BA Changes?

[Odd Skipper]

Anyone know anything about major changes at BA.
Read something about an anouncement next week regarding LGW and MAN.
Could this be a low cost merger of city express and the LGW 737s - Willie Walsh did something similar at Air Lingus?
If so, could 737s be on their way to MAN?
All guess work here, just fishing.

[ETOPS]

It's one "f" in professional and (you've guessed it) two s's.

And whilst I'm at it, only one "t" in Britannia...................

[upperecam]

Who's Britannia?
:{ :{

[MarkD]

oddskipper

WW abolished the "commuter" side of EI and got rid of everything smaller than a 735, and put down orders to replace the 735s and 734s which mostly occurred after he left.

The departure of the RJs to Swiss might have happened under Rod E's watch but I would be surprised to see the 146s and Dashs survive very long, followed by the 145s.

Meanwhile Loganair quietly expands...

[el piloto gordo]

Just like to express that it's a bit annoying with all this spell checking that seems to be going on here quite frequently...

Please bare in mind that many of us are not native English speakers and are just trying to make our contribution aswell..

Prime interest is aviation, correct spelling somewhat further down the list...

ThanX :ok:

[MarkD]

caudillo

I don't claim to have the inside track, just observing what has happened to CX routes and aircraft over the last couple of years and WW's record at EI. If you have better info let's have it.

[Caudillo]

Not at all Mark, I'm sure given your protracted observations of the company and the proclivities of WW that you may well have a point.

Just out of interest, say the Dash 8s, RJs and Embraers were to be scrapped - what sort of routes would the company be able to operate with the remaining GPUs?

[RMC]

Marc

Dash 8 leases just been renewed...WW visited Manch HQ a couple of weeks ago...asked lots of pointed questions but generally happy with direction BACX is going in. The past (in this case) is not the future.

Claudildo

Thanks has no X in it

[standby_2_1]

you have to understand the brit humour guys it is not how you spell it or how many times in this forum you are pulled over for misspelling it is just a wee bit of fun please do not get offended by this it is all in good humouir or something like that the main thing is have a good un
;)

[Craggenmore]

Odd Skipper

Are you thinking of leaving your current Airline? ;)

Seems half of you guys want to leave and only 12 months in......

If so, could 737s be on their way to MAN? as well as GB's several Airbus?

:ok:

[apaddyinuk]

Sorry Skipper,
Dont know about the regions and MAN but WW has already made his announcement regarding LGW...That is they are basically to remain as they are but become profitable by 2007 or its "good luck and good night"!!!!

[beaver eager]

regarding LGW...That is they are basically to remain as they are but become profitable by 2007 or its "good luck and good night"!!!!
Yawn!... LGW staff have been hearing this rubbish for years, it goes back long before I got 'integrated'.

Sadly with the intransigence of the ground staff unions at LHR, it would appear that hammering the T&Cs of all staff at LGW using the above threat, is a softer option.

It's time to get the savings from somewhere where there are genuinely worthwhile savings to be had.

All IMHO, of course! :mad:

[MarkD]

Caudillo

If by the GPUs you mean the 146 fleet, well Willie took the axe to them at EI (and did his best to shaft the crews too). I guess it depends how much pressure BA will be under to maintain a presence at LCY - and a few Steep Approach modded 318s could be the answer to that although you can't get IAE ones and that's what BA likes these days.

An interesting tack would be re-equip CX with Embraer 175/190s to replace the 146/RJ on non-steep/short routes (with the assistance of a trade-in of the 145 and/or conversion of the 17 options). Air Canada mainline have just taken some 175s and the early noises seem to be favourable.

Meanwhile AC Jazz is pushing further and further south with their CRJ705s - if Willie was feeling combative this could be his CX model - replace UK/near Europe 320/737 with fast RJs.

Sector lengths for Eurofleet 757s/320s/737s would get longer and longer to replace the Eurofleet 767s. 4 SH 767s are being converted to longhaul and Rod E has said "I would not be surprised if we dusk some more, which will give us some long haul growth."

