Originally Posted by spotwelder
The extra weight of 4 tonnes translates into 4 tonnes less payload so fewer passengers (40 at 100 kg including bags) or 4 tonnes less fuel (say 300-400 km range) or 4 tonnes less cargo (at about US$1 a kilo, loss of US$ 4000).
Isn't the lost cargo the worst issue for the airlines, cargo being so lucrative these days?
Originally Posted by spotwelder
It will be possible to board from multiple points but the airports have to get the infrastructure right. If BA still cannot get "congestion by the aircraft side" right even though they have been operating the 777 for years, who knows what cockups will occur.
I was just at AMS panorama terrace watching a KLM 747 arrive at the F pier, where all the gates have two boarding points/bridges... one traditional for the front and another that hangs over the wing and serves economy. From the time the 747 landed on the runway nearby to the time both bridges were in place with pax disembarking was only 12 minutes. Seems like an efficient operation. (If only the Polderbaan was not always allocated my BA flights
)
Here are some photos:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...TAy&static=yes
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...jkw&static=yes (best one)
http://www.airliners.net/open.file?i...dg=&static=yes
SFO was the two-bridge design, but I think the AMS design is more efficient and looks more flexible. Certainly the huge reach of the "second bridge" of the AMS gates seem able to reach very far and can go quite high as well (presumably high enough to reach the upper deck of an A380).
Originally Posted by spotwelder
As for the Japanese with their compliant baggage, try a Nigeria flight. The worst I know of was 270 kg of baggage.
At LHR T4 at fast bag drop... Nigerian family trying to check in (for nothing of course) 35kg of bananas... bananas... what on Earth do they need to drag so many bananas all the way to Africa, where they have more bananas than they can eat. They failed to understand why there was a problem... there danggling gold Rolex's did not create much sympathy. I finally became upset having to wait for 20 minutes at the "fast" bag drop and started to have some words with the Nigerians...