 Poster: A snowHead
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[Mod: this topic's got its own thread now, which makes it on-topic, rather than off-topic. Fire away if you have good or bad things to say about Chambery Airport, which is - in theory - very well located for skiing the Haute Savoie]
Nick Zotov, Off topic but anything new about Chambery on there? Hopefully I land there in 12 days. I know about frequent closures due to fog or other bad weather, short runway, terminal congestion at weekends. Hoping a midday Thursday arrival will overcome some of the risks.
<Edit - bit about SCGB deleted>
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 8-01-05 13:11; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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kuwait_ian, I'll drop you a PM later today - If I don't give me a kick. Gotta go n ow, or get lynched by Senior Management (She Who Must Be Obeyed).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Continuing with your off topic, kuwait_ian: we landed at Chambery on the 19th December for our trip to Val. The powers that be, had decided to apparantly reduce the amount of coaches at the airport for the winter months. We were sat on the plane, on the tarmac for over an hour before being allowed off. The only reason we got off when we did, was because the Captain decided that he'd had enough (by this time they'd missed their take-off slot) and went to complain. Even then, we ended up walking to the terminal building... so much for the shorter transfer time 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Ah good - a mod has split this off to a new topic. I was just about to bump an old thread. Any info about this little airport for the 2004/2005 season welcome. I've never had a problem there and once took off 20 minutes early which is almost unheard of for a ski charter. Also enjoyed the baked potato stall and a pint on the open air terrace watching what's going on. But others have had bad trips. For historical stuff stick Chambery into the search engine. Anyone know if Crystal are overloading the place again with PAX for Serre Chevalier and other similar resorts with transfers from hell - even if they get into Chambery ????
Michelle, I think I've had 3 return trips and not once did I get a mystery bus tour. Always just walked from/to the plane steps. Don't mind the exercise and it's generally quicker. Busing might be a security thing - new rule so that punters don't wander around airside ??
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I've done two ski weeks flying into Chambery. We were delayed at least one hour in-bound AND out-bound on both trips, a combination of waiting for coaches to fill going out to resort, 'bad weather' and aircraft technical problems. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I used Chambery for a pre-Christmas trip a couple of years ago (travelling with Crystal Ski). Airport was fine on the way in and the way out; no delays and no problems with either flight. The only frustration was sitting on the coach for 60 minutes when we arrived because Crystal had combined different flights for the resort transfer. Despite this delay we still got to Tignes in time to ski on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours.
kuwait_ian, who are your flying with? Is it Flybe? Have you hired a car for your transfer up to BSM/Les Arcs?
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rob@rar.org.uk, the problem of multiple tiny aircraft from regional UK airports each feeding small numbers of passengers for the coaches is a common one there. Mind you I've had the same thing happen even with bigger aircraft in places like Geneva. "We have to wait for the Manchester flight"
Yes, I'm with Flybe. Getting in at 12:45. Thursday 20th. I have an offer of a lift at present. Or I was thinking of shuttle bus to the Station then railway to BSM. Do I remember correctly you were going to do a transfer / taxi service ?
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kuwait_ian, no, not me doing a transfer service. I'm interested in what the arrangements are for car hire frm Chambery as I'd like to use the airport more often but I normally need car hire.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I travelled through Chambery before xmas, bags off aircraft slowly, then 1.5 hours wait on the coach. Return was journey from hell, on arrival at Chambery we were the first coach to arrive and anticipated a quick check in. However, the computers at check in were playing up, took an hour to get us through. Then delayed for 3 hours due to high winds. Saw various trailers of luggage being ferried round the airport in the pouring rain. Eventually the aircraft took off with people only, understandable from a safety point of view. Eventually received luggage back 4 days later with wet contents and a burst ski bag.
Don't see much point in flights to a smaller local airport which looks good in the brochure for a short transfer if in practice the aircraft can't take off. Think in future I'll be looking for flights to major airports, at least I can sleep on the coach.
