So we vote to keep all the power with Lhr and in relation to routes to N America especially, the power with the big 3, BA/AA, VS/DL and UA. Make sure as far as possible that it is almost impossible for new entrants to enter the market to offer something different/better service. I refer you back to LNIDA's post no 2641 and his/her snap research on fares. Keep competition at bay and allow the big boys to charge what they can. One thing you need to remember about capitalism is this, it doesn't always behave well. In fact, often it goes too far and as a country, we are still recovering from some of the bad effects of it from almost 10 years ago. And I believe strongly in capitalism myself. However, I do not accept the arguments around Lhr, this is nothing more than protectionism. And if Lgw was to get the second runway, it would become a hub in no time, because the airlines would have nowhere else to go and would not walk away from London. So the question is, for these airlines who tell us that routes out of Lgw, that they have operated for decades, lose money. Do they lose money or not make as much as they would like? There is a difference.
Questions are asked frequently about Norwegian and profitability. What about Virgin. I read a post very recently stating that if Virgin had not been allowed to fly from Lhr, they would have gone under. Getting into Lhr saved them. So why did they continue services from Lgw if they were losing money there so badly. Why following the last review, was it that it was Lhr routes that were cut. And why, since they had access to that saviour called Heathrow, did they still need to team up with Delta?
Sorry not to accept the party line here, but I have seen enough over my life to know when all the cards are being stacked so as to favor one party and make sure another party is kept at bay. UK PLC will regret eventually giving the 3rd runway to Lhr as we will all pay through higher fares. One final question. Why, when oil prices have fallen so heavily, has fares and additional charges not? And I know about hedging.
TB