Sealink

I recently become BA Gold.

Today I'm flying to Edinburgh with FlyBe.

Will BA Gold provide me with any benefits in T2 such as Fastrack? I have a Priority Pass for Lounge.

Thanks!

cornishsimon

Quick answer no.

Don't think any of there BE LHR routes have a BA codeshare. And even where they do it would only get you into a BA lounge which isn't one at T2.


cs

gw76

are they using Dash or Embraer equipment on this route. The cabin locker space, noise and slower speed at lower altitude would put me off I think

World Traveller Fuss

Dash 8.

Bit of a head turner seeing a turboprop climbing out the other day!

lhrpete

The only fast track in T2 is the Star Alliance Gold Track and the give away is in the name, if you're not on a Star Alliance flight there's no fast track no matter who you are or what cards you have!

Skipcool3

Isn't it time that LHR, which is so busy, used flight slots for larger aircraft?
I still can't believe, That FLYBE, are allowed to operate the dash8 and klm city hopper the f70....

skipness1E

Makes little difference tbh using a prop, they operate at the same speed as jets on finals so not a massive issue. If they can make it work so be it? That's a free market, the mechanism to force larger aircraft would cut into routes available, LHR serves way fewer than AMS, CDG or FRA as it is, competition is exactly what BA need. Lack of it has given us easyJet seating on a network carrier, because LHR protects them.

Skipcool3

My argument isn't about prop aircraft..... the F70 was the other example.... just don't think there is a place for aircraft with less that (say) 100 seats at LHR.
And I wonder if Flybe will make it work for them....

cornishsimon

Looks like the Flybe business model will again revolve around interlining and codesharing on the LHR routes, looking at tomorrows flights they carry an assortment of:
BE
AI
CX
EK
EY
SQ
VS
flight codes

now I'm sure that they will be able to fill a Q400, the question has to be yield for them on the connecting passengers

I would actually love to know how the numbers are stacking up, average flight load and average connecting passenger load v point to point, but that's something I guess we wont ever truly know.

As for operating small aircraft into LHR, well if they are paying so be it, I don't think that LHR will go down the same route that LGW did when they tried to out charge the smaller aircraft leading to operators of props etc pulling out

interesting times ahead

cs

rapidex

It makes no difference if they make money or not.In 2 or 3 years these particular slot pairs loose the lie to the old BMI domestic routes,and become tradeable.That is where the value lies.

cameramaker

Not sure why they don't use Embraer equipment to maximise capacity on what must be a premium route for them

Raffles

Not sure if they are tradeable or if they just lose the route tie.

After 2 years Flybe can switch them to other routes in Europe. This is why Virgin walked - there was no point in enduring 2 years of losses just to be able to switch them to other Euro routes.

Whether Flybe can trade them to someone else who promises to only use them for EU flights is a different question.

If Virgin could have sold them unemcumbered after 2 years (and remember that a recent 'rubbish' pair went for $38m and a recent good pair went for $75m) then they would have sat it out.

Prospero

I believe so. The slots Flybe are using cannot be transferred, reassigned, or sold during the 3 year (6 consecutive IATA seasons) utilisation period. Grandfathering rights will be obtained once the 3 year ultilisation period has elapsed, and from there Flybe will have fewer restrictions placed on its slot usage.

http://ec.europa.eu/competition/merg...2452290_EN.pdf

Clause 644, on p149
As a general rule, the slots obtained by a prospective entrant must be operated on the city pair(s) for which they have been requested from IAG and cannot be used on another city pair unless the prospective entrant has operated them during at least six full consecutive IATA seasons ("the Utilisation Period”). The prospective entrant would be deemed to have grandfathering rights for the slots once appropriate use of the slots has been made on the city pairs at issue, for the Utilisation Period. Once the Utilisation Period has elapsed, the prospective entrant would be entitled to use the slots obtained on the basis of the Commitments exclusively to operate services on any route connecting London with any other part of Europe (including Aberdeen and Edinburgh), or on London-Moscow, London-Cairo and London-Riyadh.

Clause 645 on p149
During the Utilisation Period, the prospective entrant shall not be entitled to transfer, assign, sell, swap or charge in breach of the Commitments any slots obtained from IAG (except for changes to any such slots which are within the twenty/sixty minutes time window and which have been agreed with the slot coordinator.). Provisions on misuse of slots also apply. In the event of a misuse, the prospective entrant shall have thirty days after such notice to cure the misuse, failure to which gives IAG the right to terminate the agreement and obtain restitution of the slots.

BLHD

It amazes me that some people think BA Gold is like a golden key, it barely means anything on BA these days!

Well this is why you don't run an airline... No understanding of out it works etc etc, especially in terms of the F70, its actually an over spill for the nearly always overbooked 737 services.

Too short notice to make it work, don't think there are Embraer Aircraft based at ABZ either, happy to be corrected on that though.

Sealink

Thanks for all the answers!

As soon as I arrived at T2 and saw the Star Alliance branding and had a "Oh.... that...." moment.

Security was speedy, and I used my Priority Pass to go to the Plaza Premium Lounge. For a lounge with no windows they've done well.

The Flybe flight was fully booked - as were most of yesterday's flights to Edinburgh - unfortunately and I should have seen it coming, we were bussed to the aircraft. At Edinburgh we were bussed from the aircraft. Overall the train would have been faster, but price won out.

Flybe are a decent airline - have always had nice flights - bar one from London City to Inverness which landed in a snow storm and I thought I'd met my maker!