OT: EI moving from BFS to BHD
Jun 15, 2012, 7:56 am
#1
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Jun 15, 2012, 8:30 am
#2
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Sounds like the BBC reporter has been reading PPrune where there have been many rumours but few facts. No confirmation from EI or BHD management yet. Perhaps an opportunity for BFS to lower their charges, but I suppose it would make a lot of sense for EI/BA cooperation.
Jun 15, 2012, 11:24 am
#3
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Sounds like the BBC reporter has been reading PPrune where there have been many rumours but few facts. No confirmation from EI or BHD management yet. Perhaps an opportunity for BFS to lower their charges, but I suppose it would make a lot of sense for EI/BA cooperation.
Jun 16, 2012, 5:42 pm
#4
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: London
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This route has been earning good money for bmi for some time now with very good yields from point to point traffic. On most peak flights nearly 3/4 or more of the aircraft is reserved for flexible economy customers.
With BA's strong commercial strength i'm sure they can make this route an even bigger success than what bmi was able to make of it.
However I see the opposite with the DUB route as there is a lot more transfering and leisure traffic with lower yields. With EI's high frequency on the route it makes perfect sense for them to continue operating on behalf of BA which will allow BA to use the bmi slots for other longhaul routes.
Jun 17, 2012, 3:44 am
#6
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Jun 17, 2012, 4:07 am
#7
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They had a short-lived tag on STN-BHD-LDY using a BAE146 and then a SD360. Didn't last very long, was back in the mid 90s IIRC.
They had a short-lived tag on STN-BHD-LDY using a BAE146 and then a SD360. Didn't last very long, was back in the mid 90s IIRC.
Jun 17, 2012, 4:25 am
#8
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Jun 17, 2012, 6:39 am
#10
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I very much doubt that bmi were making any profit on BHD-LHR of late.
Jun 17, 2012, 7:00 am
#11
Join Date: Jan 2008
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I don't think that statement is correct. I am a regular traveller on the BD81, BD90 and BD92, all of which would be classed as peak flights. There have nearly always been only 6-8 rows of flexible economy when I have been on these flights in the last few months. Typical loading on a bmi peak time flight of late seems to be around 60%-70%. It's not many years since they were nearly always full, plus in those days the average fare paid would have been a lot higher.
I very much doubt that bmi were making any profit on BHD-LHR of late.
I very much doubt that bmi were making any profit on BHD-LHR of late.
Jun 17, 2012, 9:58 am
#12
Join Date: Jun 2002
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I agree that flex economy was rarely more than 6 rows, but fare prices over the last year have been sky high IMO. I've regularly paid £400 lowest fare even when booking 7-10 days ahead. Only in the last 3 months have fares reduced, even more so since it became bookable through BA.
Jun 17, 2012, 5:50 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: London
Posts: 201
I don't think that statement is correct. I am a regular traveller on the BD81, BD90 and BD92, all of which would be classed as peak flights. There have nearly always been only 6-8 rows of flexible economy when I have been on these flights in the last few months. Typical loading on a bmi peak time flight of late seems to be around 60%-70%. It's not many years since they were nearly always full, plus in those days the average fare paid would have been a lot higher.
I very much doubt that bmi were making any profit on BHD-LHR of late.
I very much doubt that bmi were making any profit on BHD-LHR of late.
Jun 18, 2012, 5:51 am
#14
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In the early 1990s, LHR-BFS was one of BA's most profitable routes.
Northern Ireland people (of which I am one) apparently didn't travel much back then, and when they did, they liked to be back home for dinner, so the 5-6 rotations per day were full in both directions on both BA and BD flying BFS-LHR. There was also space for Jersey European (now FlyBe) flying BHD-LGW and even Manx doing BHD-LHR.
I flew very regularly back and forth in those days.
Then the low-cost carriers came and it all changed. Not surprisingly fares plummeted. Around 40% of travelers on the Belfast-London route will choose the cheapest seat, regardless of carrier.
This will not have helped BA & BD's profits on the route.
BD then moved to BHD, a wise move for business travelers going to Belfast.
At the time of their exit from BFS, BA said they were losing a few million per year on the route.
I do not know about BD's profitability on the route of late, but it will be interesting to see what BA does with all the domestic routes they have acquired along with the rest of BD.
Northern Ireland people (of which I am one) apparently didn't travel much back then, and when they did, they liked to be back home for dinner, so the 5-6 rotations per day were full in both directions on both BA and BD flying BFS-LHR. There was also space for Jersey European (now FlyBe) flying BHD-LGW and even Manx doing BHD-LHR.
I flew very regularly back and forth in those days.
Then the low-cost carriers came and it all changed. Not surprisingly fares plummeted. Around 40% of travelers on the Belfast-London route will choose the cheapest seat, regardless of carrier.
This will not have helped BA & BD's profits on the route.
BD then moved to BHD, a wise move for business travelers going to Belfast.
At the time of their exit from BFS, BA said they were losing a few million per year on the route.
I do not know about BD's profitability on the route of late, but it will be interesting to see what BA does with all the domestic routes they have acquired along with the rest of BD.
Jun 18, 2012, 7:10 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,883
In the early 1990s, LHR-BFS was one of BA's most profitable routes.
Northern Ireland people (of which I am one) apparently didn't travel much back then, and when they did, they liked to be back home for dinner, so the 5-6 rotations per day were full in both directions on both BA and BD flying BFS-LHR. There was also space for Jersey European (now FlyBe) flying BHD-LGW and even Manx doing BHD-LHR.
I flew very regularly back and forth in those days.
Then the low-cost carriers came and it all changed. Not surprisingly fares plummeted. Around 40% of travelers on the Belfast-London route will choose the cheapest seat, regardless of carrier.
This will not have helped BA & BD's profits on the route.
BD then moved to BHD, a wise move for business travelers going to Belfast.
At the time of their exit from BFS, BA said they were losing a few million per year on the route.
I do not know about BD's profitability on the route of late, but it will be interesting to see what BA does with all the domestic routes they have acquired along with the rest of BD.
Northern Ireland people (of which I am one) apparently didn't travel much back then, and when they did, they liked to be back home for dinner, so the 5-6 rotations per day were full in both directions on both BA and BD flying BFS-LHR. There was also space for Jersey European (now FlyBe) flying BHD-LGW and even Manx doing BHD-LHR.
I flew very regularly back and forth in those days.
Then the low-cost carriers came and it all changed. Not surprisingly fares plummeted. Around 40% of travelers on the Belfast-London route will choose the cheapest seat, regardless of carrier.
This will not have helped BA & BD's profits on the route.
BD then moved to BHD, a wise move for business travelers going to Belfast.
At the time of their exit from BFS, BA said they were losing a few million per year on the route.
I do not know about BD's profitability on the route of late, but it will be interesting to see what BA does with all the domestic routes they have acquired along with the rest of BD.