Inebriati

I am currently booked to Jnb and back. My return trip on 30 April is on BA56 on an A380 which seemed very quiet for seat reservations even for this far out. Did some research and seems all the A380 flights to and back from JNB from around 24 April to 9 May are zeroed out so nothing on BA.COM if you try and book and all booking classes 0 on expertflyer. However most of the flights have some seats already reserved in all classes - assume like me booked before the flight was removed from sale. Any ideas what may be happening here? Been like this for a week now so was expecting a equipment change but nothing yet. Is it likely to be cancelled? I know there is still some time to the flight but as this is attempt 5 at getting on this flight due to cancellations during the pandemic I am getting sensitive to anything out of the ordinary.

Globaliser

If you look before and after that period, you will see that the early rotation is planned for a 777 outside that two-week period. The dates that still have a 380 in the schedule are the only dates that have been zeroed.

Only BA knows what's going on and what BA's thinking is. But the late rotation is still operating every day during that period, so it's not like you're likely to be stranded in JNB.

FWIW, I think that there was a period a week or two back when the early rotation wasn't even showing up on an availability search. If my memory is correct, then it's reappeared in the schedules. I still wouldn't read anything into that, though.

Globaliser

FWIW, it looks like BA has now zeroed one JNB rotation for the remainder of the NS 2022 season.

BA55 is on sale up to and including 23 April, and then again from 8 May onwards.
BA57 is on sale up to and including 7 May.

BA56 and BA54 are respectively on sale for the inbound halves of their rotations, one calendar day later.

unfrequentflyer

Which cities are BA flying A380?

HarryHolden68

It's worse than not even being a 380. Our 55 out in late May and 56 return in June is currently a 3-class 777 with no First.

johnaalex

FWIW I am booked on the BA55 on May 4 in F, my return on May 28 should have in F on an A380 has now been changed to CW on 3 class 777. When I spoke to You First they had no idea what was happening with the 55 .

Globaliser

Assuming that the zeroed flights will be cancelled, there's no F cabin on JNB after 7 May until 1 August (ex-LHR).

F is then back in the availability displays, but only because the 380 currently reappears from 1 August. I'm not putting any money on that remaining the case.

unfrequentflyer

3 class flight - PE, Cattle and David Dao.

redrose59

We returned from JNB on BA54 on Friday 25th, it was an A380 and it was a very busy flight. I couldn't see any spare seats in J upperdeck. BA had cancelled our original booking and put us onto the later flight from JNB which then gave us a 6 hour wait for our connection up to ABZ. I'm just grateful we didn't arrive on Saturday though with all the issues.

Our next flight to JNB is on 05/05/2022 on BA55 A380. Returning 20/06/22 on BA56 on a 777 I'm not sure if I should be preparing for aircraft changes or time changes? The aircraft change would impact us least, it's trying to avoid that 6 hour wait to Aberdeen if we can which concerns me most.

Globaliser

I don't normally like predicting schedule changes, because my crystal ball is no clearer than anyone else's.

But the fact that BA first zeroed the A380 rotations during the 2-week period when the A380 is still in the schedule, and has now extended the zeroing of one JNB flight a day for the remainder of NS 2022, suggests to me that you should plan on the basis that at some stage you will be moved to BA57 on your outbound flight.

However, BA56 on 20 June is the flight that remains on sale that day, so that seems less likely to be cancelled.

SimonAB

Would anyone care to speculate whether BA54 on July 29th is likely to operate? It's no longer for sale and EF shows it as almost empty.

Our outbound BA55 on 16th July is still for sale, EF shows it as busy, whereas 57 is almost empty.

Is 55/56 likely the new rotation for the summer?

Quite critical for us, since we need to consider our connection from Zambia.

Thanks

HarryHolden68

Cannot speak for July, but on our outbound at the end of May and return mid-June there are only 55/56 operating. Even worse, they are a 3-class 777. I pray for peace in Ukraine followed a close second by a surge in demand prompting a 380 substitution, or anything with an F cabin.

Globaliser

Predictions are always difficult, particularly about the future.

But the direction of travel has been clear: there were more double daily flights on sale earlier in the booking cycle, and BA has recently removed one daily rotation from sale for the remainder of the NS 2022 season. So there's a good chance that the zeroed flights are not coming back.

What I think can safely be said is that on your travel dates, the BA55 / BA56 rotation is more likely to operate than the BA57 / BA54 rotation - and BA55 / BA56 is the earlier rotation. So if you need to know for the purposes of choosing a flight on a separate booking from Zambia to JNB so that you can then travel JNB-LHR, your safer plan is on the basis that you will be flying on BA56 not BA54. You have little to lose if BA54 operates after all.

SimonAB

Thanks both.

BA Agent on chat simply said that operations were not finalised for July and that's the most I could get out of them.

I guess we'll wait and see. Connection time with BA54 would have been 4 hours, but only 2.5 hours with BA56. Not that tight but no flight protection and would have preferred longer. There are other options, just less convenient, and not sure at what point the schedule will get finalised to start considering them.

Carps78

Sorry to be a pain and not fully up to speed on all the jargon yet but this thread peaked my interest as I am booked to fly to Jo'berg on the later flight (57) on May 9th returning June 1st on the earlier one (56). I noticed the 57 coming off sale several weeks ago and contacted BA about it on twitter and online chat. One assured me it was definitely running and the other said all he could tell me is what it was taken off sale while they were finalising their schedule. I need to book an onward flight to Namibia and can't do this until I know what's happening with that outbound flight. Meanwhile that only morning Namibia flight is going up in price and may sell out while BA are faffing about.
Am I right in assuming from this thread that the thinking is they will bin that later LHR-JNB (57) and put people on the earlier one? I am on a 2-4-1 award booking too so panicking rather that that means I'll be the first to be bumped off if they consolidate flights and space is tight. Is that usually the case? Thanks for any thoughts/advice.