Least reliable BA routes
May 16, 2019, 6:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 1,577
Least reliable BA routes
Hello folks. I know ExpertFlyer has reliability history, and the likes of FlightRadar24 show the state of a given route, but is there a way of finding the most unreliable routes on a given airline (I'm primarily interested in BA and IB) somewhere? Ta!
May 16, 2019, 7:00 am
#5
Join Date: Feb 2014
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 263
Flightstats is probably the best place for the data if you want to do it yourself. The level of detail is outstanding from them, you could for instance find out the most and least delayed aircraft in a fleet for instance.
I’ve used it myself, but not to the extent of analysing a whole airlines network.
You could always data mine the booking engines that show a percentage on time but that won’t be particularly quick nor will it give particularly detailed data.
I’ve used it myself, but not to the extent of analysing a whole airlines network.
You could always data mine the booking engines that show a percentage on time but that won’t be particularly quick nor will it give particularly detailed data.
May 16, 2019, 7:58 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London
Programs: plenty - ggl, ccr, etc, etc.
Posts: 1,704
anything anywhere on a Friday or Sunday evening in summer
May 16, 2019, 11:18 am
#10
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Marriott Bonvoy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Englandshire
Programs: SPG LT Plat, BA G, BD*LG, MG Blue+ ...
Posts: 16,017
What definition of “unreliable” should we be working to ? Lateness ? Number of cancellations ? Percentage of cancellations ? Passenger disruption (eg high impact of a cancellation because there’s no easy rebooking options) ?
May 16, 2019, 12:14 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: UK
Programs: Tufty Club (Gold), BAGA Gymnastics level 4, 440yds swimming certificate
Posts: 2,533
LBA is always the first sacrificial short haul lamb.
JNB is the first to be dropped from the 380 rotations
at LGW the AMS and JFKs are the poor cousins
JNB is the first to be dropped from the 380 rotations
at LGW the AMS and JFKs are the poor cousins
May 16, 2019, 5:39 pm
#12
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Toronto
Programs: BA Exec Club - Demoted to Bronze and re-promoted to Silver alongside AC Elite 50K (gold) in 2022
Posts: 393
I agree with an earlier comment - it depends on the definition of reliability. The return leg to the UK / City is often more unreliable through no fault of BA's - unless they're turnaround allowances are poor. I agree the later in the day, the worse it can be. However as BA only now have two long haul hubs, the resources to recover are in one place. Without going off topic, Air Canada have shut smaller bases and have four in YVR, YYC, YYZ and YUL. The aircraft fly complex diagrams each days with crews doing four legs away from the home base. I think BA (aircraft permitting) are able to recover later rotations with spare crew and aircraft. My best friend is a BS short haul CSM and does an airport standby ready to jump in - sometimes for sickness and sometimes a scratch crew to assist with recovering with an on time departure despite a late incoming. Late departures and late arrivals are also different with favourable winds across the pond producing some great results - I've pushed back 5 late from Toronto and been on the gate at Heathrow 30 early!!
If you're talking around cancellations rather than late running, Toronto either loses flights in planned cancellations, and short notice where there is no spare aircraft.
If you're talking about aircraft type - the A380 with only 12 in the fleet may be vulnerable and the 777 with 2 currently away for densification also leaves them short. I'd only nominate Toronto again for aircraft changes - we had no first all winter, and flights before christmas going from 787-8 to 777-747 as demand exceeded supply.
I'm sure the scheduling team on duty have a hit list of flights to nobble during disruption due to loads. I suspect some cancellations and schedules are easier to cancel from others. With the new A320s and A321s (and no retirements to my knowledge) the shorthaul fleet is larger but I notice the odd ex BMI A321 with decent biz class seats is often heavily delayed.
Not sure it answers your question, but reliability and punctuality has many permutations and definitions.
If you're talking around cancellations rather than late running, Toronto either loses flights in planned cancellations, and short notice where there is no spare aircraft.
If you're talking about aircraft type - the A380 with only 12 in the fleet may be vulnerable and the 777 with 2 currently away for densification also leaves them short. I'd only nominate Toronto again for aircraft changes - we had no first all winter, and flights before christmas going from 787-8 to 777-747 as demand exceeded supply.
I'm sure the scheduling team on duty have a hit list of flights to nobble during disruption due to loads. I suspect some cancellations and schedules are easier to cancel from others. With the new A320s and A321s (and no retirements to my knowledge) the shorthaul fleet is larger but I notice the odd ex BMI A321 with decent biz class seats is often heavily delayed.
Not sure it answers your question, but reliability and punctuality has many permutations and definitions.
May 16, 2019, 9:01 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Leeds
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 54
LBA has got to be near the top of the % of flights cancelled list. It's astonishing how often the flight is dropped given there is now usually only one flight per day.
May 17, 2019, 2:39 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold; FB Silver; SPG; IHG Gold
Posts: 2,981
Although my recent experiences on various routes have been quote good re punctuality, I had a sensational run a couple of years back when flying between LHR and MUC on a few occasions where my return flight (last evening departure) from MUC was late on every occasion (6 or 7 in a row) so although that might just be bad luck on what is an otherwise reliable route it's been ingrained in my psyche as the most unreliable BA route I've ever been on (using punctuality as the benchmark- yes there are various ways in which to analyse "reliability"). Thank God for that amazing lounge 
May 17, 2019, 5:14 am
#15
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 90
This illustrates the shortcoming of only looking at which route is least reliable. In my experience the JNB 747 flights are very reliable (indeed I always opt for these in preference to the A380 flights exactly because of the difference in reliability, despite preferring the A380 in general). So you need to look at individual flight reliability, not just overall route I think.