Ask the staffer
Apr 10, 2018, 11:46 am
#3016
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,619
One for the Airbus drivers... is it difficult getting used to using the joystick with your "wrong" hand?
Apr 10, 2018, 11:55 am
#3017
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: 59K
Posts: 2,301
Changing to the other side isn’t really that difficult. Just relearning the muscle memory.
Apr 10, 2018, 11:57 am
#3018
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: London
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott Titanium, BAEC Gold
Posts: 283
Ive only sat in the left from time to time in the Sim so far, but I didn't find it particularly different. I'm actually left handed but play some sports like golf and cricket right handed, use computer mice with my right hand etc so I'm fairly comfortable with both. The part that felt odd for me was using my right hand for the overhead panel. The guys and girls in the left seat I've asked about this have all said it gets to feel normal pretty quickly especially in short haul with the amount of manual handling in comparison to long haul.
Apr 10, 2018, 1:45 pm
#3020
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Sussex, UK
Programs: BA:Gold Amex:Green :IC Platinum Elite Amb
Posts: 660
On-ear Noise Cancelling headphone usage?
BA classifies NC Headphones as PEDs and since 2013 gate to gate PED usage has been permitted with the caveat that during taxi, take off and landing they are stowed or in the case of small devices (iPad and smaller) they are held by hand securely or placed in a pocket.with any cables to ancillaries should not impede access to the aisle.
CAA rules for exit row seating state persons seated in these rows must be able to understand (verbal) orders given by the crew and must not place large items in the seat pocket when taking off and landing, Most NC headphones are bigger than an iPad and clamping to one's ears is not holding by hand securely plus they are pretty good at removing ambient noise even when not active.
This implies BA NC Headphone usage rules are the same as other carriers such as EasyJet, Iberia etc who explicitly and actively restrict usage, especially for exit rows. Yet I have never seen crew requesting them to be stowed?
BA classifies NC Headphones as PEDs and since 2013 gate to gate PED usage has been permitted with the caveat that during taxi, take off and landing they are stowed or in the case of small devices (iPad and smaller) they are held by hand securely or placed in a pocket.with any cables to ancillaries should not impede access to the aisle.
CAA rules for exit row seating state persons seated in these rows must be able to understand (verbal) orders given by the crew and must not place large items in the seat pocket when taking off and landing, Most NC headphones are bigger than an iPad and clamping to one's ears is not holding by hand securely plus they are pretty good at removing ambient noise even when not active.
This implies BA NC Headphone usage rules are the same as other carriers such as EasyJet, Iberia etc who explicitly and actively restrict usage, especially for exit rows. Yet I have never seen crew requesting them to be stowed?
Apr 11, 2018, 9:33 am
#3022
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: LHR GVA HKG TLV PVG JFK
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 3,963
In normal landings the use of reverse thrust is not terribly important as it only reduces the heat in the brakes. Indeed the 380 only has inboard reverse, the outers deleted in development as the aircraft was too heavy and would not meet its expected and promised performance. There are a few places where the use of reverse thrust is useful but it is not essential - some failure cases may be affected by taking account of reverse thrust but it is not normally important. The brakes are what stops the aircraf and the failure of the spoilers to deploy is more worrying than a reverser fail as it is the spoilers that ensure the weight of the aircraft is fully on the wheels allowing the brakes to operate most efficiently.
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Apr 11, 2018, 2:25 pm
#3023
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,065
Originally the A380 had to lose 20-25 tons weight or it would not meet any of the performance promise from the brochures and no one would buy it - it is still a niche aircraft and needs to be full to make money. So they did much to reduce weight and some of the early models are still dogs with heavy wings etc. So it may well be that Airbus thought they could delete all the reversers - landing and stopping perf is not predicated on their use so why have them, extra weight right? But if that were the case why would any aircraft have reverse thrust? So the must be of some use - and note the 350 has reversers, so I suspect they managed to get away with getting rid of two. It’s always a battle with performance and weight when any new aircraft comes into service, the 777 and 787 were the same.
As to the changing seats seats changing hands thing, it is exactly as others have mentioned, it feels odd for a short while but not long. For a right handed pilot changing to the left seat the Airbus presents a subtle different challenge to an aircraft with a yoke. The side stick is very very sensitive, so small movements make a difference and the position and comfort of the wrist is vital to allow this sensitivity in handling. So for a “righty” to suddenly have to fly “lefty” takes a few sim sessions to each the left wrist and hand the subtle small movements required. Nothing difficult as many pilots have proven but different. Best advice for the Airbus sidestick is to treat it like dog dirt, touch it as little as possible and then wash your hands.
