Fairdealfrank,
My point is that IAG can give assurances about lhr dub for Ei but they could cut it. You ask why would they? If the same number of passengers can be transported with less rotations spread equally across the day that better for the group. The shortage of slots would make 8 slots attractive as new long haul aircraft come on stream.
With the takeover and closing of BD by IAG, there is no shortage of slots at LHR for BA , so let‘s knock that particular bit of misinformation on the head.
Business travel requires frequency, so it is unlikely except in the circumstance outlined earlier (a BA and an EI flight leaving at the same time or in close proximity).
Iberia exited BCN LHR, and the 2 airlines consolidated their operations on the route... Granted Iberia were moving their focus to Madrid.
But BA and IB still on LHR-MAD.
I'd Not like to see BA leaving dub lhr route but I'm simply saying that there is do much talk of securing the ei slots for Ireland, that there were never assurances sought about BA's rotations ex DUB to LHR...
Because it's not an issue. If LHR-DUB was a loss maker, BA would not have replaced BD on the route. Check it out: the loss-making BD routes were soon scrapped.
I'm not sure EI would join Oneworld if they were part of IAG. Vueling aren't in Oneworld are they?
But BA and IB are. With all that potential connecting traffic, it would be very silly for EI
not to rejoin Oneworld.
EI and VY are hardly the same!