PHC

Knowing of the large ex pat community in PHC due to the oil business i was wondering what the loads are like on this route! I would guess that cargo would be full but what about pax?

Have any of our cabin crew operated to there- or indeed anyone flown the route? Whats the airport like? Hotels for the crew to stay in etc? Airport facilites?

Can anyone provide any info on PHC or perhaps even LOS.

Never been, but a company who I supply do a lot of work in both Lagos and Port Harcourt both are very dangerous. Speaking to several different VS Crew members its not a destination they like, armed guards on the transport bus to the hotel and nightmare levels of fraud and corruption.Not on my list of future destinations.

We do quite alot of work in Nigeria, especially in the oil fields. Our engineers find it an 'experience' and all describe Lagos airport as a zoo.

They are allowed to choose between VS and BA, 100% take up for VS over the past 4 years! If only VS flew to Tehran, we could keep the plane quite full on our own!

I never Flown that route but I was at LGW at the next gate when one was called and the load looked reasonable for an 11PM flight!!

guess people dont care what time of night they fly- look @ SQ they have flights to SIN that leave at cerca 11pm!

J is pretty full, as well as W, cos of all the oil execs. There must be quite a lot of pax in Y, made up of oil workers etc., travelling on to other parts of the world through LHR.

Cheers,
VS045

I have heard that LOS and PHC are one of the most profitable routes VS operate. I know that the load factors are consistently high in all classes.

I believe the crew get a police escort from the airport to the hotel, and are advised not to leave the hotel.

Actually PHC is quite popular with the cabin crew. As flights only depart on a Monday or Wednesday you are guaranteed at least one weekend off. We have been given a floor in a hotel nearby that Virgin have decorated and furnished (thank you Ikea) and at 5pm a chef comes along and cooks us dinner which is all complimentary. As only Virgin crew use the floor it is clean and kept to a high(ish) standard. Security guards are posted on the floor and we are escorted to and from the airport. We are given approx £87 in allowances which doesn't get spent as you are there for 12 hours, most of which are spent sleeping. Then we get another payment in our salary for a discomfort allowance.

All in all the trip is worth about £200 take home on top of our salary. Its really quite a good earner in comparison to our other destinations, particularly considering the $ rate at the moment. It is an extremely profitatble route for Virgin hence their eagerness to ensure everything was in place for the crew to operate safely. The passengers are mainly oil workers who are all very friendly and happy to have another choice of carrier other than Air France. However sometimes they get a bit excitable with the free bar and the young hosties after several weeks on the rigs Still it's only 6 hours and we are home before we know it and £200 better off. No complaints from any crew at all!!

Southernbelle- do i read correctly! You fly out Monday evening arrive on Tuesday morning- sleep for 12 hours fly out Tuesday evening and fly into LGW on Wed Morning! So you dont actually spend any time there only 12 hours sleeping during the day before the evening flight? Is this correct? Perusme wed flight is spend thurs sleeping there and back in fri morning. So no real overnighter? Is this the same for LOS?

Hi Will

PHC flights are sometimes full but more usually about 60-70%. However yield is very good as there isn't much competition/discounting. Due to the lack of airport aids we're not allowed to arrive there at night so that's the reason for the late STD from LGW. Initially we used to depart LGW in the morning but were always struggling to get there before sunset. The airport is fairly basic I think...just 1 rwy and a little box terminal.

In addition to what southernbelle wrote, I think LOS/PHC are fairly popular because they are short flights (6hrs each way) and there's no jet-lag. AFAIK crew duties are different for LOS due to the schedule...eg crews operate LHR-LOS on Mon night then stay there Tue night before flying back on Wed morning.

Cheers
Alan

Alan

Hope St Lucia was nice- TR coming? Thanks for info re los and phc- so basically no stopover in phc except 12 hours in the day and a 1 night stopover in LOS? Is this correct?

What is the cargo load like? Other than AF and VS does anyone else operate to PHC?

Hi Will

Yes AFAIK that's correct re the crew layover. There isn't much freight on the Nigeria flts as the southbounds tend to be maxxed out with excess baggage! I think VS and AF are the only Western airlines operating into PHC.

Hopefully I'll get round to a TR when I get a chance.

Cheers
Alan