Originally Posted by
corporate-wage-slave
It's only departing from LHR to shorthaul, but not arriving to LHR.
So for new bookings
LHR-NCE = no go
NCE-LHR = OK
LCY-NCE = OK
NCE-JFK = OK via LHR
JFK-NCE = no go via LHR, OK via LCY, LGW or Iberia etc. Return via LHR is ok
The last example is crazy: you buy an expensive ticket from NY, you arrive into LHR, there are flights to NCE departing which are half empty, you have to leave LHR and go to Gatwick or City. In a terminal where baggage handling is largely automated. Or more likely fly on another airline instead.
Indeed, totally nuts. Who on earth thinks of those things?! And indeed, since we are at NCE which is a little more than a random example for many regulars on this forum, just posted a link to my review of the new competition (AF) and my (very personal) comparison between BA, AF, and U2 offerings on the LON-NCE market.