Tse Wai Shun Jerry

How do you think if BA fly LON-MNL via TPE? It is feasible?

Ldnn1

Welcome to Flyertalk, Tse Wai Shun Jerry. It's great to have you here.

I think it's highly unlikely BA would fly LHR-MNL-TPE as a tag route - BA is not really interested in such fifth freedom routings these days, except in the Caribbean which is a very different market.

However it's certainly possible that BA could launch one of LHR-MNL or LHR-TPE with their new aircraft in the coming years. I'd think TPE the more likely of the two. There are a lot of other potential new BA destinations though, so I wouldn't wager much money on either of them.

There was also some interesting/amusing discussion about TPE opportunities in this thread last year: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...r-tpe-per.html

corporate-wage-slave

Néih hóu Tse Wai Shun Jerry, welcome to Flyertalk and to the BA Board, it's good to see you here and I hope we will see plenty more of you on this forum.

MNL was certainly under BA's radar, but there were all sorts of aspects that have meant that so far it hasn't returned to the BA schedule yet. BA used to run to MNL 4 days a week on 747 jumbo jets, with a stopover in Hong Kong (so BA31 and BA32, which still operates to HKG only). This is going back 20 years ago, more recently the rumours seemed to pitch MNL in a stopover with CGK/Jakarta, to get around some of the operational hurdles.

TPE seems to be an odd omission from BA's schedules, but the issue there is that a lot of local competition means that it's unlikely to be that profitable for BA. Again it features in the rumour list recently, but unfortunately I doubt we will see it in the near future. Going back to the past, it used to be a tag on service to BA25 and BA26. three days a week and again via HKG, but operated by British Asia Airways, which sadly is no longer with us.

redadeco

Here's BA at TPE 1999 I reckon

nufnuf77

Indeed, clearly that gossip did not materialise - I was very excited for the TPE! And I still am, as it would open myriad of new routings to other places

Deltus

I did that flight in 1998! Probably my first flight that I have significant memory of - top deck of a 747, before they invented flat beds. I recall we could leave our hand baggage on board during the HKG stop - presumably not allowed any more...

adrianlondon

My understanding is that China won't allow its airspace to be used for any flights to/from Taiwan. This is why EVA, for example, flies TPE-LHR via BKK.

Tse Wai Shun Jerry

I heard another reason why Eva flies TPE-LHR via BKK. Because there a lot of travelers between Thailand<>Europe, that mean the route is profitable

msm2000uk

I was told the same by AoT, who run the airports in Thailand.

Eva had difficulties filling the flights direct from TPE-LHR, so detour to BKK to collect passengers.

It's worth noting too, that TPE-BKK-TPE is a busy route for them.

M

Tse Wai Shun Jerry

I saw the theory at Taiwan's fourm. I think the aviation is influenced by business factors more than political factor in nowadays.

clansey1973

Back-in-the-day BA's service to Taipei operated LHR-HKG-TPE and was operated by a wholly owned subsidiary of BA called "British Asia Airways". If you google-it you'll be able to see the British Asia Airways aircraft had a different livery and IIRC operated under IATA code BR instead of BA. This all stopped after 9/11. The alliance with Cathay Pacific probably means it's a lot easier for BA to interline with CX over HKG for TPE and MNL passengers. I have flown from HKG to both TPE & MNL on BA metal, they used to sell really good discounted fares in Hongkong!

adrianlondon

Going via HKG is fine, as you're allowed to fly over (mainland) China to get to HKG, and from HKG to TPE doesn't go over China. It's flying direct LHR-TPE (or should I say non-stop, or whatever the correct marketing term is) that would involve a long detour.

Ldnn1

The KLM flight goes via China, so I assume BA would be able to do the same:

http://uk.flightaware.com/live/fligh...845Z/EHAM/RCTP

adrianlondon

It does appear to route over HK airspace though, which is odd. It seems that my knowledge is out of date.

On topic, I fly to TPE once a year and quite like the transit in HKG. The lounges are nice as are the extra tier points!

Calchas

HK's airspace doesn't have the same restriction. Beijing avoids interfering in HK's internal affairs in quite such an overt way.