Originally Posted by
South London Bon Viveur
With KLM serving an impressive number of UK regional airports, it would not surprise me if BA lost more regional market share to KLM/AF. The only slight issue is that connecting through Schiphol is not always the smooth experience it used to be. Maybe it's time for BA to codeshare with train companies- for which there seems to be plenty of precedent on the Continent? The only trouble is that there are no Intercity connections to Heathrow, unlike Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Vienna etc.
I fully agree however KLM have served the UK regions for many years going back to the days of Air UK, KLM UK and at one point they had a greater frequency on routes from airports across the UK and this was at the time when BA were at the top of their game on UK regional services and high frequency super shuttle services to London.
I have used KLM via AMS and the connection at Schiphol used to be great in the past however of late I have had issues with delays at security as well as inconsistent service onboard their flights. For e.g. on the Houston route in the past it was always a 747 however since their retirement the route operates with a real mix of aircraft depending on the day of travel with subsequent aircraft swaps with anything from the 787,787 to the A330 which has a very outdated cabin and poor business class.
Another issue I have found lately on the flights from Scotland to the LHR is the amount of crew commuting up and down obviously travelling on subsidised tickets which I have no objection too as it is a perk of the job. The concern I have though is will BA look at cutting back frequency further on what is a very slimmed down operation to what it once was. 5 years back we had the 767 on both Edinburgh and Glasgow routes.
As others have posted if the way forward is rail like is the case in Germany and other European countries with codeshare on rail services then UK rail would really have to up its game. Our trains struggle to cope as it is with luggage onboard and severe lack of space. Overall connecting from any London terminal to get to Heathrow is not a nice experience especially with luggage and again often issues and last minute cancellations to services. To be honest the thought of that in advance of any longhaul flight would put you off travelling.
I do hope BA continue to serve the regions, I must admit though other airlines serve the UK better than BA for e.g. KLM/AF as well as Lufthansa. It is easier to get to the US from Scotland with both Delta and United offering direct services from Edinburgh.
Singapore Airlines from Manchester is a great service to Houston and getting to Manchester from Scotland is quite easy so this has become a preference for me.
I do not understand though why BA do not offer complimentary connections for ticketed passengers between Heathrow and Gatwick who have a connection it would make perfect sense. Air Frannce does this between CDG and Orly. Does anyone know why BA does not do this?