British Airways
Join Date: May 2012
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Willie Walsh did say a few months ago load factors for CTU are not that strong. However, cargo volumes are making up for it.
BA needs a local partner for China, but it seems to taking a long time to secure one.
You can see the impact of BA's partnership with American Airlines in giving a boost to new/secondary routes. Austin and San Diego were near instant successes. BA needs the same for China.
BA needs a local partner for China, but it seems to taking a long time to secure one.
You can see the impact of BA's partnership with American Airlines in giving a boost to new/secondary routes. Austin and San Diego were near instant successes. BA needs the same for China.
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Ireland
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British Airways will continue to look to expand in Asia, including a return to Kuala Lumpur in May 2015, and will look at other routes as more of its 787 Dreamliners on order are delivered. But Walsh admitted that its expansion in China had been slow. He said the latest Chinese route to the growing city of Chengdu, launched in late 2013, had disappointed and was slower to develop than hoped. “In terms of passenger demand, we are struggling as a result of Chinese visas. That’s a perfect example of where UK government policy is working against the UK interests of developing more business with China.”
G-BYGE LHR-GLA last night
Saw that this aircraft did a Shuttle run last night, a nice change for presumably a relief B744 crew. Saw on the BA Source that it replaced a B763, so presumably a decent load, or not enough A320/321 spare capacity?
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Southampton, U.K
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Seems like a much better idea than operating it with a 777 like last time around, though it will be a long flight with the newly 'enhanced' 29/30" pitch on the A319/20's!
Join Date: Sep 2012
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It'll most likely be profit (or lack of it) if they made it a codeshare. To make it eligible for a codeshare, it needs to be suitable for both parties and they both need to make money from the agreement - on this route, I don't think they would.
I don't think an IB codeshare would make a massive difference on the load factors. You're forgetting that their reservations agents could easily book it under the BA flight number if they wanted too anyways, just like BA can for non AA codeshares etc.
Sometimes I wonder why they're keeping the route going. Apart from the odd full flight, it's generally less than half full. I agree it does take time to get routes off the ground but with the schedule they've got I can not see it ever being a great route for BA.
I don't think an IB codeshare would make a massive difference on the load factors. You're forgetting that their reservations agents could easily book it under the BA flight number if they wanted too anyways, just like BA can for non AA codeshares etc.
Sometimes I wonder why they're keeping the route going. Apart from the odd full flight, it's generally less than half full. I agree it does take time to get routes off the ground but with the schedule they've got I can not see it ever being a great route for BA.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire
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Half empty planes! Who said the London Heathrow - Leeds/Bradford shuttle isn't doing well for British Airways?
The route had is busiest month in September 2014 with 13,700 been carried which was 15% increase on the same month last year....
The route had is busiest month in September 2014 with 13,700 been carried which was 15% increase on the same month last year....
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The route had is busiest month in September 2014 with 13,700 been carried which was 15% increase on the same month last year....
That's approximately a 62% average load factor per flight, when based on the planned Domestic A319 configuration. Not bad for three flights per day each way. I'm sure both the passenger numbers and load factors would continue to climb even quicker should there ever be a night stop aircraft.
Join Date: Oct 2007
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LHR-LBA / BA domestics
62% isnt brilliant I agree, however the route has picked up quite nicely since it was re-introduced.
I also agree with other comments that a night stopping aircraft to allow early an morning flight ex LBA would also help this route no end.
However I do have to wonder how much further behind LBA the likes of INV & NQY were in securing the LHR service, and I wonder what the loads would of been on those ?
I also agree with other comments that a night stopping aircraft to allow early an morning flight ex LBA would also help this route no end.
However I do have to wonder how much further behind LBA the likes of INV & NQY were in securing the LHR service, and I wonder what the loads would of been on those ?
Join Date: Aug 2002
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NQY was VERY far behind Inverness by any market size metric.
#pointsforpersistence
It's not so much that the route would improve with a night stopper, I would imagine it's blunter to say it will be medium term untenable without one. I would bet it's still a loss maker.
#pointsforpersistence
It's not so much that the route would improve with a night stopper, I would imagine it's blunter to say it will be medium term untenable without one. I would bet it's still a loss maker.
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It doesn't matter who else they've got an agreement with. The other agreement is clearly suitable and a comfortable/profitable agreement for BA otherwise they wouldn't agree to it. I am absolutely certain of that.
My comment in regards to the loads was applicable to more so the 2 x daily flights that they have (cannot remember which days off the top of my head). But these flights are absolutely atrocious for passengers coming back into LBA.
You've got to go to MAN on these flights if you fly on anything between 08.00-15.30 otherwise you're gonna be stuck with a hefty connection in LHR which is far from ideal especially if you've been on a long haul or if you're a business passenger.
If they change to more suitable times, I agree, I could see the loads improving. But 62% still isn't great at the moment. This is the sort of route BA cityflyer would thrive on if they had ops from LHR - but this is never going to happen!
My comment in regards to the loads was applicable to more so the 2 x daily flights that they have (cannot remember which days off the top of my head). But these flights are absolutely atrocious for passengers coming back into LBA.
You've got to go to MAN on these flights if you fly on anything between 08.00-15.30 otherwise you're gonna be stuck with a hefty connection in LHR which is far from ideal especially if you've been on a long haul or if you're a business passenger.
If they change to more suitable times, I agree, I could see the loads improving. But 62% still isn't great at the moment. This is the sort of route BA cityflyer would thrive on if they had ops from LHR - but this is never going to happen!
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Leeds - London only takes 2 hours on the train, with fares from £33. BA will never be able to compete with that. Leeds is also very close to MAN so will inevitably lose connecting pax there.
I flew LHR-LBA last month and saw a load of around 50 people on an a319, on a Friday afternoon, going Northbound, very poor load... LBA doesn't exactly lend itself to the business traveller either, the place is a dump!
I flew LHR-LBA last month and saw a load of around 50 people on an a319, on a Friday afternoon, going Northbound, very poor load... LBA doesn't exactly lend itself to the business traveller either, the place is a dump!