[Caudillo]

Marc,

Apologies again - GPUs are ground power units. If the name hasn't given it away, their purpose is to power the aircraft on the ground. They get wheeled over to the aircraft and plugged in, the FO (First Officer) puts a token in and you get electricity for 15 minutes.

The point I was trying to make, albeit in a rather childish fashion, sarcasm being the lowest form of wit and etcetera, was that if those three types you mentioned initially were to be scrapped, BACX would have no aeroplanes left and nothing but the aforementioned GPUs. That's rather a pickle for an airline isn't it? Therefore, in closing, I found your suggestion highly unlikely as perhaps not obvious my final flourish.

From reading your last post, you certainly seem to know your aircraft and have an eye for whats going on in the industry, I thought for a moment you were about to sell me my own regional jet. The thing is, this is not fantasy association football (soccer), and aircraft types are not changed as unilaterally and easily as I think your posts suggest. None of this wheeler dealing is going to happen - you can't just scrap all the aircraft a company owns, or in the case of BA, its 737s and 320s. As I'm sure you appreciate, its not just the cost of the aircraft hulls - but all the infrastructure, legalities, administration and expensively-trained, specialised staff employed for that aircraft, like engineers, and cabin crew.

RMC,

I don't understand the point you're making, but I do love what you did with my nom de plume - fantastic! Although I think if you'd managed to couple it with something that rhymed, in the fashion of children in a playground, say, you would have got extra points.

[flyer55]

The 737's are staying at LGW for the next months, so no merger with BACX . Their is meant to be announcement soon about Citiexpress so watch this space !

[RMC]

Caudillo,
I was having an indirect swipe at the spell checkers by
1. Spelling your name wrong
2. Correcting a spelling which,today,is commonly accepted as standard/cool. Only dinosaurs would make this statement about thanx.
As someone said Brit humour
Can't think of a way to make it rhyme.

[Oshkosh George]

And it wasn't even Caudillo who posted the "thanx"------Ooops!

[MarkD]

Caudillo

I thought your GPU comment was some comment on the 146 series I hadn't heard yet (four hairdryers/five APUs etc), sorry I didn't catch your drift.

As for fantasy football, well speculation is a bit like that isn't it? The BA order book is pretty bare so no clues there except those 17 145 options...

[HZ123]

I hardly think that WW whether he was happy or not with BACX MAN is going to admit that and even if he did i doubt it carrys a lot of weight. That said BACX are doing a lot of interviews at Cranebank for D8 drivers. Maybe a comforting thought for you guys is that anarchy reigns at LHR and that is WW's problem one that will not go away and one that the shareholders will want to see sorted and he does not have a lot of time.

[flyer55]

Are all the RJ 100's that were based at Manchester now in Edinburgh?

[Railgun]

RJ's are still at man till the end of the month i believe then are been sold/leased to swiss?

[HZ123]

I can not imagine what Swiss would want the RJ's for. There is the usual complacency from LGW BA staff as on Page 2. Our understanding is that BA PSU /Operations & ramp have a 60 day improvement notice from GB Airways. Correct me if I am wrong but that consists of 40% of their work and GB must be able to get the work performed by Servisair or whoever for considerably less. So there is no room for being smug.

[beaver eager]

Complacent? Maybe HZ123,

And I don't disagree that BA's ground operation at LGW has room for further improvements.

CFE were somewhat analogous to GB in their ability (as a separate company) to outsource things like ground handling. Not exactly the same as CFE were in the south terminal, of course. Gatwick Mangling weren't particularly great in my experience, but when CFE switched supplier to the newly setup British Midland Handling operation (since bought out by Aviance), I can honestly say that they were a great bunch, who worked darned hard and really pulled their weight. They came running when late to meet an aircraft on stand, for example.

The thing with BA's ops at LGW though, is that although there may still be some fat to be trimmed, the whole operation is really pretty efficient compared to Heathrow. They have made lots of cuts amongst the ramp staff at LGW, to the point where the operation regularly suffers. Not enough dispatchers on duty at certain times to deal with all the aircraft arriving/departing. It is frustrating as a pilot to rush from pillar to post on an unscheduled aircraft change in an effort to keep the show on the road, only to find there is then a 40 minute wait for a dispatcher.

