British Airways

[White Heather]

On the assumption that 2 flights operated every day in March (which is probably not correct), that is 124 rotations altogether, which gives an average passenger load of 88.6 per flight. Pretty good overall and no doubt it would be much higher if you took out of the equation the last flight of the day heading South. The next 6 months will be interesting - back to 3 a day and the peak season coming. Will we manage over 13,000 pax in a month this year for the first time?

Heather 13,000 has already been passed, As they carried 13,696 passengers in September last year.

Of course - I meant 14,000. Anyway, great to hear how well the route is doing.

 

[bobleeds]

I was on a packed BA1344 up to Leeds last Sunday evening. Purser confirmed just about a full house. - Great flight by BA, OK, so it was an hour late departing following a delay to the inbound aircraft operating the flight, but we had a spirited dash up to Leeds - I'm becoming increasingly impressed by BA's service both International and Domestic.

Unfortunately the overall experience on the night was let down by LBA with a broken air bridge, so disembarkation for the 140 + pax was by means of a set of stairs with dangerously wet and slippery handrail - then a dash across the tarmac in the heavy shower into the terminal only to have to complete the obstacle-course of a walkway along to the arrivals area

Whilst I have been a supporter and user of LBA all my adult life, they are falling well short of expectations and really must up their game. Whilst the experience through Departures is not unpleasant, Arrivals is woeful and would I'm sure give a negative impression to anyone arriving to visit the city/region for the first time, possibly to do business.

 

[lbaspotter]

It makes you wonder what IAG will do when they are handed back the dozen plus Virgin Little Red domestic Heathrow slots pairs in September, Surely there has to be a chance of a late northbound and early southbound service (Night Stopper) been introduced by British Airways on the Leeds/Bradford-Heathrow shuttle?

 

[lbaspotter]

Has anyone else heard anything about a British Airways, Boeing 787 Dreamliner visiting Leeds/Bradford again sometime this summer? Read that aircraft will be doing a flyby and then landing this time around as part of some kind of PR event...

 

[Aviador]

That will be fantastic if it happens. A huge PR coup for the airport if they have managed to talk BA into doing something like that.

 

[lbaspotter]

I wonder what the chances are of British Airways laying on larger aircraft on more flights been added on Bank Holiday Monday and day after Tuesday due to the National Rail strick that's just been announced by the RMT union.

I know British Midland use to lay on extra Capacity by using Boeing 737-400's in the early 90's when this last happened. Would expect both Eastern Airways and flybe will also be happy as well with the extra passengers.

 

[White Heather]

It is a nice thought lbaspotter. The problem with more flights might well be slots. The problem with larger aircraft would be availability at LHR to operate the flight, and how much it would cost to operate. Taking both into account, I can't see it happening, but I live in hope!

 

[Bigman]

Bring on a Dreamliner!!!! Mind you, I would settle for an B767!!!

 

[lbaspotter]

I was thinking along the lines of Airbus A320 or A321's been redeployed onto Domestic routes instead or the usual Airbus A319's which would go onto Euro routes. I do know they have done before.

Like you say White Heather I agree they may have problems operating extra flights due to the lack of slots at Heathrow.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/1 ... travellers

Just seen the sbove article in 'business traveller' magazine. Looks like BA may have a fight on their hands ref lba route.

 

[jfy1999]

From an unexpected source to boot. Not another airline, but the trains. :s_omg

 

[whoshotjimmi]

We are talking about anytime, return in a month tickets. These currently cost £224. As it stands, it would only cost a fraction more to fly even if one bought a ticket at the airport prior to travel and, on some days, it is cheaper. The commitment to "target" to business travellers doesn't cut much mustard with me. BA currently cannot compete with Southbound business travel as the flights do not leave early enough. Northbound however is a very different story. Flying is far cheaper and the times are good. However, the numbers who wish to travel North to do business are lower. A casual traveller may look at a 10% reduction and think "what a catchy headline". A seasoned business traveller will pick the right method of travel for the business they intend to complete. The train has certain advantages and disadvantages and the plane has certain advantages and disadvantages.

When it comes to price, it would still be cheaper to rent a car, fill it with fuel and drive it to London and back than to buy a return train ticket and, until that changes, the anytime train fare is not a competitive product.

I think the Edinburgh to London portion may be more of a target for Virgin. The airlines have run the railway off the route and are, currently, a far better method of moving between the two cities.

 

[Bigman]

Does anyone have any stats as to what % of LHR passengers are purely point-to-point? I am assuming this would be the market that Virgin Trains are targeting.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

It concerns me that Virgin Trains obviously have a focus on competing with domestic air travel. I suppose that as Little Red failed, this is one way of getting back at BA. The other thing is that their stance may dissuade BA from basing an aircraft at LBA given that a substantial number of the pax attracted to the service would be people (like me) who would use the service to get a full days business in London ie domestic only passengers.

 

[Aviador]

I would expect BA will make more from interlining customers than day trippers to London.

 

[KARFA]

Does anyone have any stats as to what % of LHR passengers are purely point-to-point? I am assuming this would be the market that Virgin Trains are targeting.

From this site http://www.routesonline.com/news/29...&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=the-hub

Percentage of transfer passengers on BA domestic flights to LHR:
1) Manchester (60.8%)
2) Leeds/Bradford (56.0%)
3) Newcastle (51.2%)
4) Aberdeen (38.6%)
5) Glasgow (36.2%)
6) Edinburgh (33.2%)
7) Belfast City (25.8%)

 

[Bigman]

Thanks for that Karfa. I am surprised it is as low as 56%. The point-to-point business is clearly there for the taking.

 

[lbaspotter]

Well British Airways and possibly Flybe will be the ones laughing as Virgin Trains have just announced that they have cancelled all services next Monday and Tuesday due to the rail strike.

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Just came in on BA1344 this evening. 85 booked, but think at least one was a no show.

 

[adam]

Well British Airways and possibly Flybe will be the ones laughing as Virgin Trains have just announced that they have cancelled all services next Monday and Tuesday due to the rail strike.

Virgin west coast have cancelled the lot. Virgin east Coast have a very limited service running https://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/t ... el-alerts/