BA at London-Gatwick 2019
 

If it's ok thought I would start a thread where we could place all news regarding BA at London Gatwick 2019 now that they have had a year to plan after acquiring the Monarch slots in late 2017.
Obviously this year has been one of keeping slots utilised, using some leased aircraft and adding some new short haul destinations. By 2019 aircraft and crew should be more readily available to service the slots.
By March next year at least 10 of the 777s will have been refurbished and new Airbus A320/321 deliveries to Heathrow will allow more A319/320 to be redeployed to Gatwick. I assume this will mean less need to lease
in extra frames. Apart from one A319 withdrawal no other A319/320 have left the fleet as originally planned. I presume this was due to the need to service the Monarch slots.
Route wise I have read that Kos will start in May and that there will be increases to Cancun and Las Vegas compared to this summer. All other destinations seem to be returning with the exception of Oakland.
I think most winter 2018/2019 changes have already been announced, with frequency increases on some short haul and long haul routes. Cologne is also introduced from November.
Just thought this thread would be useful to pool information. Thanks.

Just 5. 3 go on 31st Oct and the other two on the 25th Nov. The neos are coming quicker than that. 5 delivered so far this year with another 4 due. Obviously continuing into 2019 too. At least 12 delivered as you said by March so the capacity will be growing.

Not that it will matter for squat but what would be your top three destinations to be added to LGW be? Just for fun of course as I can't see BA making commercial decisions based on FT comments any time soon( although I think we all know things would be better if they did!)

I'd like to see BKK added for certain & getting HEL would make TP runs easier & while i'm a fan of Germany generally speaking TXL or MUC would be nice to have.

BKK & TXL( well Berlin) are incredibly popular routes/ destinations for those living in the south and would make good sense imo.

I'd expect more Vueling flights to take up some of the MON slots. Sadly.
Maybe a cheeky Level rotation somewhere too to check the public response to IAG Low Cost?

BA already seems to have trouble making LHR-BKK work, despite the apparently rampant enthusiasm from those living in the south. How would adding LGW-BKK make any sense?

I'd love to see DUB added, so we can connect to long-haul destinations out of LGW on BA, rather than having to get from LHR to LGW or fly Aer Lingus into LGW.

Maybe if they moved it a little further south it might work better as it's generally considered a hate crime for trendy south coasters not to have visited the place by 30 lol ( tongue firmly in cheek throughout)
@hshs very fair point

I would like to see a LGW-ABZ route back as currently having to use Easyjet a lot.

I'd expect a MAN rotation or two would be useful, especially with all those Manchester United fans living in Surrey. ;)

BKK might work if it transferred wholesale.

HKT would be very cool, though it's made easier by the ability to transfer through KUL.

HNL non-stop on an ex-DY 787 :)

HNL non-stop? Where are the TPs in that? Who is this person?? ;)

And in the reverse direction too, Sir! Pre-Clearance ex-DUB to the USA is a little treasure, only spoiled by having to change LON airports and build c. 4 hours into the journey.

I won’t ask for JER-DUB, though, as it loses TPs. :D

Would love to fly direct from LGW to Bonaire.

Enough LH airframes to squeeze in Bali a couple of times a week?

(Maybe as an add on to the BKK route)

Connection times should be reduced
 

Non runner.

Dead in the water on environmental grounds and no chance that slots at LHR would be allocated when there is already a bus link in place.

No specific insight but I think 08.05 is a pretty reasonable slot for a MLA flight - it's not a silly early start and gets you there in good time to have a full afternoon / evening. A later inbound would be nicer though for those wanting to maximise a short break.

The first wave departures are less civilised but plenty of people make use of them.

Aren't those all before midday?:confused:

Those times sound ideal for a late morning/lunchtime arrival and hotel check in at 2pm.

Assume they meant after midday. I have to agree that these departure times are simply dreadful, 8am means leaving home around 5am or before unless you live very close to Gatters. No thank you!

Well I guess you can't please everyone.

All the Malta flights from Gatwick go in the am - Easyjet, BA, Air Malta and Thomas Cook.

As you well know, I'm sure, MLA flight timings have always been a bit "random". But I do take your point that the latest schedules seem worse.

Personally, despite the early departures from LGW, I'm happiest to get to MLA early in the day to maximise the benefits of the hotel night I'm already paying for. Sadly, with our connection from JER, it means we have to have the previous night at LGW as well, to ensure we make the connection. Last trip was 0615 from LGW, but next April it's 1605 (!!) ... saving the overnight hotel but wasting a day in Valletta and not arriving until 2010. :(.

For comparison, attached is the July 2014 schedule - timings scattered all over the place depending on the day!

This had me worried for a moment - I'm booked on a November Tuesday departure at 11:20, carefully selected as the only reasonably-timed option. Flying in the front as it's essentially a TP run (two cheap nights and then back on Thursday 13:05) but both flights are conveniently timed for the full lunch experience...

I would note that my April 16:05 departure was in panic while they were loading sale fares. I may try to pay to change that! (non-flex, so no chance!).

But LGW seems to still be the unwanted child of BA :(

There were some LGW-MLA like that in winter before too, so it's not new this winter.

I really do not like catching a flight at early hours of the morning either.

Some BA departures for LGW-MLA are in the afternoon though.

I think that dubious honour was reserved for MAN.