AW
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks to all who've contributed so far. Pity Crystal and Thomson are grossly overloading the place on Saturdays - that's why I'm flying on Thursdays.  I have to add a caveat that Lyons charter terminal certainly used to be a much worse dump than Chambery terminal ever was and I got stuck in Lyons once when an Air Algeria 737 aquaplaned off the end of the runway and blocked the place. Geneva doesn't get much praise if you're with a T.O. either. Feel free to chip in with thread diversions for up-dates on conditions in Lyons (especially that grotty charter tent - if it's still there), St Ettienne or Geneva.
Summary - When it works, Chambery is fine. When it doesn't, it's no worse than it's local rivals. Always bearing in mind the short runway and local fog and windshear conditions do seem to lead to a higher than average number of aborted landings there.
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sun 9-01-05 9:54; edited 1 time in total
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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What happens if Chambery is fog-bound, and does this happen often? Where would you be diverted to, and would your airline have arrangements to transfer you to Chambery?
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rob@rar.org.uk, the most likely diversion airports are Lyons and Geneva. I think with a scheduled airline like Flybe that's the end of their obligation although they'd no doubt hope to get into Chambery if/when the fog lifts to pick up outgoing PAX. With T.O.s they usually reroute the buses to the diversion airport but that can and does take hours to arrange. I couldn't find any figures on airport reliability on the web but because of the lake close by, early morning fog on calm days is a real risk. I couldn't find what category of instrument landing system the airport has. Anyone know ? And if it's not calm, they can sometimes get wind problems - not sure if that is shear (wind in differing directions at different parts of the runway) or cross winds or even both. Then the runway is very short so airlines are strict on baggage weights and Captains are understandably reluctant to have a go when they'd happily try to get in elsewhere with more room to manouevre.
The facts that both the T.O.s and Scheduled Low-Cost Airlines are not only persisting with Chambery but have upped the traffic must mean a) it's cheap for them to operate from there and b) it's running normally for sufficient days to make up for the occasional closures. They will have done the risk assessments. The transfer reps certainly hate the upheavals when things do go wrong. As I say, it's not all bad. This will be my 4th trip through it and the earlier 3 were fine. Fingers crossed.
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You know it makes sense.
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| kuwait_ian wrote: |
| rob@rar.org.uk, the most likely diversion airports are Lyons and Geneva. I think with a scheduled airline like Flybe that's the end of their obligation |
I doubt that, they would have to arrange onward transfer to Chambèry.
TOs don't have a defined backup airport. What happens is the plane takes off - finds it can't land at Chamb and will try to divert to Geneva. The Swiss will tell them they are too busy. Plane will then head for Lyon who will tell them to fly on to St Etienne. Pilot will tell French he is running out of fuel and eventually either Geneva or Lyon will let him land. Usually TOs coaches have headed on from Chamb to the wrong airport and have to divert. Passengers who took off from Norfolk International at 8am eventually arrive in resort the next day after a 14 hour transfer hell.
Fog in UK airports, particuarly when planes are on W rotations, seems to be more of a problem. At Chamb I believe the main problem is cross winds in a relatively narrow valley rather than fog.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
I think National and Europcar were on the ball enough to have people there for their customers.
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Not when we arrived on Boxing Day (Sunday) 5 hours late after being diverted to Grenoble and then bussed back to Chambery. We were told (eventually) that the National desk is never open on a Sunday - despite Holiday Autos having confirmed otherwise and having already deducted the cost of car hire from my account. We had to get a very expensive taxi to Courchevel or spend the night on the airport floor. We are now pursuing a claim against the car hire company for return of the money! Our return flight from Chambery (Flybe to S'Hampton) was also delayed by several hours - no explanation given except that the 'airspace was very busy'. For several hours the odd tour operator or scheduled flight took off, but there were loads of private planes arriving and departing. I came to the conclusion that Chambery is basically a private airport supplemented by joe public - and the private planes had priority. We were leaving on 2nd Jan, so I assume the jet set were on their way back home after the New Year. I may be maligning Chambery, but I'll nevery fly from there again.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Jane,
Sounds like you were on the same flight as some of our group who went to Tignes over NY.