Some days in the summer, after the opening of the new bridge over to pier 6 and the subsequent cull of drivers, there were only 5 drivers working during the day shift. When you think that it takes 3 of them to deal with the stupid design of hi-lift vehicles that BA have, if you have carry-off passengers on a remote (or other busing) stand, that doesn't leave many drivers left for crew or passenger buses.

All I'm saying is that at LGW, most staff groups have made significant improvements in productivity, often to the point where it impinges on customer service... At that point it becomes a management failing to have extracted so much productivity IMHO. We are a pretty close knit bunch at LGW and usually all pull in the same direction pretty well (obviously there is the very odd exception).

Compared to the excesses up the road, I really think it's time to leave LGW alone for a while. Being continually asked to give more and more, when other staff are still being hosed down with money for going to unpopular destinations or doing their normal shift over a bank holiday weekend, is not my idea of rewarding an already pretty committed and hard working workforce.

As for pulling out of LGW, there is precedent here to prove that it isn't a good idea. 5 years ago, CFE occupied most of the south pier stands most days, and in a BA livery. There weren't many stands available for the competition: When 'integrated' into the north terminal operation, suddenly all those previously occupied stands, were vacant... And who do you think occupies them now? Yes, the largest Low Cost operator at Gatwick (to coin a phrase). I like to think that BA management won't make the same mistake again, especially as they seem to have decided to take the battle back to Ryan/Easy. At the very worst, they are making their life more difficult until the fuel prices really begin to eat into the low cost's margins (as a higher overall percentage of their fixed costs).

BA does have lots of inefficiencies, even at Gatwick... It's the way it is and there are historical reasons for all of it. The management are firefighting quite aggressively all the time. I just want to see them get the bits that are blazing the worst under control before continuing to chuck buckets of cold water round the edges.

[HZ123]

I do accept much of what you state but we at BA have to look to the GSA's as surely the way we should be operating and at a similar level to their costs. For example an Aviance Push Back is circa £50.00 a BA push £130.00 and our accident rate is not much better than theirs.

[bealine]

Compared to the excesses up the road, I really think it's time to leave LGW alone for a while. Being continually asked to give more and more, when other staff are still being hosed down with money for going to unpopular destinations or doing their normal shift over a bank holiday weekend, is not my idea of rewarding an already pretty committed and hard working workforce.

Hear! Hear! Bravo!!!

At last, someone who sings from my hymn sheet!

...And, while you're at it, if WW looks in on this forum, can you PLEASE dispel once and for all the rumours that we, the ground staff, will be sold as a "transfer of undertaking" to a ground handling agent!!!

[MarkD]

HZ123

Lufthansa want 146/RJ for all of their regional affiliates (due challenging terrain in south central Europe perhaps?) - and now Swiss is an LH affiliate they get them too.

[Railgun]

...And, while you're at it, if WW looks in on this forum, can you PLEASE dispel once and for all the rumours that we, the ground staff, will be sold as a "transfer of undertaking" to a ground handling agent!!!

Can he also do the same at MAN and provide a bit of job reassurance.

[AUTOGLIDE]

Mark D, yes LUFTY have got a lot of 146's/RJ, however they nearly always leave on time, the BA aircraft (in my unhappy experience of travelling), spend most of their time tech, with the passengers in the terminal.
Now, WW. Unless there is a remarkable change from the norm he will continue the worn path of being scared to do anything at LHR and just decimate the 'regions' even more. Samr old, same old.

[EI-CFC]

Now, WW. Unless there is a remarkable change from the norm he will continue the worn path of being scared to do anything at LHR and just decimate the 'regions' even more.

I don't know. WW isn't afraid to of getting his hands dirty, that's for sure. Time will tell whether he'll have to face off to those in LHR or whether he'll win them over by other means.