HAL drops domestic fees - speculation on new routes
Jan 4, 2018, 11:37 am
#121
Join Date: Oct 2006
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There is is something between Manchester and Glasgow - Me (and some rather stunning landscape)!
i would love to see CAX get proper scheduled flights to somewhere useful. There is nothing more annoying than seeing your house out of the window at 37000’ , knowing that you are still to land at Heathrow, hang around for 3 hrs, fly to Manchester, Newcastle or Glasgow then drive for a further 3 hrs to get home.
Jan 4, 2018, 11:45 am
#123
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When I heard of this, my first thought was Jersey - partly because of the business travel, partly because Heathrow has a greater premium leisure travel aspect to it, and I thought this would let them cut a few LGW-JER services, which could then re-introduce Gatwick flights from Aberdeen and/or Manchester. I'm not sure how likely that would be though.
Certainly, on our experience, JER-LGW is always full, and normally with 8 rows of CE. Looking around from 2C, only a few have the look of leisure pax, and there are plenty of suits down the back as well.
I shall continue dreaming of an LHR connection, hopefully in my remaining lifetime!
Jan 4, 2018, 11:59 am
#124
Join Date: May 2004
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My recollection is that the BD flights to LHR were at hopeless times of the day (eg lunchtime) and as such were never going to work. Given that the LGW flights are almost always full, and mostly of a mix of business travellers and premium leisure travellers, it would be very surprising if a couple of LHR rotations could not now be filled.
Jan 4, 2018, 12:59 pm
#126
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It can indeed. Both EI and EZ occasionally operate A320s into Jersey at present. I have even been told that a 757 or two was seen in the good old days - that must have required some very firm braking to avoid ending up in St Ouen’s Bay.
My recollection is that the BD flights to LHR were at hopeless times of the day (eg lunchtime) and as such were never going to work. Given that the LGW flights are almost always full, and mostly of a mix of business travellers and premium leisure travellers, it would be very surprising if a couple of LHR rotations could not now be filled.
Jan 4, 2018, 1:57 pm
#128
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JER shows why this is and always will be primarily a political decision.
BA's JER service is currently LGW because there is very little competition for traffic (especially long-haul connex) so they can get away with this. If HAL/govt pushed airlines to start new domestic routes, you can bet that JER would be top of the list, and BE would jump in. But at that point the new competition would make BA immediately jump in too (5 currently would become 3 x LGW, 3 x LHR daily), to push BE off the route. They'd probably even throw CityFlyer at it for good measure.
And everyone in the chain knows this... which is precisely why it's paradoxically the last thing that would happen.
All my opinion of course!
BA's JER service is currently LGW because there is very little competition for traffic (especially long-haul connex) so they can get away with this. If HAL/govt pushed airlines to start new domestic routes, you can bet that JER would be top of the list, and BE would jump in. But at that point the new competition would make BA immediately jump in too (5 currently would become 3 x LGW, 3 x LHR daily), to push BE off the route. They'd probably even throw CityFlyer at it for good measure.
And everyone in the chain knows this... which is precisely why it's paradoxically the last thing that would happen.
All my opinion of course!
Jan 4, 2018, 2:29 pm
#129
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jersey
Programs: BAEC gold
Posts: 522
JER shows why this is and always will be primarily a political decision.
BA's JER service is currently LGW because there is very little competition for traffic (especially long-haul connex) so they can get away with this. If HAL/govt pushed airlines to start new domestic routes, you can bet that JER would be top of the list, and BE would jump in. But at that point the new competition would make BA immediately jump in too (5 currently would become 3 x LGW, 3 x LHR daily), to push BE off the route. They'd probably even throw CityFlyer at it for good measure.
And everyone in the chain knows this... which is precisely why it's paradoxically the last thing that would happen.
All my opinion of course!
BA's JER service is currently LGW because there is very little competition for traffic (especially long-haul connex) so they can get away with this. If HAL/govt pushed airlines to start new domestic routes, you can bet that JER would be top of the list, and BE would jump in. But at that point the new competition would make BA immediately jump in too (5 currently would become 3 x LGW, 3 x LHR daily), to push BE off the route. They'd probably even throw CityFlyer at it for good measure.
And everyone in the chain knows this... which is precisely why it's paradoxically the last thing that would happen.
All my opinion of course!
Jan 5, 2018, 6:42 am
#130
Join Date: Oct 2017
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It's more like 2h20m from Heathrow to Brirmingham via Tube and National Rail, or 1h50m with more changes of train and higher cost using Heathrow Express, Tube, and National Rail. Add in ticketing hassles (needing to either pre-buy tickets yourself or pay large walk-up fares), bag carrying, problems of re-accommodation on the train journey after the flight to Heathrow arrives late or vice-versa, and so on then an air routing of BHX-LHR-rest-of-world could look a lot more attractive.
Jan 5, 2018, 8:17 am
#131
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Whilst I'm only a single data point I'd exclusively use a JER>LHR over a LGW route. I fall in to the category of the LH connections, but I also fly to and from JER to the mainland for meetings, and a lot more of the country is on the LHR side of London than LGW and having to add 45 mins (on a good day) to orbit the M25 just to get to HR and beyond is a pain.
(I live part time in Jersey and otherwise in Hammersmith so LHR is supremely useful personally)
(I live part time in Jersey and otherwise in Hammersmith so LHR is supremely useful personally)
Jan 5, 2018, 8:32 am
#132
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Brighton, UK
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JER shows why this is and always will be primarily a political decision.
BA's JER service is currently LGW because there is very little competition for traffic (especially long-haul connex) so they can get away with this. If HAL/govt pushed airlines to start new domestic routes, you can bet that JER would be top of the list, and BE would jump in. But at that point the new competition would make BA immediately jump in too (5 currently would become 3 x LGW, 3 x LHR daily), to push BE off the route. They'd probably even throw CityFlyer at it for good measure.
And everyone in the chain knows this... which is precisely why it's paradoxically the last thing that would happen.
All my opinion of course!
BA's JER service is currently LGW because there is very little competition for traffic (especially long-haul connex) so they can get away with this. If HAL/govt pushed airlines to start new domestic routes, you can bet that JER would be top of the list, and BE would jump in. But at that point the new competition would make BA immediately jump in too (5 currently would become 3 x LGW, 3 x LHR daily), to push BE off the route. They'd probably even throw CityFlyer at it for good measure.
And everyone in the chain knows this... which is precisely why it's paradoxically the last thing that would happen.
All my opinion of course!
BA’s advantage over either EY to LGW or BE to LHR is two-fold: it permits protected connections to long haul and it offers a business class cabin. Anyone who has flown LGW-JER will know that this route can have very large CE cabins.
As T8191 effectively argued, a LHR-JER route would depend heavily on whether BA could see any gain from its existing customer base. Whilst it would save some a trek from LGW to LHR; would that convenience (itself potentially marginal if there were only say two LHR flights) generate any extra income?
Jan 5, 2018, 9:52 am
#133
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The route between LHR and LGW stopped shortly after all the non Bermuda 2 airlines moved from LGW to LHR I do believe as there was no longer the business case for it.
Jan 5, 2018, 11:14 am
#134
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According to Wikipedia, the BA Helicopters service stopped in February 1986 when the M25 was completed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airlin...huttle_service)
BA used to provide complimentary National Express transfers between LGW/LHR but those were stopped in c.2001.
Jan 23, 2018, 5:56 am
#135
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CAX and IOM would also be interesting additions!
This link does suggest Carlisle LEP secured investment ...
This link does suggest Carlisle LEP secured investment ...