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New Route Announcement: LGW-OAK Oakland, California, starting March 28, 2017

New Route Announcement: LGW-OAK Oakland, California, starting March 28, 2017

Old Nov 2, 2016, 5:21 am
  #61  
 
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Well I'm booked for next Sept on Avios. Had been thinking about a West Coast trip, exploring Oregon and N Cal so this is better located than SFO. Neither of us are Gold any more so hoping the new Gatwick S lounge is at least as good as T5 Galleries Club. But OAK is particularly well located for what we want to do, although I wouldn't think twice about it for a trip to SF city.

OAK - Montgomery St BART is 37 minutes, SFO - Montgomery St BART is 30. Given OAK is a quieter airport, maybe it'll be quicker through there and that would even out...
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 5:27 am
  #62  
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Originally Posted by clearedforlanding
There is now - you change at Coliseum and the station is outside T1 I think. It's great!
^ ^ Good for BART.
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 5:30 am
  #63  
 
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Curious to know the thinking behind this move, and the launch of FLL, which I suspect has been driven by months of analysis by IAG of Norwegian's business model and performance across all of its markets (and more announcements by IAG airlines are no doubt likely to come).

Choosing routes like FLL and OAK which were only operated by DY from LON obviously limits DY's ability to set prices in the market.

But at the same time, I would have thought the real competitive threat from DY is when they start going to 2+ daily flights to major gateways like BOS and JFK and then they can start going for corporate contracts and will no doubt tailor their offer accordingly.
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 5:31 am
  #64  
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Originally Posted by Sigwx
Would LHR-SFO and LGW-OAK not attract their own independent markets for that section of Cali?.
I would really be surprised. OAK is a nice enough airport but it is San Francisco for all practical purposes. That's why I'm personally a bit puzzled by the "triple bill" of LHR-SFO, LHR-SJC, and LGW-OAK. Unless BA are planning to reduce capacity on LHR-SFO, where even in the winter season they are on two daily, I'm not entirely certain there is the market for all those seats, especially with the competition from UA and DL/VS on LHR-SFO and DY on LGW-OAK. Maybe i'm underestimating the potential, but I just don't see it.
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 5:56 am
  #65  
 
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The internal comms seem to publicising the proximity of Oakland to the Napa Valley...
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 7:17 am
  #66  
 
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This doesn't seem much like a new route when BA flies to SFO and SJC just minutes away.

And we're hardly being spoilt here with another route on a clapped-out three-class B777 ex-LGW. As for the FLL/MIA routes, here I'd also rather fly to one of the other airports.
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 7:58 am
  #67  
 
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Originally Posted by orbitmic
I would really be surprised. OAK is a nice enough airport but it is San Francisco for all practical purposes. That's why I'm personally a bit puzzled by the "triple bill" of LHR-SFO, LHR-SJC, and LGW-OAK. Unless BA are planning to reduce capacity on LHR-SFO, where even in the winter season they are on two daily, I'm not entirely certain there is the market for all those seats, especially with the competition from UA and DL/VS on LHR-SFO and DY on LGW-OAK. Maybe i'm underestimating the potential, but I just don't see it.
I am lead to believe there is a dual logic; firstly for FLL and OAK, there is an element of new business to be had (FLL with cruise contracts, and OAK with more premium BA Holiday opportunities) as well as actually providing extra capacity for MIA and SFO where they are seeing some additional need. So rather than this leading to a cut in capacity elsewhere in proximate airports, its instead of another added frequency to those destinations - which might on its own only be marginal. I would use OAK for SFO if I couldnt see availability to SFO on my chosen day. But I might also be more tempted now to fly drive Northern California with OAK. However do not be surprised if A380 is removed from SFO and/or MIA as a fall back
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 8:05 am
  #68  
 
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Originally Posted by smit0847
But why are they trying to take market share from Norwegian? They cant compete on price on any route in any class and the target customer seems very different between the two airlines.

