British Airways - 2
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just back from SFO. Full First, full Club, full WT+. All full fare.
It was virtually the same on the way out.
Did an LAX last week. Same again.
Don't know about NRT. Haven't been there for a few months.
It was virtually the same on the way out.
Did an LAX last week. Same again.
Don't know about NRT. Haven't been there for a few months.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Dublin
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Although of much less significance than the DUB service, LGW-Sarajevo also seems to have disappeared from the system for next summer. LGW-Dubrovnik is being increased from daily to 11 per week though and Tirana going up to daily, so looks like some routes are doing OK.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Middlesesx
Posts: 2,075
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I do not know how many times that threaders must realise that a full a/c does not mean a great deal of profit. For all of the full a/c we have many others flying empty by comparison. I was told yesterday that the A380 @ LHR is only showing about 280-300 a flight. For those of us working at LHR you can feel how quite it is by the lack of travellers and traffic jams around the airport. Having worked last week @ LGW and MAN both airports were painfully quite at times.
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HZ123,
You are correct up to a point. One of my previous employers had its largest loads ever in the month prior to bankruptcy. However, given the choice of seeing rows of faces behind me or rows of seats....I know which I'd go for.
I do not know how many times that threaders must realise that a full a/c does not mean a great deal of profit.
Some major hacks to the Gatwick domestic routes coming up. Manchester goes from seven a day down to five, Edinburgh loses one from six to five and Glasgow loses one from five to four.
I suppose that's before Flybe take over the lot anyway....
I suppose that's before Flybe take over the lot anyway....
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: South Wales
Posts: 1,253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The retirement of the first BA 747-400s has just been released by Engineering planning dept.....G-BNLB and C will be stood down within the next few weeks followed by NLA in January!. All three a/c are to have the interiors stripped out at LHR after which they will be flown to either Arizona/New Mexico or possibly Kemble for scrapping/part reclamation. Early indications are that these first three will be followed by two more airframes in April 09.
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Ballymena
Posts: 1,433
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I really worry about the long-term future of Ba, for this reason. They have announced capacity cuts before and it is rumoured in a previous post and in the press again today, that more cuts are to be announced, especially at Lgw.
I am fully aware that there are tough economic conditions at the moment, but when do you stop cutting? When do you discover that you have cut too much, too often and there is no way back? It is not the first time that a business decided to make cuts as the answer, only to find that there was no way back.
A few years ago, Ba had a good network out of Lgw and by all acccounts, transfer traffic was really starting to grow. But Ba never really supported Lgw, if you looked at timetables, for example, they were much more likely to promote Lhr than Lgw, where there was the facility to use either. Now they are taking the axe to Lgw big time, but Easy seem to find it ok. Additionally, they are now finding more competion in their own back yard at Lhr in the form of open skies and Lh.
At what point will they decide that cuts are no longer viable and that they must correct the model? The unions can protest all they want, but in the end, if Ba are not able to reverse the trend of cutting all the time, then all will end up without jobs.
And how come LH are not having all these problems, they are not cutting, to the best of my knowledge.
True Blue
I am fully aware that there are tough economic conditions at the moment, but when do you stop cutting? When do you discover that you have cut too much, too often and there is no way back? It is not the first time that a business decided to make cuts as the answer, only to find that there was no way back.
A few years ago, Ba had a good network out of Lgw and by all acccounts, transfer traffic was really starting to grow. But Ba never really supported Lgw, if you looked at timetables, for example, they were much more likely to promote Lhr than Lgw, where there was the facility to use either. Now they are taking the axe to Lgw big time, but Easy seem to find it ok. Additionally, they are now finding more competion in their own back yard at Lhr in the form of open skies and Lh.
At what point will they decide that cuts are no longer viable and that they must correct the model? The unions can protest all they want, but in the end, if Ba are not able to reverse the trend of cutting all the time, then all will end up without jobs.
And how come LH are not having all these problems, they are not cutting, to the best of my knowledge.
True Blue
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
Age: 42
Posts: 6,168
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The BA LGW expansion creating the "hub without the hubbub" lost BA millions and was axed by Eddington. Every long haul flight moved around the M25 left the yield on the competitor's service from Heathrow. Hence the entire B747-400 fleet was moved to Heathrow and only a small sub fleet of B777s was left to service leisure routes and US routes barred from LHR under Bermuda 2. With Open Skies DFW, IAH and soon ATL moved to LHR.
Also remember that a lot of BA LGW was actually CityFlyer and GB Airways, both of which are now gone. With the removal of the B737-500s the smallest routes will be axed and in the medium term a fleet of ex LHR A319s will be brought in as they are displaced by new A320s from LHR. With fewer and fewer flights the opportunity to outsource passenger handling is now being mooted by I don't think that will happen in this case.
Bottom line is that on leisure short haul, easyJet have a much lower cost base, younger aircraft and are handled by external handling agents. There is no way BA could justify the capital investment in replacing the Euro LGW fleet with new aircraft to compete as the return on investment is negligible.
