British London Airways

[Hotel Mode]

I'm well aware of where BA used to fly to. we also used to go to Auckland, Honolulu, seoul etc ect. The fact is they heamoraged cash so we dont do it any more. The fact is the full fare Y and J and F traffic is to London or is prepared to travel for the better J and F service that the LGW/LHR flights offer.

Whilst CO etc can effectivly offer service to the entire US via EWR/JFK BA cant, so we do it via london. The fact is that most of CO's pax will connect onwards to LAX/MIA/DFW/ATL/SFO/SEA so you still have to change planes.

[kala87]

BA is a commercial organisation, so the motivating factor has to be profitability, which in the airline business means yield as well as load factor. Therefore, LHR has to be the hub of their long-haul operations. That's why many of their long-haul flights that once operated out of LGW have been moved back to LHR. Just a 30-mile move round the M25 results in higher yields, because LHR is perceived more as a "business" airport then LGW (despite the awfulness of much of the infrastructure at LHR).

So, until the likes of Manchester and Glasgow can generate more higher-yielding business class traffic, BA will continue to avoid long-haul operations from those airports.

But does it really matter? If I was choosing a flight from Manchester or Glasgow to a Far Eastern destination, I would be very happy to choose a direct Emirates flight and enjoy their quality service, rather than connect via grotty LHR on BA flights.

[WHBM]

BA have had many, many attempts at running services from provincial points over the years, and it seems that not one group of them has made a any decent profit.

The proportion of high-yield C/F traffic is well below what you get out of London.

The proportion of inward traffic is also way below what is going to London.

Connecting traffic at the provincial point is miniscule.

So if there is money to invest, do so at your Heathrow hub.

This is the experience in other countries as well. It's not rocket science. Notice how all those other airlines being exampled here (Continental, Emirates, etc) are about operations out of their own principal hubs as well.

[pwalhx]

Whilst I agree in principle regarding hubbing, there are still opportunities for point to point from the regions i.e.

Manchester to New York - BA
Manchester to Las Vegas - BD
Manchester to orlando -VS

and to some degree the PK services to ISB, LHE and KHI

[bealine]

I am led to believe that the Manchester to New York service is quite profitable

....Ah! But does anyone really know for certain??? All airlines play their cards very close to their chests concerning finances!

[Oshkosh George]

I don't believe they would accept continuous losses,do you?

Stranger things occur however. Some things are political,and there are a few cans of worms in that environment!