Interesting story PAXboy - do you think the timing (with regard to the change of ownership) is relevant?

It could be that they think that they'll have a go whilst it's new. Afterall, they will not have established any biz relationship with new owners yet. However, all the operational people will still be the same.

My guess is that this has been building for some time and the recent govt inspired 'flap' has brought it to a head. Secondly, by trying to push this now, it will send messages to the BA shareholders that they (BA) are trying to fix things that are beyond their control. So, as always, there are multiple reasons for it.

Personally, I could not agree more. The problem is that, in any sell off, it is EGLL that will be retained by the present incumbent as being the Jewel in the crown. This will leave all the same planning and operational staff in place and trying to get them to change will not be easy.

BA 757 Longest sector
 

What is the longest sector for the 757 on BA? I know they operate Rome, but I wondered if there was anything longer.

Cheers,

BWB

BWBriscoe,

A few years ago (2002 if memory serves) BA were using B757's to Athens, as I flew there and back on one. Also I'm sure that in the 90's they used them across the pond (although they don't anymore) out of Glasgow and Birmingham. Of course now these pax are expected (by BA) to travel via LHR or MAN. := :=

I flew BHX to JFK on B757 in 1999 - BA then operating seriously in the regions!

I was on a 757 Back from Budapest last week, the flight time was about 2 hours 10 minutes (2:45 was timetabled). Is Rome about the same time as this?

On the subject of BA 757's, why is the rear section not fitted out with leather seats? This has been the case on both 757's I've been on, one on a domestic from LHR-EDI and the other from BUD-LHR. Also, I noticed on my BUD flight that there were no personal air vents in our section of the plane (mid section), is this standard on BA 757's as I seem to remember all of my other trips on this aircraft type (First Choice, JMC, Air 2000, Britannia) having these installed. :confused:

BA757s
 

Blue Yonder

BA757s don't have leather seats in the rearmost cabin as it will never be used for Club Europe. On all BA shorthaul aircraft the curtain partition between Club Europe and Euro Traveller can be moved backwards and forwards. The 757 is unique in the BA shorthaul fleet as it has 3 fixed cabins with a movable curtain in the 2nd cabin. This gives BA the ability to have minimum club (1st cabin only), maximum club (1st and 2nd cabin) or in between using the curtain in the 2nd cabin.

The back cabin will never be used for Club so has cloth seats rather than the leather club ones seen on the rest of the shorthaul fleet. Remember all of their Airbuses and 737s only have 1 cabin.


CB

BA 757
BA decided not to fit personal air vents when the aircraft were ordered.
The minimum Club load is 15 pax, 3 rows.

I recall reading (on this forum?) that 757 BHX-JFK was what killed the route, as a 75 couldn't haul the profitable cargo the 767 had been hauling before it.

There is one odd-ball to the above explanation, which is G-CPEL. That aircraft only has Club converter seats fitted in the 1st cabin and not in the 2nd cabin, which is why you tend to see that aircraft more on domestic flights than elsewhere.

As a matter of record, the Air Europe 757s (which were 757-236s, same build spec as BA) also had no personal air vents and Air Europe for some reason saw fit to exclude them from all other aircraft (737-*S3s) that it had ordered. If my memory serves me right, the early aircraft ordered for Air 2000 also had a similar quirk, and so I guess it's an Errol Cossey thing to try to save money with Boeing.

I was actually on G-CPEL on a LHR-EDI journey back in January. I was at in the rear section, so I didn't pay much attention to the seating in the first 2 sections. The flight was basicly empty, and I doubt even an A319 would have been full. I felt a bit left out tucked away at the back of the plane, I hardly saw the crew!

My mate was sat in the middle seat on our BUD-LHR flight, it didn't have a proper headrest or seat back pocket, so I did think it was one of the foldable seats that could be used for Club. Oddly on this flight, there were not a lot of club passengers, only about 5/6 rows, but the curtain was pulled right back and all rows of the fron section had thier middle seast "squashed". I guess it was a full club flight on the way out and due to the 1 hour delay they didn't waste time re-confguring the cabin.

