Originally Posted by
CaptainDoony
You have to remember that with LHR, BA are not remotely interested in point to point traffic, they only want traffic to feed into their long haul network.
Not quite correct. What BA are really interested in is BOTH sets of traffic, because the aircraft will typically fill with half of each, neither on its own giving the load, but in combination you do so. There's quite a business market from West Yorkshire to Surrey and the Thames Valley, and likewise in return from all the execs who live thereabouts and want day return trips to Yorkshire businesses. For both these groups getting to/from Kings Cross station is a real pig. You also get better yields from O&D than from connections
I'll also be surprised if this LBA route survives for anything over 18 months on this schedule.
However I agree with this as well. Whoever decided to base the service at the Heathrow end rather than overnighting at LBA ? This NEVER works for UK domestic routes, as various attempts over the years fully bear out. First morning arrival into LHR at 1025 ??? !!! That completely puts the kibosh on any connections to morning departures, and also to meaningful O&D day return business usage from Yorkshire. Last arrival into LHR at 2240. That flight will be empty. It won't do any connections at all, and is far too late for returning O&D from the London end. Whoever wants to hang around LBA until 20 minutes to 10pm for their return ?
It's almost like the northbound and southbound schedules have been accidentally reversed. Does nobody at Waterside remember Airline Scheduling 1.01 ?