BA suspend Charlotte

[CHK Y'R 6]

British Airways will suspend its daily service between Charlotte and London effective Sunday, Oct. 27, 2002, the start of the airline's winter schedule.

"It is with regret that we have taken this decision to suspend service from Charlotte, a city we have served since January 1994," said David Noyes, British Airways' Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing North America. "The suspension of the Charlotte/London route was a decision based on commercial reasons and continuation of the service could not be justified in the current economic climate.

"This action is an integral part of the company's 'Future Size and Shape' program, announced earlier this year to offset events from last year's economic turndown and the attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001.

"Future Size and Shape is designed to return the airline to profitability by reducing the size of the airline, reducing costs and improving efficiencies.

"British Airways is strongly committed to the USA market and will be keeping this route under review. Customers holding reservations for winter 2002/2003 will be offered a full refund or bookings on alternative British Airways flights."

The daily service between Charlotte and London Heathrow stops in Baltimore in both directions, and daily non-stop flights between Baltimore and London Heathrow will continue.

Source Aviation Industry News

[Thunderbug]

Just as aside, BA 767 crews are just doing their bidding for November trips which as published still includes a daily 767 LHR-BWI-CLT throughout November.

There is a change in October when 777 takes over the route while the longhaul 767s have some well earned hangar time.

I am slightly surprised as the bid pack is usually a good indicator for longterm factors such as route closures because such changes completely muck up rosters if the changes happen later.

Also I was there only a few days ago and it wasn't mentioned.

[Milly Bar]

The BA website has the same info

Mb

[CandyBender]

The CLT route has always been one of the lowest yielding US routes for BA even prior to Sept 11th. Flights have always been mis sold by local sales teams in CLT leading to heavy over booking in the main cabin & numerous upgrades. Even the upgrade situation was totally mis managed by CLT station staff with the pax on the lowest fares being upgraded & the full economy fare payers staying down the back end of the aircraft, wheras other BA stations the likelihood of an upgrade is higher if you have paid a higher fare & have a higher frequent flyer status.
It's little wonder that this route has been suspended and even maintained so long.

[Stik_shakur]

So CLT is going..........how much longer are we going to sustain the losses on the LHR-IAD-IAH route. 30 pax the other day from Washington to Houston.

Must be nearly costing us as much as all the MCS's!!!!!

[Globaliser]

I wonder whether BA tacked it on to the end of the BWI flight when the change was made last year, rather than cancelling it outright, largely to run off the existing bookings and to soak up some otherwise-empty space to BWI, rather than losing the revenue to other carriers. It can't have been a particularly big seller since the change was made, when LON-originating pax have got a non-stop alternative on US.

[stud_lee]

I'm not really surprised at all. Charlotte, like all other sunbelt cities, tries to make itself out to be a worldclass international center, when in reality it nothing more that a backwater hickville. I used to live in South Carolina, so I'd know.

The Houston route is doing that bad? I thought they had a flight to Gatwick? They have two flights a day? Supposedly, the Heathrow flight is for the H-town oil men to connect to Lagos. If you go to airliners.net, all the Houstonites claim that this is BA's most profitable route. LOL.

Just curious, do any of you guys know if BA is hiring in North America? I say an opening for a finance position here in New York. I applied for it last week, but have yet to hear anything. This job would be ideal for me, especially since it's located two blocks from my home!

[CandyBender]

I operate the nonstop LGW-IAH route frequently, & whilst it's not BA's most profitable route (I think its in the top 5 though) it is the most profitable at LGW. It's virtually always full in F & J classes with full fare pax & all with the old First & Club seats.....BA are just antagonising their loyal clentele by saying that they have the option of the new product on the LHR service via IAD i.e. flat beds in Club. Management don't seem to realise that passengers talk to frontline staff (airport staff & crew) & what the Houstonites tell us is that they want flat beds in Club, new First product, on a nonstop service to Gatwick, with their Lagos connection from Gatwick too........many have told colleagues & myself over the last few months that if changes aren't made to the route come the winter season they will be leaving us for AF/LH/KL. The LGW service always have a few refugees from the LHR service (if there were any spare seats in the first place) as pax aren't told that it stops in IAD each way.
BA management....wake up & smell the coffee!

Stud lee.......good luck with the job!

[MarkD]

The CLT must have been a very recent decision as it was still in the latest update to the e-timetable.

Looking at IAH - the LGW aircraft takes after the LHR aircraft and gets there before it.

[eeper]

I was of the understanding that CLT was tacked onto the end of the BWI because all the 767s that operated both routes were moved to LHR. One of the Bermuda agreements prevents BA operating direct from LHR to CLT so it had to become a shuttle.

I, for one, shall miss the BWI-CLT shuttle. It always made for (ahem) interesting flying and it also meant that we got an extra day (or half day) in Baltimore. C'est la vie.

[HOVIS]

THUNDERBUG

Is the MAN-JFK 767 service still on the bid list?

I only ask as there has been a rumour going around for sometime that it is to be dropped.

[The Zombie]

IB1 Pack NOV 2002
Yes it is still.