British Airways

[752]

Anybody noticed that BA have dropped their prices from LBA to a base fare of £44, is this because a drop in fuel prices?

 

[bobleeds]

Just done a quick check for day return flights to LHR this Sunday 08/02 and whilst there is availability on Morning Southbound and evening Northbound, BA is showing the 0740 Northbound and both the late afternoon and evening Southbound as fully booked on all ticket types - This is good news, but I'm just curious if there is any local event which might be causing increased numbers?

 

[Bigman]

Just checked the First Direct Arena and nothing showing there this weekend. Nothing sporting wise as far as I can see. Very good sign then if we are filling some on the flights.

 

[dmrodgers]

Leeds United are at home to Brentford on Saturday but this doesn't account for the flights being full on Sunday. (Griffin Park is only 7 miles away from Heathrow) Excellent news if we are filling up the flights 'with our own passengers'.

 

[AirBingley]

I've just travelled up on the BA1342 from LHR. It was about 70% full. Quite a long taxi and queue at LHR - pushed back on time but finally took off at around 16.00 - so just over 30 mins in the air. Crew were great, very friendly and priority baggage unloading worked at LBA. Plane to door in record time!

 

[a300boy]

No flight from Heathrow this morning on the arrivals board ? anyone know why ?

 

[lbaspotter]

No flight from Heathrow this morning on the arrivals board ? anyone know why ?

The Saturday morning LHR-LBA-LHR BA1346/1347 rotation is not scheduled to operate throughout February. It restarts in 2 weeks time.

 

[Daviator]

Just been down to the smoke today on the 1347 and back on the 1344 this evening. 93 on the way down, 80 odd on the return. Typically good service and rapid at 40 mins each way. Looked to be more on the Leeds flight than Manchester which was boarding at the adjacent gate.

 

[adam]

Maybe a bit of a boost to BA coming on the 1st March. As some may know East Coast trains are been taken over by Virgin and with that the generous reward scheme gets replaced by the much less rewarding nectar points. Under the current scheme you got 1 point per £ on standard and the 1.5 per £ on 1st meaning that if you got a 1st open return Leeds to London at £365 you got 547 points more than enough for a free 1 way 1st class journey. Nectar you'd have to spend loads more to get anywhere near the sort of points for free travel. From what I've read on Twitter and elsewhere a lot of people are angry at this change and are planning on boycotting Virgin so this may play into BAs hands (obviously time permitting etc)

 

[Bigman]

You may be right, but it still won't change the fact that you can get a train to arrive in London by 07:31, a whole 2 hours before the first LHR even takes off.

 

[752]

Forgot to report this however on Sunday 15th February I flew down on the first southbound BA1347, I flew on G-EUPK which had the new BA interior, it smelt and looked amazing! However I think they have reduced the legroom slightly!

All in all another quick and efficient trip with BA and the flight was almost full as the cabin crew commented about overhead luggage for suitcases only as the flight was almost full.

 

[adam]

You may be right, but it still won't change the fact that you can get a train to arrive in London by 07:31, a whole 2 hours before the first LHR even takes off.

Oh yeah totally agree that's why I said time permitting was looking at the angle of if we can fill up what's there for people who a later arrival suits them or can overnight leaving the previous evening then it looks stronger for the possibility of a night stop

 

[Galaxy]

Virgin taking over East Coast may have done BA a big favour. The Virgin train fares are a lot more expensive with many fewer bargains. I've just been looking at Leeds to Edinburgh on 30th May, the train takes 3 hours and costs £93. The BA fare from to Leeds to Edinburgh via London is £10 cheaper at £83, it takes 35 minutes longer, but at least the flight(s) will include a free drink and snack! I know which one i'll be booking in any case.

 

[lbaspotter]

Its just a shame that British Airways decided quite a few months ago that it was going to reduce the Leeds - Heathrow route down to 2x daily again after this weekend. Yep the evening BA1344/1345 is non op for a 3 week period. But the good is that it goes back to operating 3x daily with the start of the Summer 2015 schedule on Sunday March 29th.

Even better news, It's looking like there are no cancelled flight until later in the year up till the winter 2015/16 schedule.

 

[ChurchFenton]

Virgin taking over East Coast may have done BA a big favour. The Virgin train fares are a lot more expensive with many fewer bargains. I've just been looking at Leeds to Edinburgh on 30th May, the train takes 3 hours and costs £93. The BA fare from to Leeds to Edinburgh via London is £10 cheaper at £83, it takes 35 minutes longer, but at least the flight(s) will include a free drink and snack! I know which one i'll be booking in any case.

The rail prices for the date you've mentioned are high as Advance rail fares for 30th May aren't on sale for another few days yet (currently only available up to 22 May). The rail cost mentioned is a for a Standard Single fare, which almost always will be more more expensive than an Advance fare. As a comparison, if the dates are taken back a couple of weeks to 16th May (where Advance fares are now on sale) the prices are much more reasonable (£22.55 single for the direct 07:10 Leeds-Edinburgh on Virgin East Coast metal). If you can hold off booking for a week or so you will almost certainly be offered a more reasonable price for 30th May.

 

[Galaxy]

The rail prices for the date you've mentioned are high as Advance rail fares for 30th May aren't on sale for another few days yet (currently only available up to 22 May). The rail cost mentioned is a for a Standard Single fare, which almost always will be more more expensive than an Advance fare. As a comparison, if the dates are taken back a couple of weeks to 16th May (where Advance fares are now on sale) the prices are much more reasonable (£22.55 single for the direct 07:10 Leeds-Edinburgh on Virgin East Coast metal). If you can hold off booking for a week or so you will almost certainly be offered a more reasonable price for 30th May.

Great advice, thank you Church Fenton! I hadn't realised that advance fares only went up to a certain date. I'll have to have a read about this on the Virgin EC website. Cheers :hatsoff:

 

[lbaspotter]

Another good month for British Airways on the Leeds/Bradford - London Heathrow shuttle. Here's some stats of how the route is performing so far after 27 months of operation.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Just arrived Heathrow. This mornings northbond had 78, southbound 93 (according to crew)

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I'd just like to add to the upbeat posts about the LHR operation. I have used it a fair bit in the past year. It is clear that the numbers are increasing - every time I get on board, it is a little fuller. Also, I often use the late Southbound. There was a lot of derision when towards that sector at first. I am now finding that there are plenty of people on board. Often, they are dressed in business attire suggesting that Londoners are using the service to conduct their business in Yorkshire and I is now a very real alternative to the train. The fares are now correct, in my opinion - indeed, the walk up fare is significantly less than the train and even booking in advance is now not too dissimilar. I'd still like the arrivals experience at LBA to be better but it feels like BA have got the timings well sorted now (the late southbound is a good couple of hours earlier than at first) and the patronage is increasing as a result. Well done BA and LBA.

 

[jason1-11]

Flew up on the BA1346 this morning. No more than half full I would estimate.

Plus point is we were greeted by Tony Halewood at the gate. I didn't mention the Masterplan☺