British Airways-2
If you just go to the Qatar Airways booking site and search the date you want for flights, it will show you what flights are operated by British Airways. Quite simple really....
That was my point - Qatar haven't dropped LGW, they're just not operating any flights from there and are using their alliance partner instead. Which is what Plastic787 said?? 
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Qatar haven’t dropped LGW, they’ve got a daily service planned for this Summer alongside the BA flight. It took 15 seconds to check that on the Qatar website. Quite simple really...
There's various bits of gossip around the web in the last couple of days about using widebodies on shorthaul flights within Europe during the summer - eg to Greece
I can see a possible limited use case, but am dubious about this happening on a large scale
Any thoughts on here ?
I can see a possible limited use case, but am dubious about this happening on a large scale
Any thoughts on here ?
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It wouldn’t be that unusual. Remember they use to use the 767 to lots of European cities. 787s have also been used on flights to ZRH, ATH, LCA, STR, MAD, AMS during lockdowns (mainly for cargo but shows they have no issue if there’s money to be made).
It would also help keep the crew regular on the planes which can be important. If you’re going to do training flights why not earn some money at the same time.
It would also help keep the crew regular on the planes which can be important. If you’re going to do training flights why not earn some money at the same time.
Would need some type of alleviation under the Longhaul scheduling agreement. The LHR-CAI route was our shortest on the 747 but required a nightstop as opposed to a short haul style there and back.
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"Would need some type of alleviation under the Longhaul scheduling agreement."
That's interesting. So how did it work on the odd occasion that BA used a 747 for domestics, such as Heathrow to Edinburgh on days with major sporing event?
That's interesting. So how did it work on the odd occasion that BA used a 747 for domestics, such as Heathrow to Edinburgh on days with major sporing event?
One offs like that were often flown by “the management “ thus getting round the agreements.
The company would absolutely love to tear up that part which would let them schedule things like Gatwick - Sharm night return etc. Just like a famous chap who wondered why Concorde crews couldn’t do a daylight bullet to JFK - it’s only 3 hours each way!!
The company would absolutely love to tear up that part which would let them schedule things like Gatwick - Sharm night return etc. Just like a famous chap who wondered why Concorde crews couldn’t do a daylight bullet to JFK - it’s only 3 hours each way!!
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Given that the company has just spent millions restructuring IFCE into one fleet. I think you will find that the company has the flexibility crew wise to deploy any aircraft on any route, the biggest headache will be the engineering cover down route.
As I recall it the "Longhaul Agreement" didn't actually stop the use of Long haul types/crews being used on Short haul routes, and it doesn't generally demand crewing of such by management pilots..but it can generate cost issues.
Over the years I've operated the 747/744 and the T7 very very occasionally from London (both LHR and LGW) to the likes of Manchester and also Paris on day trips, but those only due to "force majeur". The Manchesters were down to lack of short haul airframes/crews and the Paris trips were associated with ATC strikes leading to slot and flow restrictions and the solution was to consolidate multiple narrow body services into one or two widebody flights.
OTOH in relatively recent years there was a long standing LHR-MAD-LHR day trip on the T7 fleet ( I think the 787 Fleet inherited it), and also the aforementioned DME on the 747 or the T7...those were very much pre-planned and published a month or more ahead of the operating dates in the appropriate bidpacks/bidinfo and therefore available for the line community to bid for.... or bid to avoid..
The "quirk" the long haul agreement did however throw up was (sometimes?) there was a requirement for the company to provide accommodation at base pre/post duty, can't remember the details..that not only quite understandably generates
within the short haul community it also costs the company money so I suspect that's where any alleviation might come into play.
Over the years I've operated the 747/744 and the T7 very very occasionally from London (both LHR and LGW) to the likes of Manchester and also Paris on day trips, but those only due to "force majeur". The Manchesters were down to lack of short haul airframes/crews and the Paris trips were associated with ATC strikes leading to slot and flow restrictions and the solution was to consolidate multiple narrow body services into one or two widebody flights.
OTOH in relatively recent years there was a long standing LHR-MAD-LHR day trip on the T7 fleet ( I think the 787 Fleet inherited it), and also the aforementioned DME on the 747 or the T7...those were very much pre-planned and published a month or more ahead of the operating dates in the appropriate bidpacks/bidinfo and therefore available for the line community to bid for.... or bid to avoid..
The "quirk" the long haul agreement did however throw up was (sometimes?) there was a requirement for the company to provide accommodation at base pre/post duty, can't remember the details..that not only quite understandably generates
within the short haul community it also costs the company money so I suspect that's where any alleviation might come into play.
Last edited by wiggy; 13th Mar 2021 at 22:14.
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i remember just before lockdown (yes that was a thing) getting a 777 on more than one occasion from GLA to LHR in a morning and then back again last thing at night, this happened several times. Not sure if this was on purpose because it was never full
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777 on that route not very common. One-offs once in a blue moon. Usually only for fog weather cancellations where services combined. The 763 of course was a regular on the route (and often full. Sadly missed.
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I seem to re call being parked next to a BA 747 in Moscow some years ago, which was heading back to LHR so not going onto the Far East which seemed quite a large A/C for the route.
Mr Mac
Before February 2014, business/trade links between London and Moscow were a lot stronger than they are now... and companies in London like large banks fell over backwards to try to do business with Russia - which translated into strong demand for premium class seats
Before February 2014, business/trade links between London and Moscow were a lot stronger than they are now... and companies in London like large banks fell over backwards to try to do business with Russia - which translated into strong demand for premium class seats