I noticed on G-CPEL we had use of the audio entertainment, but the TV screens on the cabin ceiling were switched off for the duration. Are these only used on some BA flights, and once again, is the radio only available in the rear section? We didn't have it coming back from BUD (G-BPEI), nor did we have any TV screens, let alone entertainment (not complaining though, but I suppose a map would have been nice).

BA Airbus cabin display
 

On a recent flight from ZRH to LHR, I actually bothered to watch the moving map display.

BA AIRBUS, not certain which type.

I was very surprised to see that a place called STANSTED was co located with Biggin Hill.

Perhaps the BAA have relocated STN.

Any one else noticed. ??????

Windy

There is a place called Stansted, right there. It's just not the one that BA was thinking about when they asked the map makers to identify Stansted. :E

It's not the only thing like that. I noticed recently that there were some other low-fare carrier airports also identified on the BA moving maps, presumably to show how far they are away from the cities they purport to serve. "East Midlands" was one of them, although that ought to be a region, not a specific place.

BA to ... B.A. non stop
 

I was just reading a flight review of a BA trip to Buenos Aires (very good one too, from BA's perspective) and the reviewer said there were plans to fly nonstop to Buenos Aires in '07; is this correct. Presumably a 777 trip?

Also, is there any more news on when BA might be opening its chequebook again, for new aircraft purchases? Has the whole pensions issue been sorted out yet?

With Boeing now having made the 747-8I the same length as the freight model (and closing the capacity gap on the 380, I'm wondering if it would be of interest to BA. I can't see BA ordering new 747s/380s on a one for one basis to replace 744s, but rather a combined 773ER/748I deal, but of course it remains to be seen when that might happen ...

BA aircraft went tech...connection missed
 

Hi all, sorry if this is int he wrong place! I'm an Air Traffic Controller and only used to the lions den area!!

My wife was supposed to fly on Friday to Heathrow to connect to a Virgin flight to Sydney. She'd booked Premium Economy.
Her flight from Aberdeen was late arriving at Aberdeen and then went tech. BA decided that they were not flying anybody with a connection at Heathrow....I tried phoning Virgin but the call centre in India didn't know where Aberdeen was (Near Heathrow???) and then told me she'd have to wait till Monday to speak to her travel agent as the virgin flights were booked differently than the BA tickets....

I eventually got through to the ticket desk for Virgin at Heathrow and they booked her onto the Saturday nights flight but only in Economy as the flight was busy.....what can we do about this?? She was prevented from flying by BA as the Aircraft went tech...and Virgin could only give her an economy seat even though she'd paid for Premium...

(I'm not moaning coz BA did put her on the next day's flight and Virgin's ticket desk was really helpful......unlike the Indian call centre!!)

Has this been confirmed now?

As she was flying on two separate tickets (as I understand your post), the technical answer is that nobody's liable to do anything for you; the airlines have separately done their best to do what each had promised to do. It would have been different if the trip was booked as one through ticket, which comes with some additional benefits (often at an additional price).

However, it would be worth writing politely to BA and seeing if you can extract something by way of an ex gratia apology - maybe a voucher for a future booking or some BA Miles (if they're worth anything to you).

Hi Globaliser....I did email BA lat night whilst at work - a nice email did go to them as the staf at EGPD were absolutely fantastic....nothing was too much for them!

Its just the reaction from Virgin that really got me....the Indian call centre is a big no-no!! They didn't know where Aberdeen was to start with and constantly told me that as they couldn't make it to Heathrow, then their booking was cancelled and they'd have to sort it next week!! Luckily I talked my way through to the Virgin ticket desk at Heathrow and the staff there were great too......just they couldn't put them into the Premium seats they'd paid for.:ok:

I believe it has been confirmed - at the behest of some Asian carriers, among them Cathay.

BA to Ercan
 

It appears I am allowed to post this here. It is a rumour so perhaps it should go in RN, but it's also refering to BA and a new route, so this appears equally acceptable.

Family memeber heard from Heathrow BA ground staff that a new route to Ercan direct, which is NORTHERN Cyprus, will be starting at some point. This would be therefore, the first and only direct route to Ercan, without chaning planes en-route.

If so, could anyone give some more info perhaps as to when, and from which airport?

Regards, Dan.

