Originally Posted by
skipness1E
BA is often the monopoly carrier and frequently where they're not, it's a cosy duopoly with another. It's not the market dictating at all, it's BA dictating to the market. They can dump the crummiest hard product on the route and still charge an eye watering fare and still come out on top whilst offering better fares on newer equipment on more competitive routes out of Hounslow Intl. It's a lack of robust competition which allows BA to do this.
There's no discernible logic to what's going on here that I can see, the laser like focus on high end leisure which made LGW long haul a money maker after years of ongoing losses seems to have been abandoned in favour of the old strategy of routes churning between LHR<->LGW. Having Doha at LGW just makes no sense to me other than slot sitting at LGW. I think it will be summer 2022 at the earliest before we see what any post COVID strategy will be.
I would disagree with this. Although yes BA does have a monopoly on many routes, that isn’t their fault or their decision. There is nothing stopping an airline launching a London to Accra service to compete with BA. If no other airline launches the route, that shows its a rather marginal route. Why would BA send old 777s to the Middle East when they’re competing with Emirates/Qatar/Ethiad? It would kill them. However, for Accra there’s no competition so there’s no motive to offer the latest product. That’s just business, not discrimination. It also comes down to aircraft configuration too. Accra needs a large WT cabin, hence the Mid J 747s and tatty 777s. There are many monopoly routes which BA serve with new aircraft (Santiago/New Orleans/Bermuda).
The Ghanaian government need to look at the world, the aviation industry and the numerous cities BA have dropped and say ‘We are lucky to still have a direct service to London’.