Worcester

Head for Points reporting this (though it has been rumoured for a while).

Seems a curious decision to restrict the number of customers paying a large premium to fly so you can squeeze in more of those paying the least. But then again I could not fathom getting rid of duty-free just before Brexit (Okay I am not an airline expert but MoL is and they derive a significant chunk of their revenue from in flight retail)

Reducing supply (all things being equal) will increase cost. Now the main revenue driver for CE is connections to profitable Long Haul flights, so with a restricted cabin, I wonder if they will hold back more seats for connecting Pax rather than O&D.

I also wonder how this will work out in BA's strategy of trying to stop (or at least combat) the growth of airlines like Norwegian.

It just does not seem like joined up thinking to me?

subject2load

Some of the reader comments below the article itself make little sense .... but some do certainly give food for thought ; as do your own, Worcester, thanks.

T8191

Interesting, and another opportunity for BA to get it badly wrong. If they really start messing about with CE catering it could prove expensive in the longer term.

email2markt

Maybe if CE is going to be restricted again then they can get decent seats and give CE some more leg room

MarkFlies

That is definitely a glass-half-full view. I admire your optimism.

Frequent flyer 101

Given that are fitting the new A320s with 12 rows of nicer "CE capable" seats, couldn't they have saved a bit more money by only fitting 7 of them?

subject2load

Deltus

Presumably the exit rows (11/12?) are in a fixed position relative to the escape hatches, and they probably couldn't fit an extra row into the first 10 rows just by shaving an inch or two off each row. Whereas between 13 and 26(?) they had a bit more space to play with, so squeezing the pitch could give space for extra seats.

Worcester

My understanding is that this is a temporary solution until they can find a solution to the issues around where to store the catering for CE.

Raffles does suggest though that this will test the demand for CE and if demand is less price sensitive than they think, they could reduce the cabin on a permanent basis. I would doubt that as they must have quite a clear idea about demand elasticity from the way they open and close fare buckets.

Dave_C

What'll be interesting will be the reaction from last minute long-haul bookings with a connection, who end up in Y on the short-haul flights due to J being sold out.

I wonder how many threads we'll have on that?

The alternative being downgrading those on cheaper tickets, to accommodate those with long-haul connections.

florens

Either way not a premium way to treat customers. I wonder what is going to happen to routes which see 12 rows on a regular basis. It's a 41% decrease in supply after all.

adrianlondon

If the EU downgrade compensation applied to the entire trip rather than just the individual flight I'd love for any short-haul connection to be downgraded.

OverTheHorizon

No doubt BA will argue that anyone sitting in 8A with 8B tabled is getting the CE experience so has not effectively been downgraded...

Gomac

corporate-wage-slave

I can't see that happening, BA can simply manipulate the relevant fare buckets to ensure they don't exceed 28 CE passengers and outside irrops that will normally work fine, they have a lot of experience in doing this fairly accurately. Moreover - and accepting this is so far Galley FM rather than factual - for the handful of LHR routes where 7 rows is insufficient, notably GVA at peak hours, they will simply roster other aircraft to cover the service. LGW and LCY are presumably unaffected. I'd be surprised if this made a noticeable difference in the short term, not that many services go over 7 rows, long term there are other factors at play which are indeed interesting.