BA6501

Unfortunately it isn't just they're due checks right now, this happens every year around now, since the fleet reduced in size...

That said in previous years the schedule was just heavily trimmed (to 3-4x/week to BEY/AMM) for a month or two, this year they've kept it mostly going, but subbing these aircraft in...

I'm surprised they don't have brake fans - especially as they're no strangers to shuttle flights, where in a previous life they'd be on the ground in BEY/AMM/GYD/DKR/some others for no more than 45 minutes before heading onto KRT/ADD/AMM/DAM/ALP/TBS/HBE/FNA/more...

Lynyrd

I didn't fly on these to any of the LAJ destinations but can only imagine the runways are longer and as such less of an issue with brake temps.

BA6501

Ah, didn't think of the runway length in ABZ.

Frequentflyer99

I have flown RJ LHR-AMM-HKG in J a couple of times, so 8 longhaul flights in total. Each one was as good as, and probably better than standard CW. CE should not even be mentioned in the same breath ..... With a choice of BA or RJ, I would not hesitate to take RJ.

SKRan

Are EuroTraveller and World Traveller distinct cabins? Are Club Europe and Club World distinct cabins? IMHO they are respectively very different suite of products and services.

What did BA market AMM flight as? If the actual product received is different than what OP has paid for, I think BA is liable for compensation.

BA6501

They are - and BA recognises that fact (this time around, at least), by offering the standard EU compensation to those who had booked J before the aircraft swap (50% refund for BEY, 75% for AMM).

They market ET & WT as different too, though aren't offering compensation there. I suppose they see it as "ET would be BOB, so this isn't ET"...

ozflier

Hi,
I am confused at the difference between short haul and medium haul BA aircraft fitouts- are the J cabins different or the same 3 economy seats with no one in the middle ?
Is there a distance above which a flight goes from short to medium haul or flight time or is it geographically related - eg flights to Northern Africa, say to Cascablanca, - are they mid haul configurations?
I can remember also in the past that BA once tried to compete with Turkish on the LHR-IST route and BA actually had an A321 with the fancier J class.
I would be interested in your thoughts.

Swampz64

This is what you are paying for.

BA6501

Interesting to note it doesn't say "hot food"... not IFE, for that matter. I'm pretty sure it used to say that?

corporate-wage-slave

BA doesn't fly to Casablanca, but yes, it's essentially flights around 2,000 miles but on the short side for longhaul. BEY, AMM, CAI, TLV, MOW. BEY and AMM normally get the mid haul Club World product on the four dedicated A321 aircraft, which have BMI's former lie-flat seats, and a fairly spacious World Traveller seat. These seats are showing their age a bit, but by modern standards they aren't cramped. Whereas BA's services to RAK, LCA, ALG will be in the EuroTraveller / Club Europe format, with more conventional short haul seating. What happened here is that one of these aircraft was used to AMM, something that happens pretty rarely, and this would have in Club merely an empty middle seat, and certainly no fllat bed option. The midhaul A321 did occasionally serve IST and ATH but the same could be said of ABZ or NCL. In all 4 cases, that would now be somewhat unusual. CAI, TL and MOW will also get full longhaul aircraft instead of A321.

ozflier

Thank you for that.

ENTP

Assume you weren't given notice before boarding (ie to buy supplies or fill up in the lounge if eligible)? Sounds like they had the full bar at least albeit it is quite an early flight ex-AMM for that!

BAeuro

It’s really terrible that passengers have to face an A321neo on such a long flight when they have paid for WT. I really fail understand why BA don’t seem to care at all!

Does anyone the future plans for the Midhaul frames? Will they be refurbished soon or replaced by Midhaul NEOs?

BA6501

I doubt they'll be refurbished. The oldest ones are over 18 years now...

DominicB

I flew AMM/LHR two weeks ago in business class. The BA A320 went tech on the tarmac at AMM, and I was rebooked on to RJ, and I loved its 787 business class. The choice of entertainment was much less than on BA (but if the comparison is to a plane without any entertainment....!), and the food and wine not as sophisticated as Club World, but it was perfectly acceptable. And the plane felt fairly new and was comfortable both for sitting up and eating and for relaxing and lying flat. I think RJ is a strong competitor on the route.