Well now Egypt Air is part of *A I'm hoping for a direct SSH flight in a proper J cabin.
But still I do see this as the begining of the end for LGW. I like T N walking down those circular stairs with what looked liked jet engines in the centre. So i guess soon LGW long hauls will all move to T5.
The big question is how will I get to IBZ in some semblance of style next summer I mean really this is enough to drive you into the arms of NetJets
We are pleased (sic) to inform you that GB Airways is to be acquired by easyJet PLC. The purchase is expected to be fully complete within the next four to six weeks.
From 30th March 2008, GB Airways will be integrated into easyJet's operation and will offer easyJet's product and service. Up until 30th March 2008, for the duration of the winter season, GB Airways will continue to operate as a British Airways franchise carrier. There will be no change to the GB Airways product, route network or schedule.
For more information on this acquisition please click here.
Already booked?
Customers who hold BA bookings on GB Airways flights between now and 29th March 2008 are totally unaffected. GB Airways will continue to fly its published schedule as a British Airways' franchise carrier until this date.
If you are booked to travel with GB Airways next summer, and the deal goes ahead, your flight will be the easyJet product not the GB Airways/British Airways product. For more details on this please visit easyJet.com. On completion of easyJet's purchase of GB Airways, easyJet will contact you with details about your new flight.
You can still take advantage of our great winter fares and book today at ba.com
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Rationally this is probably the best decision for all concerned. Clearly domestic travel within the EU is a race to the bottom in terms of costs this is surely best achieved through scale, simplification and removal of unnecessary expenses such as a franchisee payment.
Emotionally I am really sad at what this truly represents. The Bland Group have been involved with BA/BEA either as GSA or jointly operating GIB-LON since WW2. Bland Travel in Gibraltar, Cadogan Holidays in Southampton, the travel agencies in the UK and The Rock Hotel in Gibraltar are all based, presumably, on synergies with the airline operation. The fact that the principal operating company of Blands is now going, does make me wonder about jobs and the future of the other assets.
That said, if the enterprises are all as feebly profitable as GT was, this generation of Gaggero's have done exactly the right thing to ensure the prosperity of their Grandchildren?!
Last edited by clansey1973; Oct 26, 07 at 9:10 am..
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Totally gutted by this purchase by Easy Jet and BA's inability to fly to ACE or elsewhere in the Islas Canarias.... Not sure that a full 737 would have the payload /range...... ???
No decent options now for what is a four hour flight...
I might have to move out there!!!!
Rationally this is probably the best decision for all concerned. Clearly domestic travel within the EU is a race to the bottom in terms of costs this is surely best achieved through scale, simplification and removal of unnecessary expenses such as a franchisee payment.
Emotionally I am really sad at what this truly represents. The Bland Group have been involved with BA/BEA either as GSA or jointly operating GIB-LON since WW2. Bland Travel in Gibraltar, Cadogan Holidays in Southampton, the travel agencies in the UK and The Rock Hotel in Gibraltar are all based, presumably, on synergies with the airline operation. The fact that the principal operating company of Blands is now going, does make me wonder about jobs and the future of the other assets.
That said, if the enterprises are all as feebly profitable as GT was, this [generation of Gaggero's have done exactly the right thing to ensure the prosperity of their Grandchildren?!
Blands were recently again awarded the tender contract for ground handling at GIB.
However for quite some time now, everything at Gib has been throughly rebranded (removing any reference to GB Airways) and replacing it with the name "Gibair" (written underneath the standard bland diamond)
[Their answer phone message for the latest flight information at the airport has also been answering as "Gibair flight information ...." for some time.]
The future for travel agents is an issue generally. I don't think there is anything specific to Blands here.
[Their business in Gib also includes AVIS car hire, and they also have the local UPS couriers operation as well. Plus all the minibuss and excursion tours, for day trippers, cruises etc.]
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aristoph
You might want to tread lightly with the crew tomorrow. I would imagine that 90% of them are very very unhappy about this news.
Well I'm now home - but following a beer festival at my local this may be construed as PUTI but here goes.
I indeed did tread lightly as being married to SK crew and also have family working for VS and BA in various roles, I understand what it is like when great staff get a kicking such as when AE ceased operations in 1991. I did make a point of thanking the crew and GT personnel in general for their excellent service (in my opinion and maybe I've just been lucky) to me over the years before and during the BA franchise.
It was a good flight back in CE today and I was well looked after, addressed by name all flight by a very attentive CE crew on a 321 with the curtain back at row 12 and only two empty seats in CE.
Spent a few mins chatting in the galley with assorted crew from both the flight deck and cabin, and it was apparent that the news was still sinking in. There seemed to be no desire of anyone present, to want to wear orange and work for a no-frills operation.
