Concorde schedules

[Dr Jekyll]

I notice that this summer, the Concorde flight LHR/JFK will take off at 18:30 arriving at 17:25. At present it arrives in NY at 9:30 local giving the passenger practcally a whole day in NY, the new schedule will mean arriving after several subsonic flights.

Does anyone know the rationale behind this? I'm sure some people would justify the fare in terms of the early arrival in NY but would now go subsonic.

[curmudgeon]

Presumably to give the customer a whole day in London!

cur

[bealine]

That's quite perceptive cur!

:)

Seriously, if any of my colleagues from BA Operations look in on the forum, please offer a response if you're able.

Alternatively, I'll make a few internal enquiries and post back in a week or so ('cos I'm on nights now and can't communicate with the "shinybums!")

Cheers

bealine:cool:

[Globaliser]

I saw this mentioned elsewhere. It's crazy not having an SSC that gets you in to NYC first thing so you can have a full day there, particularly when you can't realistically get the corresponding benefit of a return flight giving a full day in London (a 3-hour long overnight flight? yuck!).

So I wondered what other devious things might be afoot. Slot-sitting came to mind first of all - and more particularly, slot-sitting to protect the time for the second daily SSC if and when it ever restarts. IIRC that departure was at about 1830 ex-LHR.

[Rwy in Sight]

Maybe BA wants to position the aircraft for an early deparature next day while offering pax a whole day in London.

Or maybe the want to sell beyond LHR supersonic fares from various european cities.

Rwy in Sight

[NW1]

Dr J,

I know nothing of such a re-timing of the 001 that you mention, but the 2nd service (the 003) was close to the time you mention - perhaps that is the flight you saw? I think it is possible that the 003 will return spring or summer next year, at least on some if not all days of the week. The only possible re-timing of the 001 will be slightly earlier if anything.

Best,
NW1

[gordonroxburgh]

Yes this re-timing does look like the case.

From March 30th (start of summer timetable?) the BA001 departs LHR at 18:30.

This is from the BA on-line timetable and on-line bookings pages.

Maybe the passengers want this in the summer, or BA need to be seen to be using this evening slot.

....or it could be a move to build up the evening departure ahead to the resumption of the BA003/4 services a few months later.