By having yet another night down route, away from home, in yet another hotel.

Except it doesn’t work like that. If the crew were to be stuck down route so would the aircraft which affects the following day and more.
Much better to firebreak.

No, you miss my point. It's planned and rostered that way to avoid the curfew. Hence your extra and unnecessary nights away.

Fortunately I don't need to worry about 0300 arrivals or night stops but I would much rather get in to my own bed at that time of day rather than my third or fourth hotel of the week.

Having come from ezy to BA, the night jet ban is a god send. Even at peak summer I’m getting into bed earlier than I’d be landing back at easy.

I think he may be (although apologies if not!) referring to a situation, which happened with increasing regularity at easyJet from Gatwick, where you reported at 8/9/10pm to do a 2 sector there and back to Greek islands or Turkey, landing back at Gatwick after 6am. I believe it’s similar at Tui/Jet2 etc.

I’ve not done short haul at BA so don’t know, but presumably this isn’t done out of Heathrow to avoid the curfew without night-stopping?

Sent you a PM

Nope, nitestops are planned to allow an 8pm ish flight out of LHR and a 6am ish flight out of European airports because that’s where the demand is. It also allows a firebreak after delays. If say an 1800 departure is running late it’s often cancelled. Some are put on the earlier flight some on the later flight and some rerouted with other carriers / HOTAC at LHR as opposed to having 2 jets nitestop which screws the next day schedule.

I think the overriding point is that returning to base at horrible o’clock is avoided.

Q Chesty have you operated as a SH BA pilot out of LHR? If not I refer you to RT Jones post above they like others have first hand experience as erm do I.

Yes, which handily avoids the, erm, curfew:ugh:

No, I've never had the displeasure.