Long haul aircraft on short haul routes
Jan 19, 2020, 1:14 pm
#32
Fontaine d'honneur du Flyertalk
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Morbihan, France
Programs: Reine des Muccis de Pucci; Foreign Elitist (according to others)
Posts: 19,180
Jan 19, 2020, 1:31 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,937
If ba was going to put a wide body on nce during the film festival then it would have happened by now
Jan 19, 2020, 1:48 pm
#35
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
Having done about 20 LHR-MAD returns in the last 7 months I feel somewhat qualified to comment on this... 
BA 460 has consistently been less busy than the return BA 461, not sure the reason, maybe the connections from UK - South America, but I have had numerously relatively empty BA460s (of course loads have varied), but every single BA461 I've been on has been rammed especially in F/J with often close to, if not all, 70 CE seats taken. Why? - I'm not sure, but definitely observed that to be the case.
BA 460 has consistently been less busy than the return BA 461, not sure the reason, maybe the connections from UK - South America, but I have had numerously relatively empty BA460s (of course loads have varied), but every single BA461 I've been on has been rammed especially in F/J with often close to, if not all, 70 CE seats taken. Why? - I'm not sure, but definitely observed that to be the case.
Jan 19, 2020, 2:15 pm
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
I did LIM-MAD-LHR including the BA461 and was upgraded to CE. I missed A351 by a day which was disappointing. I did notice the IB A346 was much quieter than BA B773.
Jan 19, 2020, 2:22 pm
#38
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 182
Over 20 years ago, I flew on Air France from Ajaccio in Corsica to Paris - on a 747!
Jan 19, 2020, 2:28 pm
#39
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
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I have flow 747 on saudia from riyadh to jeddah.
If demand alone drove the use a wide body decision then BA would put some some wide bodies on lhr to edi (and gla) during the Edinburgh Festival
Jan 19, 2020, 2:39 pm
#42
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
While we’re on the subject of this...
Will MAD always have a 777 flight or will BA switch it back to an A32X at some point? How long has it had a widebody for now?
It would be nice if they switched it up a bit and used the 787 (like they have previously) but I guess the engine issues put paid to that. Or 747 would be a dream!
Will MAD always have a 777 flight or will BA switch it back to an A32X at some point? How long has it had a widebody for now?
It would be nice if they switched it up a bit and used the 787 (like they have previously) but I guess the engine issues put paid to that. Or 747 would be a dream!
Jan 19, 2020, 2:58 pm
#44
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: ZRH/LUX/LON
Programs: BA GGL/ VS Gold. Former: UA 1K (10 years+) , EY partners Plat, SQ PPS Club, SU Gold, LH SEN/HON
Posts: 770
Madrid and Helsinki are not
Jan 19, 2020, 3:14 pm
#45
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci, BA, AF
Posts: 10,130
Having done about 20 LHR-MAD returns in the last 7 months I feel somewhat qualified to comment on this...
BA 460 has consistently been less busy than the return BA 461, not sure the reason, maybe the connections from UK - South America, but I have had numerously relatively empty BA460s (of course loads have varied), but every single BA461 I've been on has been rammed especially in F/J with often close to, if not all, 70 CE seats taken. Why? - I'm not sure, but definitely observed that to be the case.
BA 460 has consistently been less busy than the return BA 461, not sure the reason, maybe the connections from UK - South America, but I have had numerously relatively empty BA460s (of course loads have varied), but every single BA461 I've been on has been rammed especially in F/J with often close to, if not all, 70 CE seats taken. Why? - I'm not sure, but definitely observed that to be the case.
The 461 sweeps up connecting pax inbound from South America, albeit with a bit of a long wait, but is also very conveniently timed for a post-work day in Madrid. And, it connects well to the last few long hauls out of LHR (SIN, HKG, JNB, etc).