Also remember that a lot of BA LGW was actually CityFlyer and GB Airways, both of which are now gone. With the removal of the B737-500s the smallest routes will be axed and in the medium term a fleet of ex LHR A319s will be brought in as they are displaced by new A320s from LHR. With fewer and fewer flights the opportunity to outsource passenger handling is now being mooted by I don't think that will happen in this case.
Bottom line is that on leisure short haul, easyJet have a much lower cost base, younger aircraft and are handled by external handling agents. There is no way BA could justify the capital investment in replacing the Euro LGW fleet with new aircraft to compete as the return on investment is negligible.
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Dublin
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As a former LGW crew member I sadly must agree with you Skipness!!!!
Its a sad fact but I fear LGW is about to become the new "regions"!!! It too will slowly be eroded until nothing is left and then we can start calling London Airways, "HattonCross Airways"!
Its a sad fact but I fear LGW is about to become the new "regions"!!! It too will slowly be eroded until nothing is left and then we can start calling London Airways, "HattonCross Airways"!
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Milton Keynes
Posts: 1,068
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was going to post that BA were about an international hub and LHR and short haul was primarily to feed into that - and as Skipness pinted out they can't compete at LGW
But in the Indian Press here in Delhi I read that their bid for Go Air had failed on regulatory issues but they still might codeshare - is this real as it's the first I've heard of it.
But in the Indian Press here in Delhi I read that their bid for Go Air had failed on regulatory issues but they still might codeshare - is this real as it's the first I've heard of it.
I've just come back to this.
I don't know if you are aware how the world of airline reservations work, but you can't just make up your own connections, they are offered by the arline concerned, and indeed in this and similar cases appear as such in the timetable. In fact looking at the pattern of arrival and then departure times grouped together by LH, flight times are deliberately arranged to do this for many possible connections.
Please see above.
I think this comes from BA staff who can't see that the rest of the world did far, far better, and long ago.
WHBM .... So, you booked an extraordinarily short connection, and a ramp agent was there to make sure you made it ...... The only reason they did that was because you were cutting it so fine. This example has absolutely nothing to do with BA providing an inferior service, if anything it shows they are being sensible by not permitting such short connections.
This is just ridiculous. If you don't give ample time for your connection, that's your problem.
there is no denying T5 is a fantastic airport experience, easily among the best in Europe
I suppose that's before Flybe take over the lot anyway....
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
078/ 04th November
Just noticed that this flight has operated ACC/LOS/LHR rather than direct ACC/LHR. Is there problems with getting fuel again in ACC. Or is there another reason for this diversion??
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 1,438
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Are BA set to return to Saudi??.... BMI think so
Just found this article that was published today on the website of the UK newspaper The Telegraph. It is an interview with BMI's chairman
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...audi-for-BAs-benefit-says-Bmi.html
Here is a little piece of the article. It looks like someone is wanting BA to restore services to Saudi and Sir Michael is not happy
“We said we would go in and replace BA. Now BA is keen to get back in again, the British Government has granted open skies. There has been a strong push from government departments to get this route application through and get BA on the route.”
Another interesting part of the article is this sentence
A BA spokesman said: “It’s one possible route that we are considering but no decision has been reached.”
BA never comment on rum-our so they are either serious about returning and are wanting to get the word out before the official launch or someone should have kept their mouth closed.
So I guess a possible return to JED/RUH and even possibly DMM could be on the cards. If BA did relaunch one or all these routes could we see them online by the begining of or during the Summer 09 schedule.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...audi-for-BAs-benefit-says-Bmi.html
Here is a little piece of the article. It looks like someone is wanting BA to restore services to Saudi and Sir Michael is not happy
“We said we would go in and replace BA. Now BA is keen to get back in again, the British Government has granted open skies. There has been a strong push from government departments to get this route application through and get BA on the route.”
Another interesting part of the article is this sentence
A BA spokesman said: “It’s one possible route that we are considering but no decision has been reached.”
BA never comment on rum-our so they are either serious about returning and are wanting to get the word out before the official launch or someone should have kept their mouth closed.
So I guess a possible return to JED/RUH and even possibly DMM could be on the cards. If BA did relaunch one or all these routes could we see them online by the begining of or during the Summer 09 schedule.
Last edited by BAladdy; 5th Nov 2008 at 05:43. Reason: Telegraph website link didn't work
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London (Babylon-on-Thames)
Age: 42
Posts: 6,168
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Funny you should say that as they were apparently in talks with Aviance this week about just such a thing....
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: LHR/EGLL
Age: 45
Posts: 4,390
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I used T5 for the first time a few months ago and it was fantastic. Clean, bright, quiet.
I used T5 for the second time this week, and now it's full, it looks and feels like a slightly newer LHR terminal. It was dirty, busy, hot, long queues at 'Fast Track' security, the BA Galleries Lounge (South) was untidy, litter abounded and there didn't seem to be many power points to plug the laptop into.
Not that impressed really.
I used T5 for the second time this week, and now it's full, it looks and feels like a slightly newer LHR terminal. It was dirty, busy, hot, long queues at 'Fast Track' security, the BA Galleries Lounge (South) was untidy, litter abounded and there didn't seem to be many power points to plug the laptop into.
Not that impressed really.