May 31, 2019, 9:56 am
Last edit by: peter h
Dear
We're looking forward to welcoming you on board your flight with us from London Heathrow to Glasgow on 25 August.
We wanted to let you know that we'll be making a change to the aircraft operating your flight. Your flight will no longer be operated by a Boeing 747.
We understand that, after speculation on aviation websites, some of our customers booked on BA1482 hoping to be part of our birthday celebration. We’ll happily offer a full refund to anyone who no longer wishes to travel.
You'll be able to view the timing changes to your flight at ba.com/mmb in the next 24 hours.
If you would like to make a change to your booking, please contact us.
If you booked through a travel agent, please contact them to make any changes.
We're looking forward to welcoming you on board your flight with us from London Heathrow to Glasgow on 25 August.
We wanted to let you know that we'll be making a change to the aircraft operating your flight. Your flight will no longer be operated by a Boeing 747.
We understand that, after speculation on aviation websites, some of our customers booked on BA1482 hoping to be part of our birthday celebration. We’ll happily offer a full refund to anyone who no longer wishes to travel.
You'll be able to view the timing changes to your flight at ba.com/mmb in the next 24 hours.
If you would like to make a change to your booking, please contact us.
If you booked through a travel agent, please contact them to make any changes.
On Sunday 25 Aug - the day of BAs 100th birthday - BA are operating these domestic rotations with 747s, reportedly the three heritage-liveried aircraft :
NCL (seatmap shows a Mid-J 747) NOTE: 747 NOW APPARENTLY CANCELLED as of 07.06.2019
BA1326 LHR-NCL 0920-1035 (stop 2:05, MCT 0:30): aero404, george77300,jfallesen, Msm2000uk, peter h, Telecasterman,
BA1327 NCL-LHR 1240-1400: aero404, Bazza1603 x 3, Brighterside, Chris9642, corporate-wage-slave, Fontana, george77300,jfallesen, Msm2000uk, peter h, S_W_S, squawk, Telecasterman, WickedStepMother, VG31.
MAN (seatmap shows a Mid-J 747) NOTE: 747 NOW APPARENTLY CANCELLED as of 07.06.2019
BA1386 LHR-MAN 1010-1120 (stop 1:30, MCT 0:30): 81romeo
BA1391 MAN-LHR 1250-1400: 81romeo
GLA (seatmap shows a SuperHi-J 747) NOTE: 747 NOW APPARENTLY CANCELLED as of 07.06.2019
BA1482 LHR-GLA 1200-1330 (stop 1:30, MCT 0:30): bisonrav, IFE Wizard, McG, shl +1, Schwann, hodders
BA1487 GLA-LHR 1500-1625: bisonrav, IFE Wizard, shl +1, Schwann
NCL (seatmap shows a Mid-J 747) NOTE: 747 NOW APPARENTLY CANCELLED as of 07.06.2019
BA1326 LHR-NCL 0920-1035 (stop 2:05, MCT 0:30): aero404, george77300,
BA1327 NCL-LHR 1240-1400: aero404, Bazza1603 x 3, Brighterside, Chris9642, corporate-wage-slave, Fontana, george77300,
MAN (seatmap shows a Mid-J 747) NOTE: 747 NOW APPARENTLY CANCELLED as of 07.06.2019
BA1386 LHR-MAN 1010-1120 (stop 1:30, MCT 0:30): 81romeo
BA1391 MAN-LHR 1250-1400: 81romeo
GLA (seatmap shows a SuperHi-J 747) NOTE: 747 NOW APPARENTLY CANCELLED as of 07.06.2019
BA1482 LHR-GLA 1200-1330 (stop 1:30, MCT 0:30): bisonrav, IFE Wizard, McG, shl +1, Schwann, hodders
BA1487 GLA-LHR 1500-1625: bisonrav, IFE Wizard, shl +1, Schwann
*CANCELLED* BA100 : Heritage-liveried B747s on MAN/NCL/GLA rotations 25 Aug
Jun 8, 2019, 2:11 am
#316
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,403
What you say is ofcourse true but in the this particular case I would suggest off mark. They went out if their way to out onto the market a "special one of flight" that they actively advertised and were selling" as a one off on the equipment specified. It generated one heck of a lot of interest where did done reason or another people were willing to pay as example something like 300 pounds one way from GLA to LHR on the advertised 747 where I recall seeing a flight 45 minutes earlier or so was available on a 319 at 89 pounds. As a one of BA must have done due diligence.gsbing said that ofcourse maybe BA simply do not do due diligence and fly by seat of their pants. 🙄
Jun 8, 2019, 2:44 am
#317
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci.
Posts: 2,049
Are you making an assumption here, is there any evidence this is the definitive reason?
Bearing in mind BA is comfortable to operate planes with no passengers (to retrieve luggage from North Africa) and happily operated (does it still happen?) a regular programme of ghost flights to Cardiff keep slots active.
I’m not buying the Damascene conversion on climate change I’m afraid.
Bearing in mind BA is comfortable to operate planes with no passengers (to retrieve luggage from North Africa) and happily operated (does it still happen?) a regular programme of ghost flights to Cardiff keep slots active.
I’m not buying the Damascene conversion on climate change I’m afraid.
Jun 8, 2019, 2:56 am
#318
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,641
They actively informed frequent BA flyers about the flights. This then leaked to the blogs.
Jun 8, 2019, 3:07 am
#319
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,998
There is nothing to suggest that environmentalists were "offended" by these planned flights, nor even that the flights were cancelled for environmental reasons at all.
I'd like to think that someone at BA belatedly recognised that celebrating their anniversary by flying one of the world's noisiest and dirtiest passenger planes around the country for the benefit of aviation enthusiasts was environmentally irresponsible and a PR disaster just waiting to happen. But that's a discussion for another forum.
