Sak123,your rants regarding passengers are a disgrace.I can't believe that you have been employed by BA with that attitude.If you have then God help BA in the future if you are an example of what they are now employing.

Skipness

An interesting point of view, however one that apparently misses the 3-5 rotations between Malta and LHR/LGW, flown by Air Malta with a very new Airbus fleet (with in flight feature films), good service and keen pricing in the premium cabin or the loco offerings from easy and the Ryans on new Airbus or 738s.

Or for connections, Air Malta and Lufthansa/Swiss/Austrian in cooperation going north or Emirates to the east. And that is not even considering Alitalia and Egyptair, who are not my first choices.

BA could withdraw from Malta and the world would hardly end. Lord Bracken is right, the GB franchise was an excellent experience.

Frankly, that is a load of cobblers. Zurich airport works efficiently because it is well managed and Swissair went bust because they got things badly wrong with their business model - remember Sabena? Swiss International (who, IMHO, are not as classy as Swissair were), arose from Crossair, who in effect reversed into the rump of what was left.

I was a consultant working for a certain big airline at LHR.

By the way, which part of 'fast rail links' did you have trouble understanding? With the right train service, the M4 corridor would be about 45 minutes from Stansted. And considerably quicker for the City of London, which was a major player for the last 20 years, or so. BA used to lfy a lot of merchant bankers in premium class and very few worked wets of London.

I have used it a lot. Note that I did not present it as a model of excellence, merely commented that the French took a strategic view and made a big decision, whereas the Brits have tinkered around and compromised.

Final 3 Greens you make some really good points. The only thing I would come back on is that people say "well all you need is a fast rail link" and that's true. I live here, I know that. The truth is that the sheer over population in this part of the world prevents strategic transport objectives like that. In the real world it is a nightmare, however much we cannot lose sight of the ideal.

I disagree with some of what you say but you make your points well sir. I am not holding my breath for a fast rail link as they have just begin work on Crossrail, some 18 years late.....

or how about 10 days old ?

And horror of horrors, the Aeroflot service in C class from Moscow to London is now far superior to BA's tired "Club Europe" service. Proper wide seats and personal video players with selections in English and Russia and the cabin crew even smile these days :)

Aeroflot cabin crew smiling? What has the world come to? :)

BA's Club Europe is a tired old product compared to many others, it sure needs a revamp but in these trying times do they have the money to do it? Rather than continually cutting costs at the edges (no Campari, cheaper Champagne, reduced meal choices etc, all as quoted by others on this thread) I think they would be far better off offering a Euro Traveller Plus type cabin on short haul (in the style of World Traveler Plus which I think is a good product). This would be a far more realistic product offering on the Airbus and 737 where, lets face it, you are paying an inflated fare for a seat oh about an inch or two wider than in Euro Traveller (and is actually the same seat just pulled out a bit). This way, BA is still offering a two class service and pax who want 'more' or want to feel that bit special still do. At the right price it could even encourage more Euro Travellers to upgrade aswell. Time to move with the times BA!

Skipness One Echo
 

Difficult as it may be to stomach, the plain truth is that airport expansion is now being driven by airlines.

LH/AFKLM/BA all want their own hubs to be the best.

Why else is Willie Walsh demanding a third runway? Even if approval were given tomorrow, he knows it would be many years before capacity at LHR could increase significantly.

Plenty of time for the competition to steal a march on LHR.

Many years ago Foulness was the subject of an enquiry into London's new airport. This was abandonded on many grounds, some more spurious than others.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Given the current anti-noise lobby, Green Party objections, eco warriors etc., it doesn't sound such a bad idea now.

However, looking at the problem objectively, it would appear a third runway is too little, too late.

BA's LCY-SNN-JFK looks to start in October now and should be launched in June.

Will the planes fly under the 'Cityflyer' brand or will it be just BA?

Whilst we can argue over the quality of the CE offering, the fares have dropped an incredible amount over the last 5 years. Milan as an example early doors Monday, rush-hour return Friday is some £200 quid less now than 5 years ago - thats a 40% cut and no 5 across seating anymore either. No wonder the finances dont stack up as they used to.

Just announced BA dropping LGW to JFK, didn`t last long did it! Perhaps they should have left MAN to JFK alone


Ian

The way the cabins have been allowed to deteriorate, particularly the washrooms left out of order, is extraordinarily inappropriate cost-cutting. I am long enough in the tooth to recall the last weeks of the BA One-Elevens out of Birmingham in the early 1990s, and I remember being surprised how the cabin interiors were immaculate and unblemished. The aircraft were sold on afterwards, but the current BA fleet that has been allowed to get into this condition is expected to be in mainline service for years to come.

so thats where the extra 777 will be coming from to do the MBJ and the PUJ! with so many flights from LHR to EWR/JFK im suprised LGW was every annouced in the first place

But just out of interested where has it been annonced, its not on BA website or the company intranet

British Airways Press Office

Also, MLE and SSH will be flown by the 777 from LGW this winter which is new - I believe 3 times weekly. They have new 777s coming this winter don't they anyway?

So yet more lies coming out of Waterworld.

MAN-JFK axed as the aircraft was needed to operate a "more profitable" LGW-JFK service and then surprise surprise that is chopped inside six months.

BA senior management, what a bunch of :mad: :mad:

Wonder if a code share is in the offing with Aer Lingus from LGW via DUB to JFK daily or perhaps AL will drop an A330 into LGW and operate direct.

Would seem that the LGW-JFK was only a slot-filler in JFK until BA were ready to start LCY-JFK.

There is a rumour that the A318 will be present for LCY open afternoon / air display 1st saturday in July.

LGW-JFK was originally dreamed up when Silverjet and Eos were still flying and BA was losing a lot of premium traffic out of the Gatwick catchment area to Luton and Stansted. People were finding it easier to drive to LTN or STN rather than battle through LHR. Remove Silverjet and Eos and you've removed the need for the LGW-JFK to try to capture that traffic.

There are indeed strong rumours that EI is planning to go long-haul ex Gatwick this winter with A330s - rumours have included LAX and MIA but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

And how long will Sharm el Sheikh last? In the absence of any other service than a charter 29-inch seat-pitch or easyJet operation, you can see why a BA service on the route might work. However the timings are absolutely terrible - night departure out of LGW to arrive in Sharm at 5.30am? Jeez....

Mainline flight deck and LGW cabin crew, nothing to do with BA CityFlyer. When BA axed MAN-JFK the introduction of LGW-JFK did seem odd as it was known to be a poor yielding route from LGW and out of focus with the rest of the destinations offered.