Quote: "So what ARE the "better elsewhere" routes for BA out of LHR, now they have all the BMI slots to play with ? To me it seems that all the good opportunities have in fact been adequately served for many years, and what is currently unserved is just on the margins. The best that can be said about the BMI purchase is that it has stopped OTHERS from getting slots."
To an extent that is possibly true, BA has to "guard the hub" and look to the future. Certainly have no objections to a BA nonstop TPE (or as a HKG add-on as before) in principle, but would not expect it to be at the top of any wish list, precisely because of the easy transfer at HKG with CX.
Looking over the longer term, a better use of the slots could be: SGN, especially if it's up and running before VN move from LGW to LHR-4; JKT; SCL; LIM; increased frequencies to MEX, PVG, PEK, GRU, GIG; other cities in China, Brazil; cities in many other up and coming parts of Asia, South America and Africa; plus more domestic feeder links to help ensure the viability of some of these new routes (the hub principle).