I doubt it....

Northern (Turkish) Cyprus is not recognised, hence all flights have to transit other soil before landfall in Europe [ie no direct flights]

If it ends up being a BA flight, it will probably be a BMed flight, ie a franchise.

BA at Brussels
 

Hi,

I am not sure in which forum to adress this, but about a week or two ago there was a BA flight that went off the runway in Brussels. I am therefore just wondering if anyone can tell me what happend?

Thanks a lot! :ok:

It didnt go off the runway Vicious boy. There were indications of a fire in the hold as the aircraft was inflight so it made an emergency landing into BRU. It came to a halt on the runway and after a discussion between the fire chief by the aircraft and the captain an evacuation was initiated!!! No injuries and very well handled by the crew although there is some discussion as to why it took the fire chief so long to advice the captain that he should evacuate. There was no smoke visible and a controlled evac with steps could have taken place in the time the crew waited for the fire chief!

According to the Jethros list G-BUSD has been withdrawn from use - anyone know if that is for sure and if so why? Presume it's mechanical as the info was 07/08 for the -111/211s to go. Or is it being given a rest for the winter flying programme?

I heard that it was being retired from the fleet in Dec 06.

BA's Plane Order
 

Any news on BA's planned plane order and if so what its going to be announced end of 2006? Hot on cards is 777-300's and 319/320 for LGW and possibility of futrue order 787 Dreamliner to replace 767 and Low Density 777 operations!

All sounds about right according to the grapevine, plus A318's for BACON. :D

A318s for BACON? Oh very good, best laugh i've had all day.:D :D :rolleyes:

In the BA investors website , it states that the remaining 10 Ex B-CAL A320's will start to disperse nov 07 - dec 08.

To be replaced by 7 x A321 and 3 x A320
Everybody's guess on the 757/767's but they do tend to fill good gaps for larger loads.

They have option slots on 777's from 2010 , but no variant is stated.

I would guess more 777's (maybe some -300's) and possibly 747-800

I think A380 is out of the question, and the still developmental 787 / A350 perhaps a long shot - - BA certainly learn't some lessons with the teething probs of the 777 GE90's and the 767 engine pylons.............

More likely Ankara, this has been mentioned a number of times within BA circles particularly as the EU negotiations increase nearer the joining time. BA did serve this station many years ago.

HZ123

BMed have been flying there for some time now...

Very interesting i wonder if it will be placed at the end of 2006 !

Thanks BA!!! Further to previous replies here regarding my wife's trip to Australia being delayed by the BA departure from EGPD going tech....BA have offered 10000 BA miles......thanks BA.....and my message to VIRGIN...the call centre in India couldn't give a :mad:

BA shares continue to rise............
 

When I looked a moment ago, valued at c451p. There have been rumours of a buy out by Emirates but bearing in mind the recent increase in the NAPs deficit, would anyone care to speculate (after all, this is a RUMOUR network) as to the reason(s) behind the continued upward trend in the share value???? Am not an avid follower of the financial sections of various papers so apologies if I have missed something obvious!

Falling oil price prolly the main reason. It's misguided these days, as BA hedges so far forward, but there has tended to be a reasonable inverse correlation between BAY and jet kerosene prices.

There was also bid speculation in the market, but as a learned observer has noted, the pension fund issue looks a convincing poison pill.

Funny, just heared about a buy out of LUFTHANSA by Emirates.

They must have some money left, o.k. the A380s have to be paid much later:D

Stockpicker - I know little of shares and markets - what does 'bid speculation' mean?

Emirates will also buy 50% of Qantas, wait and see.

Look for BA shares to peak around £6 - certainly headed over £5 in the near future. Costs (other than pensions) under control. Load factors holding up with growth in premium cabins. Shorthaul ( but not LGW) in profit and loss making regional operations to end soon. T5 opening in 2008 with massive cost savings to come from simplification of terminal usage and imminent buyout of a major Middle East carrier ;)


PS One of the bits of info above is a straight lie.............

I've read two threads today and so far Emirates are buying BA, Lufthansa, Qantas and Aer Lingus, assuming they beat ryanair to it.

I think some people somewhere are getting a little bit carried away!:p