FlyBE LHR slots returned to BA
Mar 9, 2020, 10:00 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: The Blackwater Valley (Berkshire/Hampshire/Surrey border area)
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I could really do with a LHR-LPL route...
At the moment, I have to do LHR-MAN and then trust Northern Rail - and the train hop takes longer than the plane
At the moment, I have to do LHR-MAN and then trust Northern Rail - and the train hop takes longer than the plane
Mar 9, 2020, 10:02 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
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true. Long term maybe but they aren’t particularly new and BA would have to employ staff
whereas STK have a fleet of ATRs no longer in use with flybe, stk are an ACMI provider who will already with the exception of lhr have logistics in place at all UK airports .......
cs
Mar 9, 2020, 10:19 am
#21
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 494
If BALPA were amenable, BA could buy, or lease from the administrator, some or all of the Embraer ERJ-170 and-190 that were operated by Flybe and operate them in Cityflier colours. That would make it more economic to operate thinner routes, such as Jersey or Isle of Man, and also provide work for some of the ERJ-qualified flight and cabin crew now on the market.
Mar 9, 2020, 10:21 am
#22
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
If BALPA were amenable, BA could buy, or lease from the administrator, some or all of the Embraer ERJ-170 and-190 that were operated by Flybe and operate them in Cityflier colours. That would make it more economic to operate thinner routes, such as Jersey or Isle of Man, and also provide work for some of the ERJ-qualified flight and cabin crew now on the market.
Mar 9, 2020, 10:22 am
#23
Join Date: Apr 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 267
LHR-JER? We have plenty of gate availability after BE’s demise.
Whether it would ever prove profitable is a different question. It was tried before by BMI. I doubt BA could fill an A319 on a daily basis - do they have anything smaller and spare? Or might they lease something suitable? And yet there must be a tourist market from the west of London?
An early and late rotation to connect to TATL? Do we really need 5-a-day to LGW? One can dream.
Whether it would ever prove profitable is a different question. It was tried before by BMI. I doubt BA could fill an A319 on a daily basis - do they have anything smaller and spare? Or might they lease something suitable? And yet there must be a tourist market from the west of London?
An early and late rotation to connect to TATL? Do we really need 5-a-day to LGW? One can dream.
I have flown on the route quite a lot over the last year and most of the planes have been quite full and with EasyJet's capacity, there clearly appears to be a demand between Jersey and London…
Mar 9, 2020, 10:24 am
#24
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: UK
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LHR-JER: Worth a punt I think but depends whether you can find a way of filling an A319 and make money over and above any other destination. Maybe they could try switching one of the LGW rotations to LHR and see if it pays for itself. We have done a lot of JER from SOU over the years on BE mainline and often on a full Q400. As I understand it capacity on this route now looks a lot less, no one else has yet stepped in. Blue Islands are filling the void from the JER end but have chosen to add Birmingham and Exeter - I would choose LHR over these on road journey time (from Swindon) and having a stash of Avios etc. Maybe I am not the only one for whom LGW is much less convenient were SOU to remain this limited and expensive.
Last edited by hedgehopper; Mar 11, 2020 at 10:03 am
Mar 9, 2020, 10:25 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
Programs: BAEC Silver,clubcard,clubcard plus, BA Amex................ And Mucci x3 ;)
Posts: 9,488
If BALPA were amenable, BA could buy, or lease from the administrator, some or all of the Embraer ERJ-170 and-190 that were operated by Flybe and operate them in Cityflier colours. That would make it more economic to operate thinner routes, such as Jersey or Isle of Man, and also provide work for some of the ERJ-qualified flight and cabin crew now on the market.
flybe had wfu all the E195s and they had gone back to leasing companies.
they have maybe 10? E175s but again I don’t think any were owned but all leased so would depend how keen BA were to get hold of smaller jets that wouldn’t be compatible with the rest of the E-Jet operation they run
cs
Mar 9, 2020, 10:26 am
#26
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,440
In my opinion 1 daily LHR-JER would work. Timed about 9/10am to allow for connections. By keeping most of the services at LGW you don’t need to find loads of LHR slots and actually the 1 daily LHR service you be marked up at a more premium price.
However, BE didn’t fly LHR/LGW to Jersey so there isn’t much traffic to pick up or incentive to start the route.
NQY I think is where BA will be looking and also increasing the BHD schedule (maybe even adding a LCY service as LCY-DUB is great for them)
However, BE didn’t fly LHR/LGW to Jersey so there isn’t much traffic to pick up or incentive to start the route.
NQY I think is where BA will be looking and also increasing the BHD schedule (maybe even adding a LCY service as LCY-DUB is great for them)
Mar 9, 2020, 10:31 am
#27
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BAEC Bronze, Mucci recipient
Posts: 1,785
You mean a reinstatement of the route. There used to be Airlink the helicopter shuttle service between the two airports operated jointly by Bcal and British Airways Helicopters. I think it ran from 1978 to 1986. Perhaps it could be a freebie for First Class passengers arriving into either airport wishing to transfer to the other airport along the lines of the old JFK New York freebie that a certain Canadian is currently pursuing for compensation because he didn't get it.
Mar 9, 2020, 10:42 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
Programs: BAEC Silver,clubcard,clubcard plus, BA Amex................ And Mucci x3 ;)
Posts: 9,488
In my opinion 1 daily LHR-JER would work. Timed about 9/10am to allow for connections. By keeping most of the services at LGW you don’t need to find loads of LHR slots and actually the 1 daily LHR service you be marked up at a more premium price.
However, BE didn’t fly LHR/LGW to Jersey so there isn’t much traffic to pick up or incentive to start the route.
NQY I think is where BA will be looking and also increasing the BHD schedule (maybe even adding a LCY service as LCY-DUB is great for them)
However, BE didn’t fly LHR/LGW to Jersey so there isn’t much traffic to pick up or incentive to start the route.
NQY I think is where BA will be looking and also increasing the BHD schedule (maybe even adding a LCY service as LCY-DUB is great for them)
I would add again x4 daily to the west country would be the pso that was held by flybe which stipulates x4 daily xxx-LON rather than a specific London airport.
it is entirely possible that BA take on the pso on a trial to see if they can make it work.
imagine the good press. BA steps in to save air links to the capitol
cd
Mar 9, 2020, 11:11 am
#30
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: NQY
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 500
LHR however gives both London and the Berkshire M4 tech corridor - which certainly worked for me. Quite a lot of Cornish businesses are also complaining about the lack of international access now we have lost LHR, so I think on balance we'd rather see LHR back 2-3 times a day than other London airports.