I too recieved the above quoted e-mail stating that there will be no change in service until the end of the franchise in March. My gut feel is that there may be quite a few cancellations, due to crew attrition rates when the current GT personnel leave in droves in search of careers elsewhere.
I have two more return flights already booked on GT before the franchise ends and I am certain that after the franchise ends, I'll miss them greatly as BA do not appear to be taking on the GT routes that I use most despite heavy pax loads in both J and Y.
A personal note to all the GT crew who have looked after me since the days of "YoGibAir". "Thank you for such wonderful service and I wish you every success for your futures."
My gut feel is that there may be quite a few cancellations, due to crew attrition rates when the current GT personnel leave in droves in search of careers elsewhere.
Thanks for the quick rundown.
That is certainly my feeling also, it will be BACON all over again.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ian001
This is nothing like the BA Connect deal.
With everything else that is going on at the moment (T5, long haul fleet renewal, new F product, Open Skies, eventual consolidation amongst the l/h players), from a hard-nosed commercial perspective, do you really think buying out a short-haul franchise operator at LGW that made, by anyone's standards, a pitiful profit of £2.6m on a turnover of £250m, is a sound use of BA's shareholders funds and management time? I doubt BA could have done much to keep GB Airways profitable, given BA's central overheads.
Looking strategically in the long-term, BA has far bigger targets in its sights.
Actually, I think BA need to be increasing their route network at this point. They rely on transatlantic services to provide a huge amount of profitability for them. Now we have open skies, I am sure BA will begin to lose out big time to the competition.
I don't see why BA, if purchasing GB, couldn't have got rid of the same numbers of staff that EZY will. BA have the cabin crew and flight crew, so would need to merge the cc from GB into their operations (new contracts yes, but same for EZY). They have 321s in their fleet, and could better allocate aircraft to meet demand -i.e. 767s on busy routes, 319s on not so busy ones. Maybe even excuse to have MAN base again to do their JFK route instead of flying crew from LHR and nightstopping them in MAN.
The sales channels are already pretty well set up, so that wouldn't be an issue.
I don't see that it would be difficult at all to merge GB into BA. After all, they are going to the trouble of starting their own flights to some former GB destinations, so they must see GB as at least partly valuable.
And actually, I do think that the sale of BA Connect and GB are very similar if looked at in a broader perspective. At the end of the day, BA connect wasn't profitable because it had a pretty awful business model. BA citiexpress lost money because initially they had complex fares when trying to compete with both LH and BE. Their marketing wasn't up to scratch, and they didn't tap into BA very well. I strongly believe if BA had kept its airbus fleet at the regional airports, cut costs aggressively, streamlined its regional operations -re balanced its route network etc, it could have competed with BE, EZY and FR. Go was their next missed opportunity -bmibaby to all intents and purposes copied go -and yes they have awful ontime performance, ageing fleets and bad service overall, but they are quite large in the regions.
GB is similar to BA CON because they tried to offer a 'BA CONNECT service' (something they admitted had failed with the real BACON) on their regional routes. What did they do when their initial low cost idea failed? Roll it out further!! I still believe that just as BA could have absorbed BA Citiexpress into its network, it can absorb GB AND be profitable.
I'm beginning to wonder if BA has lost the plot...I used to fly regularly from CWL then from BRS and more recently LGW ...I must write to Willy Wonka and ask him if it's becoming personal...
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I'm beginning to wonder if BA has lost the plot...I used to fly regularly from CWL then from BRS and more recently LGW ...I must write to Willy Wonka and ask him if it's becoming personal...
I can understand the disappointment at losing destinations and it's not nice that some people face uncertainty over their jobs, but it's quite wrong to cast BA and WW as the villains of the piece here.
BA had two options:
a) Buy GB Airways
b) Cover some of the GB Airways routes itself.
Option a) would have cost over £100m, plus ££££s in fees to bankers, lawyers and accountants and a lot of management time to carry out the transaction (would have taken at least a couple of months to do due diligence, arrange financing and agree the terms of the deal) and then there is the cost and time of integrating the two businesses.
When a company buys another it usually does so because the target has something the acquirer doesn't (ie brand, IP, a particular product, geographical scope, customer base etc). Or because the acquirer thinks it can make the target much more profitable. GB Airways would have given BA none of that - it was a franchisee of BA.
Option b) is far simpler and logical for BA.
I take on board the comments about BA's choice of which GB Airways routes to cover, but spending £100m+ to buy GB Airways would have been a frankly crazy use of money when there are much more pressing demands on BA's funds elsewhere in the business.
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There is not much I can add to this thread other to echo the views of the majority here, I have been pleased with using GB a few times this year all in CE and have had good service and nice (yes "nice") meals on each trip. It is a pity to see them go.
When will BA announce their new services to AGP, PMA etc?
I mean really this is enough to drive you into the arms of NetJets
