Is it my imagination, or is the LAX route particularly prone to cancellation? My December flight was just cancelled, the second time I've had that. Two friends have also had cancellations in the past couple of months: one with a suggested JFK re-route (which for connections reasons is what I have also done, making for a three-flight journey); the other having to take a downgrade not even to WTP but WT to make an event. (Needless to say, they are stuck in BA's resolution hell trying to get the fare difference back). These are not many data points, but living in NYC before I am not sure I ever had a cancellation that wasn't due to immediate weather concerns. I know the Edinburgh and Glasgow shuttles get cancelled frequently which must be infuriating, but that's mostly capacity, isn't it? It always seemed the longhauls were protected. But looking at FlightAware, each of BA 280, 282, and 268 has had a cancellation just in the past two weeks; BA 268 is cancelled tomorrow. 3 out of 42 is over 7%! Business Traveller has a piece about how BA's cancellations are double the average: is this network-wide? I wondered if it was the A380 but it's not — only one a day uses it.

As a reality check I looked at American, which also operates three flights a day has had no cancellations in this period. Virgin also has three, and had one cancellation. United operates two, and also had one.

FWIW I would pick BA on this route, but it seems like there is a much greater likelihood of cancellation… or am I seeing patterns that don't really exist?