UK DOM ex LGW service improves.....bag charges to follow!!!
Well it seems the Gatick business unit is trying to pull out all the stops on the LGW-MAN legs recently. A far better choice of nibbles now available and the pax are given the choice of choosing fom a basket, rather than the decision being made or them. Even being sat in row 12 on the venerable 737, there was still a good choice left on a full flight. I have always enjoyed the LGW crew and service, especially in CE to EU land ex LGW. Sadly the MAN route is being put out to pasture, a route that has existed since my younger years of flying DAN-AIR!
4 rotations a day can surely only be a slot filling exercise, however loads do appear up since summer.
And now the plan in the pipe line in waterside is to turn the gatwick business unit into an EZY hybrid. Keep the enhanced catering and improve on it further, in return for being charged or checking in your bags!!!!!!
That for me will be the final straw, it's LHR or bust. Further signs perhaps towards an eventual takeover of LGW routes by Vueling? offsetting the maintenance cost of ageing 737s and improved catering?
An implementation date is being decided on. Now it seems the only difference for those in traveller between BA and EZY will be the appearance of a 'happy lemon' in their GnT.
Further it begs the question of how BA hope to differentiate the LHR and LGW service levels. When a passenger books BA they assume BA service no matter where they board. As many N class fares involve a change between LGW and LHR at pax's cost, will a connection through LGW incure a fee when the service continues ex LHR or vice versa?
An old school chum contact in the innerworkings of Europa wing, 'waterworks'.
Apparently all traveller product Dom and SH ex LGW. The orange product continues to squeeze them.
Sadly I see this as a move, if finally implemented, that would send most pax over to ezy. Why pay the difference for a bag of crisps and a vino on board? Circa £15 is spent per ticket on reducing the pensions deficit, so if they try to match or slightly out do EZY or BE perhaps they can start publishing 'cheaper fares'? I dare say EZY would simply take them on in the bag charge market and a pricing war will begin. Stand by for passenger confusion and annoyance. No matter how well they try and inform the public this is a LGW initiative only, it will spread bad feeling and confusion around the M25 with passengers looking for alternatives ex LHR.
My feelings were made known over a catch up coffee in T5 last week.
P.S. thank you for the welcome
Last edited by ACARS; Nov 23, 12 at 3:28 am..
Reason: P.s added
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I agree that having charges at LGW may cause product confusion and may impact their LHR operations as if they're both branded BA then people will assume the policies are identical.
A lot of people thounght bmi and bmibaby were the same. Something key such as baggage charging should be identical across the network, they could try buy on board at Gatwick because at least if people weren't expecting it they can opt out (it's not like the complimentary offering is substantial), but if someone turns up with a bag expecting it to be free (well that's what the ads have been telling them is an advantage of a full service airline) and then they have to pay a charge, it will just cause bad will, or worse, the inability to pay.
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Instead of introducing a baggage fee, why not turn it around and do it as a saving if you don't check in a bag?
But you must make that choice at the time of making the booking. If you decide to add a bag and do it online before checking, add an extra £5 on top of the saving. If you do it online at the time of checkin add £10 and if you do it at the check in desk, add £15.
So, if a fare, inclusive of everything cost £150, you could save £15 by selecting not to check in a bag, so you'd only pay £135.
- if you decide later you need a bag, you go online and pay £20. (£155 in total)
- if you decide at online check in, you pay £25 (£160 in total)
- if you leave it to the check in desk to decide, you pay £30 (£165).
Everyone wins, because you're then buying flexibility.
If this is true (and I hope it's not), then I excpect the carry on limits will increase and not see the extreme Ryanair enforcement of size and weights.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by destere
Unless there was a separate sub brand of sorts, I could see it causing a lot of confusion.
This, combined with the current advertising campaign, would lead me also to say that it's just a rumour.
Agreed, I doubt they would have approved the current advertising unless this change were to come along with a clear brand change, BA Express might make sense, or let Vueling have a go.
But, I suspect this is a Waterside rumour - I can't see a BA branded offering with baggage fees from LGW only.
I can't see it either...it would cause to much faffing about as they would obviously have to allow status passengers to have a free check-in allowance as well as those connecting from long haul services. If BA were going down the low cost route at LGW they would have done it by now. They only have two choices...... keep it full service or pull out altogether.
__________________
Don't let the Walter Mitty's get you down....
Unfortunately my chum works in the commercial department, which means he has a fairly good idea of plans in the pipe work.
As for the sign off for the adverts? Well if the right hand ever starts talking to the left hand in BA, we are probably all stuffed. Seperate departments, different agendas is my feeling. Interesting that the small print on the ads relates prices to ex-LGW departures only. Perhaps it truly is a flogging of dead horse scenario. I sincerely hope not!
let's not give them ideas again 