Apr 11, 2018, 3:40 pm
#3024
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: London
Programs: Mucci. Nothing else matters.
Posts: 38,644
Am I right in thinking that in general there is a limiting case for which reversers are necessary, something like an RTO at MTOW? And that the more common actual use of reversers (ie after landing) is therefore mistakenly thought to be why they're there, when (as you've explained) they're not really necessary for that?
Apr 12, 2018, 5:59 am
#3025
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 632
We always plan a landing to vacate at a particular exit. We are limited to a couple of auto brake settings and a couple of flap settings, the real difference can be in the runway state. You are probably aware that you need a little extra braking distance in the wet when driving, the same applies with an aircraft. Also the build up of rubber deposits from landing traffic can get slippery when wet. So we take these conditions into account and plan to vacate at a certain exit. At LHR they like us off ASAP, so dependent on the runway and the aircraft weight and the weather conditions will determine our braking plan. Other airfields may not need us off quite so soon so a different braking strategy will be used.
In in terms of significant threats to modern aviation a runway overrrun is right up there. BA prefer us to always use some level of predetermined braking, as most overruns statistically happen in daylight, CAVOK conditions on a long runway, so we are encouraged in these conditions particularly to use some level of autobraking. A classic for this sort of trap would be runway 16L at FCO, where rolling long can save quite a few minutes of taxing.
Sometimes the architects just just didn’t get it right and the exits are in the wrong place so we have to alter the braking and do it manually, this is where lead foot Larry the pilot let’s you know he’s doing some of that pilots stuff and you get the more sudden and sharp braking.
Oddly enough passenger comfort is not high on the priority list at these times, a safe landing is more important. Indeed a gentle touch down is not necessarily a good landing. A good landing is one in the right place, a and the right speed, inside the limits of the aircrafts landing gear. A smooth touchdown outside the touchdown zone would not be a good landing. Same sort of idea for braking, so long as it’s even and keeps the aircraft on the runway, vacating at a suitable point at a suitable speed it’s okay. IF we achieve a smooth touchdown with gentle and even braking to vacate the runway at the perfect place then the gods have smiled on us and we will all claim that was what we intended all along.
In in terms of significant threats to modern aviation a runway overrrun is right up there. BA prefer us to always use some level of predetermined braking, as most overruns statistically happen in daylight, CAVOK conditions on a long runway, so we are encouraged in these conditions particularly to use some level of autobraking. A classic for this sort of trap would be runway 16L at FCO, where rolling long can save quite a few minutes of taxing.
Sometimes the architects just just didn’t get it right and the exits are in the wrong place so we have to alter the braking and do it manually, this is where lead foot Larry the pilot let’s you know he’s doing some of that pilots stuff and you get the more sudden and sharp braking.
Oddly enough passenger comfort is not high on the priority list at these times, a safe landing is more important. Indeed a gentle touch down is not necessarily a good landing. A good landing is one in the right place, a and the right speed, inside the limits of the aircrafts landing gear. A smooth touchdown outside the touchdown zone would not be a good landing. Same sort of idea for braking, so long as it’s even and keeps the aircraft on the runway, vacating at a suitable point at a suitable speed it’s okay. IF we achieve a smooth touchdown with gentle and even braking to vacate the runway at the perfect place then the gods have smiled on us and we will all claim that was what we intended all along.
Does this then explain why when arriving at GLA, when landing on runway 23 (my perception anyway) it feels like braking is more gentle as the exit is near the end of the runway, followed by a longer taxi back to the apron. Whereas when landing on runway 05, braking feels a bit more 'brisk' as we often take an exit about 2/3rds down the runway and a very short taxi to the central pier for the BA gates rather than rolling the full length of that runway? (Or is that just my imagination?
) Same at LHR where there definitely doesn't feel like there's any faffing around when it comes to braking?
Apr 13, 2018, 4:11 pm
#3026
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,228
Can someone please shed some light on how codeshare flights are linked to the operating carrier's prime flight number in a reservation system? The reason I ask is that I was looking to book flights from LAS to LGW in September. Booking with AA was significantly cheaper than booking with BA but each time I tried to move from selecting flights to paying AA's website would tell me that the flight / fare was no longer available and to pick different ones, before offering the exact same combination. ExpertFlyer also showed the flights as being available so I was stumped for a moment.
Then I noticed that BA's LGW - LAS flight was timed to depart at 12:00 whereas the AA codeshare flight was scheduled to depart at 11:55 Obviously there's Amadeus and Sabre at play but I would assume that there must be some data link / synchronisation between the two in terms of prime / operating carrier flight numbers and partner codeshare flights. How does it work in practice?