Southampton - Grenoble - Chambery............yuk
Just as well it was delayed on the return as they got caught in traffic out of Tignes/Val and arrived when the flight was due to take off thinking they had missed it only to find a long delay..........
Think I'll stick with Geneva, a bit further but generally open and better staffed for car hire.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Ahh...fond memories! Didn't manage to get into Chambery last year....the one and only trip we've been on that used it....diversion to and hours hanging round Lyon waiting for a bus to turn up. On the way back we were surprised to find the check in staff at Chambery still using good old fashioned pen/paper and sticky lables for allocating seats on the plane, check in took ages! Followed by a dire time sitting on the floor due to lack of facilities and not getting anything to eat/drink because the cafe/bar was overloaded with people. Swore we wouldn't go back there! Give me Grenoble anytime, much nicer airport....mind you, the TO's are beginning to discover it which means it's slowly deteriorating.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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homphomp,
Yes, we encountered similar archaic check-in routines and floor sitting. Grenoble would be an improvement but not many people fly there from SW England sadly. I think I agree with you Slowplough, we'll stick to Geneva. But I think they have a pretty bad attitude there to the skiing fraternity. I've sat on that airport floor before now too, since there are very few seats. I keep thinking there must be a solution to this travel thing - like a private jet!! Ha, ha. All in all, the train has been the most reliable over the years, but I hate those couchettes ....... ugh - grim.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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have done Chambery 3 times now with Esprit and no major delays/ probs at all. Yes, check in queues are foul and facilities pretty limited but there is a kids room for Esprit so somewhere to play!
Security actually confiscated a potentially lethal pair of scissors from my daughter's pencil case, which were posted back to England a couple of days later! (Same scissors travelled happily through Gatwick security on the way out!)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lyon St Exupery is only 1hr further by coach. I have been in and out several times without any delay for wind or fog. Apart from the charter shed and the slow baggage handling, ive never had a problem. Its also a better rouute than geneva for the travel sick amongst us.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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We flew to Chambery for last week's trip to Val d'Isere. Our 6am flight from Manchester was a godsend in disguise, as it meant an afternoon on the slopes
well, in theory, anyway,
takeoff from Manchester was delayed by an hour due to high winds (sat 8th jan). once we were approaching chambery the pilot announced it was fogbound, and we diverted to Lyon. we landed and everyone prepared for the bus trip from hell, but oh no, we werent allowed off the plane as every other charter had diverted there and it was too busy. we spent two and a half hours sitting on a plane on the tarmac, until another plane from the same airline (Astraeus) managed to fly over chambery and land succesfully, at which point we made the short hop (15 minutes) over. we then exited the plane and spent a further ten minutes standing around on the apron of the runway before we wandered over to arrivals and the baggage reclaim scrum.
as all the other diverted planes arrived, our coach gradually filled up and we departed Chambery just over an hour after we'd hoped to be in Val d'Isere, eventually reaching the resort around 4pm rather than around noon
On the return leg, the plane was delayed by 90 minutes due to a passenger checking in then not bothering to board the plane. Some people need a good talking to with a spade.
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I've been through Chambery 5 times (1 x December, 1 x February, 3 x Easter) using Crystal's Sunday flights and it has been fine. The only delays have been caused by the late arrival of the return flights. The landings are pretty exciting and the luggage weight limit of 15 Kg on some aircraft types is a drag but I would take a Sunday/Chambery combination over a Saturday/Lyon offer anytime.
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I've been a couple of times and prefer it to Geneva. I'd agree with jtr, though on bagage allowance. I thinkt hat the runway can only deal with smallish craft so the weight limit is tight.