Or is this about undercutting and losing money on routes until competitors give up and move out? I cant see Norwegian giving up anytime soon their cost base must be extremely low to be able to consistently offer such low fares.

What other US destinations do Norwegian serve that BA dont?
Its called competition. if they do nothing then DY end up with the pricing power and ultimately monopoly strength.

Of course if they do compete many here will accuse them of being uncompetitive....because they are competing to put a rival out of business presumably. But that argument works both ways!!

The lesson of EZ at LGW is clear to see. LGW is orange now, not after a war but after BA refused to fight (it didn't have the balance sheet at the time, but its a much stronger carrier now and with a vicious cyclical downturn heading our way, it needs to reassert itself in its 2 chosen markets: LHR premium, and LGW Premium Leisure). And just look at the fares EZ can command outside of the few promotional lead in offers. They can be dearer than club Europe of you do a comparison.

So even a dominant LCC can abuse its position!
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 8:23 am
  #69  
 
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Originally Posted by Sigwx
. I think that old seat map (late 90s was it) would stand as a good base of base of what to expect.
It will be the same club as now, without the two rows after doors 2.

W will be bigger and start at doors 2. How big - who knows. I expect the rest will be ten abreast in Y
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 8:41 am
  #70  
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Originally Posted by orbitmic
I would really be surprised. OAK is a nice enough airport but it is San Francisco for all practical purposes. That's why I'm personally a bit puzzled by the "triple bill" of LHR-SFO, LHR-SJC, and LGW-OAK. Unless BA are planning to reduce capacity on LHR-SFO, where even in the winter season they are on two daily, I'm not entirely certain there is the market for all those seats, especially with the competition from UA and DL/VS on LHR-SFO and DY on LGW-OAK. Maybe i'm underestimating the potential, but I just don't see it.
The East Bay is the fastest growing part of the Bay Area in this economic cycle.

There's little land in the peninsula, and the economic expansion has been centered around SF and Oakland, which results in housing expansion in the East Bay.

BA may be a little bit ahead of themselves with this, but there is a strategic element to it as well.

There are about 7 million people in the Bay Area, and OAK is the closest and most convenient airport to more than 2.5 million of them.
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 9:26 am
  #71  
 
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Originally Posted by DYKWIA
But don't you hate BA these days?
I absolutely do not hate BA. Check through my posts and you'll see that I rate BA crews really, really highly.

I think the hard and soft products in business are poor but I think with 3-3-3 on the 777 in WT is pretty decent.

I try and fly J if I can and will fly EY, EK, QR, SQ, QF, AA and RJ before BA but in M/Y I would fly BA before nearly all of them.

No-one would be happier than me to see BA up their game in J (and come to Charlotte)

Last edited by capin; Nov 2, 2016 at 9:36 am
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Old Nov 2, 2016, 9:33 am
  #72  
 
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Cheapest CW fare I can find loaded on EF is 1455 plus taxes and charges.
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Old Nov 6, 2016, 8:53 pm
  #73  
 
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Anyone have an idea what BA will do for a lounge in OAK? There is no OW / AA lounge at this time.
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Old Nov 6, 2016, 11:12 pm
  #74  
 
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Originally Posted by goldengate
Anyone have an idea what BA will do for a lounge in OAK? There is no OW / AA lounge at this time.
There's a new terminal scheduled to open soon with a contract lounge that BA will likely use. It's interesting that both MSY and OAK were chosen at times when they're about to open a new terminal, though MSY won't open their new terminal for another year or so iirc.
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Old Nov 7, 2016, 7:53 am
  #75  
 
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Originally Posted by dylanks
There's a new terminal scheduled to open soon with a contract lounge that BA will likely use. It's interesting that both MSY and OAK were chosen at times when they're about to open a new terminal, though MSY won't open their new terminal for another year or so iirc.
Thanks for the response! I just googled that and can't find mention of a new terminal which would be huge news here in the bay area. I'm going to try out BA's new flight next fall so hoping they have something besides folding chairs and water by then.....
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