IAG "circling Monarch assets"
Oct 1, 2017, 3:12 pm
#46
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: MME (midway between NCL and LBA)
Programs: BA Gold, AF/KL Gold, Hilton Gold, Nordic Choice Gold
Posts: 743
Monarch has a reasonable brand and if IAG could do a quick deal then it would not be too damaged, particularly if the BA name can be leveraged to give customers reassurance about the financial stability of the airline.
Assuming the lease costs are at the market rate, I still think the planes are not so much of an issue (and indeed could be attractive for a buyer), although it will depend on any change of control clauses. IAG/BA would be a better covenant for any lease company than Monarch (presumably Greybull would not every have even contemplated underwriting an aircraft lease?).
Oct 1, 2017, 3:13 pm
#47
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,111
Are BA looking for more short-haul aircraft, especially short-haul with the Current Engine Option (I assume none of the Monarch fleet are NEO, as Monarch have been heading for the financial rocks for quite a while)? I expect they have some orders for the future, but are they trying again to get hold of aircraft sooner than that?
Oct 1, 2017, 3:26 pm
#48
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 516
I flew back from Naples with Monarch earlier in the summer (due to the unjustifiable pricing from BA) and the crew were professional and more friendly than some recent ba experiences, so I'm sure some them could be a good addition to IAG.
The airframes are quite old, but probably relatively few cycles for their age so I guess they could be attractive too.
Having lived in Birmingham I think it would be great to see BA take some of these slots, but I suspect the Gatwick ones are the main appeal!
The airframes are quite old, but probably relatively few cycles for their age so I guess they could be attractive too.
Having lived in Birmingham I think it would be great to see BA take some of these slots, but I suspect the Gatwick ones are the main appeal!
Oct 1, 2017, 4:30 pm
#51
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,595
Their extra legroom option is extremely generous for the small supplement and I agree with you it puts BA Y (and to a degree CE) to shame.
Oct 1, 2017, 5:16 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,575
Those A321s could be an attractive short term swap into Heathrow for A320s or even A319s
Anecdotally speaking I think the "middle class" leisure sector does well for BA - high prices, huge CE cabins, plenty of BoB, luggage fees seat fees etc. Attaching the BA brand to a reasonable sized regional holiday flights would seemingly not be a bad idea on the face of it. There could be other benefits like cutting some night stopping crew from the region's if they operated some domestics etc
Anecdotally speaking I think the "middle class" leisure sector does well for BA - high prices, huge CE cabins, plenty of BoB, luggage fees seat fees etc. Attaching the BA brand to a reasonable sized regional holiday flights would seemingly not be a bad idea on the face of it. There could be other benefits like cutting some night stopping crew from the region's if they operated some domestics etc
Oct 1, 2017, 6:51 pm
#56
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Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Brighton. UK
Programs: BA Gold / VS /IHG Diamond & Ambassador
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I feel BA has a privelaged enough position with it's control over so many slots in LHR, even though they would want a third runway to expand their operations (maybe if there was the runway already BA would have taken all of Monarch's assets and expand LHR, they can afford to money wise!), but a third runway would make BA very nervous due to increased compeititon. Could it be imaginable that Norwegian be in LHR with the third runway?
IAG/ BA buying Monarch won't change the slot issue. The Monarch slots at e.g. LGW will remain LGW they can't just be moved over to LHR.
If there is ever a 3rd runway then BA will be at the back of the queue for any additional slots.
Oct 1, 2017, 8:30 pm
#58
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BRS
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 4,994
Oct 1, 2017, 9:16 pm
#59
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: N Ireland
Posts: 62
Sadly it is all over for Monarch.
Sympathies to all their employees.
https://www.caa.co.uk/News/News-file...dministration/
Sympathies to all their employees.
https://www.caa.co.uk/News/News-file...dministration/
Oct 1, 2017, 10:25 pm
#60
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
The CAA press release states that they are chartering 30 aircraft. On looking at the routes provided on their website some of these flights are using BA codes. Perhaps BA is providing aircraft as part of the operation.