If the aircraft is overweight, then the skis are the first thing they take out to lighten the load.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
The landings are pretty exciting and the luggage weight limit of 15 Kg
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Never been able to understand why they weigh luggage but not passengers. I reckon that with ski jacket, fleece, walking boots, full pockets etc that I am about 140kg. Surely if there were a high percentage on board like me then the plane would always end up in a field. Similarly at half term the plane will weigh much less
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Frosty the Snowman, it'd back the government's campaign against overweight 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Nick Zotov, Hey I'm just short for my weight, still 6ft 5" though. 122kg butt naked, first thing in the morning, before breakfast, just had a dump (not snow). Lot of my mates are of similar stature. makes me laugh in a lift: MAX LOAD, 8 persons or 500kg........... get real
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i came from s'ton to chambery today. the flight was delayed about an hour out of s'ton because of snow in Manchester, where the plane was coming from. I had hand baggage only (had been back to uk for 5 day visit) and my car parked FREE 30 metres from the door. Walked a few metres from the plane, straight out into the main hall (no immigration, it seems), walked to my car and was driving out of the airport approximately four minutes after getting off the plane. It was pissitovely possing down, along the motorway, but I knew it would be snow at resort level.... great.
the weekend charters sound awful, and the airport is probably too small to cope well. But I have spent many hours in Innsbruck (absolutely nothing there either), maybe a similar position in a valley, and been diverted Lyon to Grenoble, and vice versa. Have also been bussed from Birmingham to East Midlands because of fog. No airports are immune to bad weather. Have decided to give up TOs. DIY is a much better bet, these days.
anyone coming to chambery on tues and thurs with flybe should enjoy the experience of a small, quiet, unsophisticated airport. there aren't enough people on those flights to cause much of a check in queue. I wonder whether flybe will keep them going - on the limited evidence I have seen their load factor is not great.
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You know it makes sense.
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Nice reminder of Innsbruck, no diversions but the landing was a bit like the dambusters raids, doing 90 degree turns through the valleys!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I had no problems with Chambery last year (apart from the civic reception that delayed us a bit). However it was mid-week. Grenoble used to be 10 times worse (and still isn't much better). All good reasons to go individually and not with a TO Sat lunatic asylum!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| pam w wrote: |
anyone coming to chambery on tues and thurs with flybe should enjoy the experience of a small, quiet, unsophisticated airport. |
A lot more sophisticated than the charter buildings of Lyon or Geneva though. The big problem was the lack of permanent staff at the airport. The director, Marcel, used to do the rounds on Friday looking for temporary chuckers for the Saturday ski charters but this means that the loading / unloading and gate staffing is not as efficient as it could be. With the advent of low-cost operators flying during the week everything should be a lot more sane.
If you a bit of a plane spotter (I'm not) then early winter - November - is interesting as the charter pilots do their Chambèry training with repeated take-offs and landings. I understand wind-shear is the big problem with say an w-e wind blowing off the Chartreuse at 2000 meters changing to a s-n wind as the plane dips into the valley.
Chambèry also has another airport at the other end of town, but it is really really close to the mountains but I suspect they could use it in an emergency.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A good news report about Chambery. Thursday 20th Flybe were 50 mins late out of S'ton. Just as well as otherwise I'd have missed the flight - horrendous traffic jams on M27 !!!!!!! Flybe very strict on weighing hand baggage (5 kgs max or it goes in the hold - what's the difference - still same payload ??). No probs landing but bags took a while to appear considering there was nothing else on the ground. Maybe Marcel couldn't round up enough chuckers ? 5 out 6 car hire desks were manned and doing good business.
Return on 27th - no problems although it was snowing quite heavily. Both flights ~95% full.
Howupon - - - - Saturday 22nd's incoming Flybe was diverted to Grenoble. Airbrakes U/S and they need everything working 100% to pull up with a heavy load.
Summary - mid weeks on Flybe are cheap and you get a gloriously quiet, clean terminal at Chamb. Streets ahead of the Lyon Tent. Taxi from town centre train station takes 5 mins and cost 20 Euros for 2 pax incl. bags and tip.
BUT .............................T.O. flights at weekends are likely to lead to disappointment.
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