As it happened, the glitch worked in my favour as when I was booking through AA's UK website it offered me the BA275 / AA6182 as an equally priced alternative to the LGW flight whereas if I'd booked through aa.com it would have been an extra $500 for the same WT+ seat.
Then I noticed that BA's LGW - LAS flight was timed to depart at 12:00 whereas the AA codeshare flight was scheduled to depart at 11:55 Obviously there's Amadeus and Sabre at play but I would assume that there must be some data link / synchronisation between the two in terms of prime / operating carrier flight numbers and partner codeshare flights. How does it work in practice?
As it happened, the glitch worked in my favour as when I was booking through AA's UK website it offered me the BA275 / AA6182 as an equally priced alternative to the LGW flight whereas if I'd booked through aa.com it would have been an extra $500 for the same WT+ seat.
Apr 14, 2018, 6:23 am
#3027
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
Can someone please shed some light on how codeshare flights are linked to the operating carrier's prime flight number in a reservation system? The reason I ask is that I was looking to book flights from LAS to LGW in September. Booking with AA was significantly cheaper than booking with BA but each time I tried to move from selecting flights to paying AA's website would tell me that the flight / fare was no longer available and to pick different ones, before offering the exact same combination. ExpertFlyer also showed the flights as being available so I was stumped for a moment.
Then I noticed that BA's LGW - LAS flight was timed to depart at 12:00 whereas the AA codeshare flight was scheduled to depart at 11:55 Obviously there's Amadeus and Sabre at play but I would assume that there must be some data link / synchronisation between the two in terms of prime / operating carrier flight numbers and partner codeshare flights. How does it work in practice?
As it happened, the glitch worked in my favour as when I was booking through AA's UK website it offered me the BA275 / AA6182 as an equally priced alternative to the LGW flight whereas if I'd booked through aa.com it would have been an extra $500 for the same WT+ seat.
Then I noticed that BA's LGW - LAS flight was timed to depart at 12:00 whereas the AA codeshare flight was scheduled to depart at 11:55 Obviously there's Amadeus and Sabre at play but I would assume that there must be some data link / synchronisation between the two in terms of prime / operating carrier flight numbers and partner codeshare flights. How does it work in practice?
As it happened, the glitch worked in my favour as when I was booking through AA's UK website it offered me the BA275 / AA6182 as an equally priced alternative to the LGW flight whereas if I'd booked through aa.com it would have been an extra $500 for the same WT+ seat.
You've got a few different things going on here.
Codeshares are not aliases of the prime flight. They can (and are designed) to show completely different availability numbers and therefore the pricing can be totally different. Also if a particular fare is valid on one flight doesn't mean it would be valid on the same flight sold under a different code. AA & BA mostly synchronize fares across the Atlantic but it's not an exact mirroring especially when we look at very discounted fares or special upgrade fares.
The Sabre/Amadeus link is pretty poor and it is not unusual for it to take several days to synchronize flight time changes, equipment changes, cancellations, and other schedule changes.
In terms of your aa.com/aa.co.uk differences, that sounds like point-of-sale pricing discrimination. Although, that is complicated by the fact that aa.co.uk does use Amadeus in stead of Sabre if I remember correctly.
You can check availability at different points of sale in EF and on Matrix by changing the Sales City.
Apr 14, 2018, 8:24 pm
#3028
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
Same day flight changes?
So, I was looking through the threads and my question is does BA permit same day flight changes. I have a LHR-OSL arriving at apx 4pm and a 5 hr layover until my 9 pm OSL-LHR (to start another ticket BA PE OSL-LHR-LAX RT) and would love to just turn around on the same plane, which appears to have plenty of seats available, so I can start my sleeping early at an LHR hotel as this will be the end of almost 45 hours in a metal tube starting in BKK. No checked bags and will have checked in on the OSL-LHR-LAX ticket. Also, if it makes any difference, AA EXP. So, even stand by would be OK.
Apr 14, 2018, 11:53 pm
#3029
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
So, I was looking through the threads and my question is does BA permit same day flight changes. I have a LHR-OSL arriving at apx 4pm and a 5 hr layover until my 9 pm OSL-LHR (to start another ticket BA PE OSL-LHR-LAX RT) and would love to just turn around on the same plane, which appears to have plenty of seats available, so I can start my sleeping early at an LHR hotel as this will be the end of almost 45 hours in a metal tube starting in BKK. No checked bags and will have checked in on the OSL-LHR-LAX ticket. Also, if it makes any difference, AA EXP. So, even stand by would be OK.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...change-ba.html
Apr 15, 2018, 5:39 am
#3030
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
OK, that was easy. Appreciate the reference. Since I have a PE fare OSL-LHR-LAX the OSL-LHR segment is an M so can do a free same day change.