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IAG to establish budget long-haul operation out of BCN [branded as Level]

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IAG to establish budget long-haul operation out of BCN [branded as Level]

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Old Jun 28, 2018, 9:49 am
  #271  
 
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I suspect this is the start of a rebranding exercise for Vueling bringing them under the Level Brand. Bringing Long and Shorthaul together seems the way to go and better competes with Eurowings and Norwegian, if they don’t buy them first!
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 10:04 am
  #272  
 
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Originally Posted by ROUTE
I suspect this is the start of a rebranding exercise for Vueling bringing them under the Level Brand. Bringing Long and Shorthaul together seems the way to go and better competes with Eurowings and Norwegian, if they don’t buy them first!
You might be right but Level is a awful name.

But where are they getting the planes? They are launching in 3 weeks? Can't find any information on where the planes are coming from.
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 10:06 am
  #273  
 
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Originally Posted by Worcester
You might be right but Level is a awful name.

But where are they getting the planes? They are launching in 3 weeks? Can't find any information on where the planes are coming from.
As per the 2nd linked article upthread today, the aircraft are coming from ex-Air Berlin...

"The European airline group says its new short-haul subsidiary will have Austrian air operator's certificate (AOC) and be based at Vienna airport. The four ex-Air Berlin A321s will be configured with 210 economy seats."
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 10:23 am
  #274  
 
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Thanks Rockflyer

The other interesting question is whether they will sooner or later roll up part or all of BA's short haul network into this, leaving BA to focus on long haul?
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 10:39 am
  #275  
 
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Originally Posted by Worcester
Thanks Rockflyer

The other interesting question is whether they will sooner or later roll up part or all of BA's short haul network into this, leaving BA to focus on long haul?
Wow that would be quite a move!
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 11:05 am
  #276  
 
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Originally Posted by Raffles
My co-writer was booked in Vueling Excellence from LGW yesterday. Turned up to find, with no warning, an aircraft from Privilege Aviation and Privllege crew. Her 1C boarding pass (Excellence is only Row 1) was taken off her and replaced with a 2C pass for no reason except to make it clear she wasn't getting any freebies off them! They did give her some food in the end but insisted the coffee was paid for. The ticket was 3x the price of a standard ticket.
Why bother paying 3x more than a standard ticket for Vueling Excellence on such a short flight? Complete waste of money as summarised here: WHAT EXACTLY DID I PAY $145 FOR?
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 1:52 pm
  #277  
 
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Originally Posted by seattle29
Why bother paying 3x more than a standard ticket for Vueling Excellence on such a short flight? Complete waste of money as summarised here: WHAT EXACTLY DID I PAY $145 FOR?
Might have been a cheap way to get extra TPs?
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 1:58 pm
  #278  
 
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Originally Posted by Worcester
Thanks Rockflyer

The other interesting question is whether they will sooner or later roll up part or all of BA's short haul network into this, leaving BA to focus on long haul?
Does BA not value it’s short haul network as a feeder for those of us who don’t live near London? If I had to go mult-ticket or on a low cost carrier to get to Heathrow I would almost certainly stop flying long haul with BA.
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 2:51 pm
  #279  
 
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Originally Posted by JP Flyer


Does BA not value it’s short haul network as a feeder for those of us who don’t live near London? If I had to go mult-ticket or on a low cost carrier to get to Heathrow I would almost certainly stop flying long haul with BA.
In theory any IAG airline could feed the long haul network. However, despite recent difficulties, the brand visibility of BA in the UK market when compared to any other of IAGs brands makes me feel it is highly unlikely we will see any big change in the short term. I suspect the biggest thing driving the new Vienna to Gatwick LEVEL route is the shortage of aircraft/the difficulty of filling slots at Gatwick.

Also, the setting up of a major LEVEL operation in the UK could cause a big battle with BA’s unions, which would seem rather unwise given BA’s current issues with staff morale, last year’s Mixed Fleet dispute and some of the media problems the airline has had over the past 18 months.
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 2:55 pm
  #280  
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Originally Posted by Worcester
The other interesting question is whether they will sooner or later roll up part or all of BA's short haul network into this, leaving BA to focus on long haul?
Don't think so.

They had the chance to see what would happen without J on shorthaul when they introduced Buy on Board---and they couldn't even stand it for domestic.

BA is a network carrier, it is not Virgin Atlantic. You can't sustain such a big and large longhaul network without feed, even out of London. Shorthaul feed is essential.
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 3:52 pm
  #281  
 
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Originally Posted by Raffles
My co-writer was booked in Vueling Excellence from LGW yesterday. Turned up to find, with no warning, an aircraft from Privilege Aviation and Privllege crew.
Vueling Excellence? A contradiction in terms of ever I heard one
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 4:02 pm
  #282  
 
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Originally Posted by jfallesen
Interestingly, if you go to the Level website and want to book those new Vienna flights, you are taken to the Vueling website. No brand confusion here at all…
And you buy flights operated by "Anisec Lufthart" which it appears is a subsidiary of Vueling.
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 4:13 pm
  #283  
 
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Originally Posted by simons1
Vueling Excellence? A contradiction in terms of ever I heard one
Do you not recall what Douglas Adams had to say about marketing departments in general and the marketing department of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation?
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Old Jun 28, 2018, 4:32 pm
  #284  
 
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Well I’m going to do my level best to avoid it for now...
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Old Jun 30, 2018, 8:36 am
  #285  
 
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IAG Spreading their wings

Wasn't aware of this being on the cards but might be of interest to some members. This came up on my YT notifications. The kids young but he knows his stuff and tends not to deal with speculation or gossip and he's sourced WW as a reference in the video


For those who cba to watch the short video (2.5 mins) it's about IAG opening a new low-cost carrier called Level in Austria. Registered in Austria and using 4 A321's taken from AB's old fleet as they are obviously no longer in need of them.

Registered routes will be:

VIE-PMI
VIE-LGW
VIE-BCE
VIE-CDG
VIE-AGP
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