BHX-a third daily flight?
 

Some chatter on other forums stating there are plans for an extra daily flight, possibly with a 2 class A330 (if there are any spare?).
Loads for the 2 daily return flights have been between 80 to 90+% and there is big local demand for connections from the Midlands to the sub continent.
TK has increased it's frequency and is promoting IST as a hub and QR is also said to be sniffing around BHX so perhaps EK want to keep the door closed?

2 class A330 is fine for those in Y but I pity those in J(especially those who have paid for a J seat):(:(:(

Maybe they'll move the A330 flight from MAN to BHX in the short term, when the MAN flight goes to the B77W? This is happening 1/6/2012. I seem to recall this is what happened previously when MAN went 2 x B77W.

From 01 JUN 2012, EK027/8 DXB-GLA-DXB, aircraft change from 2 class B77W to a 3 class B77W, with F,J,Y .

So the 2 class B77W could be used to upgrade the NCL flights , and the A330 2 class from NCL could be used to either start the third daily from BHX or the second daily from GLA.

A third flight is a certainty within the next 2 years.

However, with today's revelation that GLA will now see F class on its flight, I wonder if BHX can now be considered for F class given its quite a busy route for EK? I can see the following happening:

GLA goes 2 daily on 3 class aircraft due to reduction in Y seating with the upgrade on June 1st.

NCL gets the 2 class B773 off the GLA rotation in June, or the MAN rotation in Sept.

BHX *could* have the A330 off the MAN rotation and choose to sell F class or sell the F seats with J service (like back when 3 class B773's were sent to BHX), or, use the NCL 2 class A332.

However, I was under the impression the A332's were leaving the fleet, so, the MAN/FRA equipment changes were freeing up A330's for retirement, and the freed NCL A330 will also be retired?

And EK had better watch their prices.TK-BHX/BKK business return in February is £1890 compared to EK at £2085.

Does TK use short haul J planes BHX-IST? AFAIK they do (could be wrong though).

Infrequent travellers may not know about TK's J vs EK's J but I think one 4 hr trip to/from IST might help them realize EK is worth the £200 extra. ;)

I have seen prices on TK as low as £1200. Timings are crap esp ex DXB and product is SH business. Mostly 738's that are better than the 320's that are occasionally on the route. (5 abreast on 320, 4 on 738)

Best alternative to EK is probably LH although only a few hundred lessthan EK.

Would love to see an early morning EK flight from BHX or even better for QR. BHX needs some competition. The Comtel fiasco recently shows that there is the demand (other than EK) to the subcontinent esp ATQ. QR could fill their plane to ATQ just from BHX!

You are surmising surely....

I think that's what he said:

Xxxxx

The aircraft they use have 42 J seats, which apparently they have difficulty filling with paying Pax. The A332 (2 class) which is being phased out(?) has less Economy seats so would not fit the bill unless 3xdaily.
Is there a case, as BHX is not unique, for a reconfigured 777 with a smaller J cabin?

J is always close to full for the flights around the weekend when I've been (then again I don't know how many op ups there were).

I think the issue is that 90% of people flying Emirates are not flying to Dubai (that's my experience of observing J pax when crew are handing out fast track immigration cards and the number of people heading towards baggage reclaim when off a bus). Everyone is connecting somewhere in Asia - so it's pretty much taking you a day to get there - for most business travellers that means that it's only really worth taking a flight on Saturday or Sunday to start business on the Monday or Tuesday. Anything Tuesday - Friday is pretty pointless - so I suspect the loads for J are high at the weekends and pretty low during the week.

Why do you say that? I know plenty of business travelers who fly half way across the world for a 1-2 day meeting.

I have used both TK and EK for BHX/BKK and the difference is usually far more than £200. The current fare on EK of £2,085 is a promotional fare. The typical fare is over to £2,400.

Flying TK can result in horribly long connection times, but if you choose your days carefully the connections are good.

The one time I flew TK, the BHX/IST was on a 738 configured 2 / 2 in business class with US style "First Class" seats. I would far rather have a 4 hour daytime flight in those seats than a 7 hour flight in EK's grossly sub-standard offering.

I have stopped flying EK from BHX and now use their MAN or AMS flights whenever I decide to fly EK.