I'd like to think that someone at BA belatedly recognised that celebrating their anniversary by flying one of the world's noisiest and dirtiest passenger planes around the country for the benefit of aviation enthusiasts was environmentally irresponsible and a PR disaster just waiting to happen. But that's a discussion for another forum.
Jun 8, 2019, 3:19 am
#321
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: LON
Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold
Posts: 1,758
Well, there's that Simon Calder Independent article that says an environmentalist was "angered", but whether that was because a provocative journalist rang him up to tell him about it and generate a story out of nothing, it's hard to know... Maybe Calder didn't get an invite from BA?
Jun 8, 2019, 4:24 am
#322
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 5,602
I suspect this has more to do with BA's lack of long haul aircraft. Probably not a good idea to pull 3x B747 from the program at the same time and run the risk of large EU261 payments elsewhere.
Also what happens if one goes tech like LY in LAS. All those people who paid extra would not be happy being stuck in a B777.
A great idea by BA but doomed to failure by reality.
Also what happens if one goes tech like LY in LAS. All those people who paid extra would not be happy being stuck in a B777.
A great idea by BA but doomed to failure by reality.
Jun 8, 2019, 4:25 am
#323
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London Stratford, E7
Programs: BAEC Gold! Thanks to FT
Posts: 3,403
How did they actively inform frequent flyers? From what I can see they changed the aircraft type on 6 flights on the same day and people put 2 and 2 together to make 5. With nothing confirmed publicly if ever there was a case of Chinese whispers on the Internet this is it. .
Jun 8, 2019, 6:31 am
#324
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Unio Europaea
Programs: BA GGL, AS, Hertz Cirque Présidentielle
Posts: 1,445
I wasn't booked on any of these flights, because I had no idea about them. I hadn't visited the BA/BAEC subforum for many days, so the whole opportunity was lost in the first place.
However I'm never the less miffed by the situation on the behalf of those who were eager to participate in what was supposed to be special BA themed merryment on board the Queen of the Skies and a unique day, which won't be repeated. And yes, it would have been a special occasion, eventhough some sourdoughs will argue that "it's just a normal 747-400", "it's not worth the price", "actually memorable flights are something else" etc. Each to their own, but I personally would have liked to participate just for the sake of celebrating BA 100 years, flying with the Queen of the Skies on an usual route and more so: share a great, special occasion with other likeminded people from FT and the rest of the aviation geek community. If anything, one can't say it's commonplace to have a widebody Boeing aircraft filled with FT'ers for a special flight.
All those occasions are special, just for the likeminded mingle it entails, even if it wouldn't be the last scheduled BA flight with a 747 or 767, or some other similar landmark event.
I personally would have probably executed this in the following manner:
So true. I'm not envious of GGLs, Premiers or other important BA affiliates, but sure one must be pretty BA savvy, if one booked ET or CE on one of these flights.
However I'm never the less miffed by the situation on the behalf of those who were eager to participate in what was supposed to be special BA themed merryment on board the Queen of the Skies and a unique day, which won't be repeated. And yes, it would have been a special occasion, eventhough some sourdoughs will argue that "it's just a normal 747-400", "it's not worth the price", "actually memorable flights are something else" etc. Each to their own, but I personally would have liked to participate just for the sake of celebrating BA 100 years, flying with the Queen of the Skies on an usual route and more so: share a great, special occasion with other likeminded people from FT and the rest of the aviation geek community. If anything, one can't say it's commonplace to have a widebody Boeing aircraft filled with FT'ers for a special flight.
All those occasions are special, just for the likeminded mingle it entails, even if it wouldn't be the last scheduled BA flight with a 747 or 767, or some other similar landmark event.I personally would have probably executed this in the following manner:
- Announce this officially well ahead of time, so that people would have had a chance to book without this kind of an odd cancellation without any explanation. I'm personally irked by the fact that BA hasn't announced any possible public festivities well in advance for August (or later during the year, for that matter), which makes it harder for us from further away to participate. Furthermore some would've perhaps appreciated a chance to organise their own schedules accordingly.
- Engage the public with "save the date" type of PR. If you intend to organise something for a special day and the day is already set, plus you intend to make it accessible to a broader group of BA junkies, then it would be sound to make it known well in advance, even if the actual details would still be open. At least then one would know something of interest would be coming up on the Xth of Y-month 2019. As they seem to leave it to the last minute and announce it in e.g. the BAEC monthly newsletter of August, then I really commend them for absolutely no understanding of how to engage your loyal customers and rather treat them as loyal idiots.
- Sell all ET tickets for the 747 flights as booking class Y and £100 for a return. Y would have been a traditional airfare and given extra perks as a loyalty thank you for BAEC members. And of course CE would've been sold as C. I'm not suggesting this as a naivety, but simply for the special occasion. We've anyway seen the 100 % Avios bonus already.
Jun 8, 2019, 6:45 am
#325
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,641
How did they actively inform frequent flyers? From what I can see they changed the aircraft type on 6 flights on the same day and people put 2 and 2 together to make 5. With nothing confirmed publicly if ever there was a case of Chinese whispers on the Internet this is it. .
Jun 8, 2019, 9:09 am
#326
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
Jun 8, 2019, 10:38 am
#328
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
Jun 8, 2019, 2:42 pm
#330
Join Date: May 2006
Location: 5 miles from EMA
Programs: BD, BAEC Pleb, VS Pleb, Accor Pleb, HHonors Gold, Big White Season Pass
Posts: 5,921
Well, there's that Simon Calder Independent article that says an environmentalist was "angered", but whether that was because a provocative journalist rang him up to tell him about it and generate a story out of nothing, it's hard to know... Maybe Calder didn't get an invite from BA?