. Much as I love travelling by ferry I think alot of people will choose the plane, particularly as fares are often cheaper.

[des]

ah yeah but try asking Ryanair to load up the hold with all your cheap booze