Just to clarify... The A319 that operated LHR-BSL-MAN-BSL-LHR will instead now operate LHR-BSL-BCN-BSL-LHR, with the BSL-BCN-BSL operated as effectively a wet-lease for Swiss using only an LX flight number (not BD.) The RJ100 released from this route operates the BSL-MAN-BSL. It's effectively a direct swap of aircraft, with Swiss presumably wanting more capacity on BSL-BCN to compete with EZY/EZS.

So it's unlikely BMI will be operating a new route from MAN as a direct replacement for the BSL route, as the aircraft won't be there to do it - it will be operating BSL-BCN. Unless they bring one in from elsewhere on another schedule.

GLA LHR
 

BA GLA LHR 09.15 weekdays is now a 767, which must be double the seats? Most non oneworld carriers that used BD as feeder to LHR now have very expensive add ons LHR GLA with BA. BA vailability is GLA LHR for non codeshare is dreadful. So unless you are flying longhaul BA via LHR connecting from GLA its not pretty. Yes, BA must be loving the demise of BD from the regions.

Makes you wonder why BD revenue management did not try and get a better share of the fare from their codeshare partners. I get the impression that other carriers would tell BD what price they would give for the domestic sector when in fact it should have been BD telling them what they wanted for that part of the journey.

Think BA 767 euro is only around 50 -60 seats more than a321

Think BA 767 euro is only around 50 -60 seats more than a321

......so about 50% more than on our current config.

250 767 vs 188 a321 - you do the math...

Depends on the config of the aircraft though. The original config for the A321's was closer to 150 seats.

A widebody being used for a 1 hour flight on a domestic route says to me that there's room for another airline to enter the market, and that it won't be left to BA + U2 for too long.

As we're talking about a domestic route all A321s have a capacity of 188 -your not likely to see them use the club europe space savers on this route.
Cant see another carrier entering the fold. Who would you suggest ?

CabinCrewe - the only airlines I can think of (and I admit I'm struggling with credibility here), are Ryanair doing a STN-GLA run (rather than PIK), Flybe doing something from LGW or a Lufthansa group carrier taking some of the connection market by opening a route to FRA

The point I'm trying to make, is that if it's become worthwhile to put a widebody on a route where frequency is important, then there's probably rather more demand for transport than is currently being supplied. The train in comparison just isn't fast enough to be a credible competitor. When a market becomes too juicy, economics says that someone else licks their lips and says "I'll have some of that"

The market in question is the Heathrow market sepcifically and no one else is going to enter that market against BA, BMI were losing hand over fist and domestic flights suffer from APD hurting badly, any new entrant would be looking and substantial losses for a while before they got established.

Also they would be connnecting to nothing at the London end so BA would still beat them on that. London-Glasgow is still pretty competitive though :

BA GLA-LHR
BA & EZY GLA-LGW
BA GLA-LCY
EZY GLA-STN

Can we have Air UK back please?

Well actually that's not true, even on the 144Y 319's we have a 30'seat pitch, the EMB's have a 29' seat pitch and a hell of a LOT less elbow room, I have operated as cabin crew on both the 'bus and EMB, so I think I'm pretty well placed to decide which is more comfortable for our pax! lol Also taking into consideration the noise of the EMB (do I really need to point out the 'accoustic curtain' at 1L or the two large whirly things at the back..engines) and also the hideously erratic temperature in the cabin, i.e. freezing at the front and tropical at the back.

The reason the LHR-HAJ route earns very good revenues is pretty easy to figure out, we have no competitors on the route even though it has reasonable business traffic and we can pretty much charge what we want as it's too thin for anybody else to take on, and if you've ever spoken to your average HAJ passenger then you'd realise they're pretty unhappy with the EMB. I not deliberately EMB bashing here, they have their place, however operating from LHR with these beasts is commercial suicide.

I read somewhere the emb had 32" pitch throughout the cabin. Doesnt really matter, they probably are there to stay for a while yet.

If it isn't full though and it makes money, doesn't that mean it is the right plane for the job regardless of pax thoughts. I'm sure most people taking a taxi would prefer a limo.

Regards to the rest, you obviously have more experience than me so you must be right. I like the emb though, except for the valet thing.

Yeah , but if you were expecting a limo you would be pretty hacked off if a taxi turned up.

What ever the merits or otherwise of the ERJ its a waste of a slot at LHR, bmi are using these because they would loose even more money if the bus was on the route, just look at the new routes they have started these past few months!, if they could fit them with drop tanks they'd probably send them to India!!

They should only use them when there is no choice on a route from another airline ie HAJ

...unfortunately though 'pax thoughts' do matter quite a lot...hence why they don't book with us again and the EMB has it's route killer reputation.:{

With GLA culled, and reductions on MAN and EDI, can I surmise that BHD is reasonably successful, or at least not as loss making as the other domestics??

With the only other competition into LHR being EI thrice daily this winter and next summer, bmi must be in a fairly strong position in Belfast. Unlike GLA, EDI and MAN, Belfast does not have high frequency BA flights, although BA do codeshare on the EI's.

Spot on ayebmi. Many times in the past I have changed airlines to avoid the EMB.

Still, I'd rather use a taxi than a bus.:)

Kttiwake
 

You miss the point, its about customers, or lack of! to many the EMB is a not an airliner, its a bizjet, that you have to share with other people. It has its place in the market, but has no place at LHR, whatever happens it will be gone from LHR by the end of Summer 2012.