Death of BA shorthaul

[traveller5]

Just been reading in press about BA's pending announcement re the plans to bring their LHR and LGW shorthaul operation into line with low cost carriers. Mr Rod E himself has stated that BA's European services currently just about break even and that, quote, "breaking even simply won't do". No mention of the exact announcement date, but certainly within next few months.... Impact on crew? Longer hours? Minimum rest etc??

I wonder if BA regret selling 'GO'!

[hobie]

that reminds me of BEA and BOAC .......

[Lite]

Bringing BA's operations into line with the no-frills airlines does not mean that BA is either going to launch another spin-off airline, or that they are planning to turn their economy class product the same way that EI has.

Indeed, if they were planning to follow EI's lead, I would suggest it was from an operational point of view. Like how can BA get the most out of its aircraft, crews and ground operations. As I mentioned, I don't think this will lead to an airline-within-airline as Mr. Eddington is much against the idea, and also BA would not be stupid enough to provide a no-frills service in Euro Traveller. Their advertising campaign for shorthaul has been focuses around full service for no-frills prices.

I do know CitiExpress is looking at a makeover to make it more inline with the LCCs (I heard one family of aircraft and no more Club Europe, with the before mentioned fast turns etc.) but cannot comment.

[madmax100]

Announcement on the 1st March..........

[Tandemrotor]

"Impact on crew? Longer hours? Minimum rest etc??"

Absolutely hilarious!

[Platinum206]

What about possibility of models such as United's "TED" or US Aiways ill fated "MetroJet", Delta's "Song",

Don't know exactly how they work but just a suggestion!

P206

[HZ123]

This remains to be seen. Mr Eddington seems to have missed the point you can only run an LC with the co-operation of key areas of the staff. At present in this company the tail wags the dog, before anything happens FC, CC and TGWU ground staff will have a huge say. One thing I am sure they will not be prepared to do is except pay cuts. The TGWU at LGW is strongest out of the lot. Finally, Mr E has enough problems ahead with T5 integration.

[Hand Solo]

before anything happens FC, CC and TGWU ground staff will have a huge say

I'll thank you to leave the flight crew out of this. We're already on minimum rest much of the time and our contract allows the company to work us right up to the absolute maximum legal flying hours, which many are at or approaching. The only reason we're not all there is the company can't get the utilisation out of the aircraft because of the other groups of staff you mention. Eddington knows where the waste is in this company and he knows its not in Flight Ops. If you think T5 integration is going to be an issue over the next few years then you clearly haven't been listening to what the board have been saying!

[Val d'Isere]

......bring their LHR and LGW shorthaul operation into line with low cost carriers.
How does one do that at LHR?

"LO cost" and "LHR" are contradictory terms, are'nt they? :confused:

[flyer55]

Madmax where did you hear that? I heard 10th Mentioned.

[Lite]

The idea of British Airways' restructuring its shorthaul services is simply coming from an announcement by Mr. Eddington that said whilst British Airways' shorthaul operation is breaking even, and is doing much better than it was when he arrived, despite the difficult trading conditions right now for the airlines. However, he said that breaking even was simply not good enough.

One of the rumoured announcements was that BA was going to become a no-frills airline from LGW on shorthaul flights, whilst the airline's regional carrier CitiExpress was to begin operating flight with "no-frills attributes".

These are all rumours which I believe are going to be phased in over the winter whatever the announcement is. I think it's more likely that the airline is going to turnaround its Euro Traveller cabin & to try and get a better use out of their aircraft, slots and ground equipment & crews. For example, it might be that in Euro Traveller free meals & drinks will no longer be available like on the "Tu Menu" from Iberia or Aer Lingus. I doubt they would pull Club Europe, but who knows?

With regards to Ted, this has been an excellent move from United, because they've reacted well to this market. They have introduced Bob (buy on board) on most of their domestic and trans-border flights, and on flights where United was facing competition from LCCs or where there was mostly leisure pax, the airline has restructured in such a way that they are gaining more pax through "a fresh new airline" like Ted, whilst not alienating traditional UA pax.

[Just_Testing]

Some weeks before Christmas I booked several tickets online, with BA, for a trip to Gibraltar from Gatwick, in mid April.

Just after Christmas the nice people at the BA call centre rang me to say that the flight from LGW was no longer operating, but would we like to go from LHR instead?

As the change saves 30 miles each way, and time, we were more than happy to agree.

Now don't ask me what paint scheme was due to appear on the aircraft flying from LGW, or what it will be from LHR, but I throw these facts about the flights into the pot, for others to draw their own conclusions.

[yellowdog]

Now don't ask me what paint scheme was due to appear on the aircraft flying from LGW, or what it will be from LHR, but I throw these facts about the flights into the pot, for others to draw their own conclusions.

The above is operated by GB, so has nothing to do with shorthaul LGW.

The "experiment" last summer with increased aircraft rotation and longer flying hours, less nightstops etc. is set to continue this summer.

LGW shorthaul has always been the pressure valve for the rest of BA and it always will be. The lo-co has been mentioned loads of time in the past and will be in the future.

Unless you are in Mr. E's pocket, then we all have to wait and see.

Oh and BTW don't look to the CC to work harder, that's impossible:(

[moist]

What I don't understand is, if BA has all these franchises which fly all those short haul flights for them, with absolutely no cost to BA itself, but only income, then how on earth they are still unable to make a profit.
Are they still paying too much to someone/s somewhere?

[jaarrgh]

Shoot me down if I am wrong but I think BACX is a wholly owned subsiduary. Unlike Logan and Sun Air etc that are franchise partners. I would guess that plans regarding the development of the BA brand would have an immediate and direct effect on BACX. It would be a shame to loose the extras you know you will get as a passenger with BA as the brand has taken decades to build up.

[Jet A1]

Ref the LHR-GIB change - Extra slots came available and as there is a good cargo and pax business ex LHR-GIB, GB now do LHR-GIB-LGW-GIB-LHR aircraft rotation.

Simply, you will fly on GB which operates as BA, (argueably to a better standard on a lower cost base.) So you will see very little difference apart from a GB sticker on the nose of the A320.

[HZ123]

I think once again we are wandering away from the thread. However we had a good deal with GB having leased them one of our elderly airbus 320's. These rumours have been 'flying' around BA for a long time. The key issue is still that costs are to high. There is mass recruitment for ramp and cabin crew but also still a large number of staff leave each month. It would seem a logical move to make more savings at LGW as LHR has to be kept sweet for T5.