Here is a question for those in the know. I want to make it clear that I am for a third runway at LHR but I couldn't help noticing what to me at least appears to be some discrepancies with BA's operations.
It is quite apparent that due to LHR's runways being maxed out that London is losing out to its counterparts (Paris, Amsterdam etc) on serving the emerging markets like China, South America etc.
Therefore my question is why do they not make room for these flights within their existing operation?
Well its not a simple as that, the routes BA operate are profitable or contribute to profitable routes, they have cut on routes outside those catagories for some time, I cannot what else cannot go
What BA should be doing is buying more slots at both LHR, LCY and LGW, at least until R3 and R4 opens at LHR
Since the BMI merger most of their old routes have been maintained even ones that are already served by BA like Moscow (yes I know they have to keep certain routes etc). Countless routes to the middle east surely at the expense of these so called emerging economies that neighbouring Europe is tapping.
When BMED (which operated BA's services to the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucus) was sold to BMI, BA retained codeshare on those routes and when they bought BMI, the pretty much retained those routers after intergrating BMI, all this means that BA finds those routes profitable and thus worth keeping
Is Leeds one of the routes that they have to serve? I noticed that BA announced this route recently and if not mandatory why serve it? Surely most people just get the bloody train. I was always under the impression Mr Walsh only concentrated on LHR and abandoned the regions with the Bacon sale. Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen sure, but Leeds?! Also BA increasing Boston to 4 daily makes no sense. Especially as the only other competitor on that route is AA who they co-operate with.
The answer is simple, connections to Medium/Long-Haul, they help fill up the those route (a fair number of those flights are not viable on London + SE O&D alone), BA wants R3 to relaunch flights from LHR to the reigions for the same reasons (beforehand and even now they are forced to choose), these routes are different to the P2P regional routes that where sold to Flybe
Such routes as Nice and Marseille, are they needed? Surely these are just leasure routes and anyone connecting will just go through Cdg? You have low cost carriers like Germanwings and Vueling, why? Surely if your flying from Bilbao, A Coruna IAG would rather you go through their Madrid hub?
Most people prefer direct flights, if BA an operate LHR-Nice/Marseille, then why not, its not up to BA if Germanwings and Vueling (remember, compared to some European hubs, there are not too many LCCs at LHR) choose to serve LHR (the latter is replacing IB on those routes)