QF WP

...whilst the world's only successful supersonic passenger airliner, Concorde, makes its last flight from JFK airport in New York to London on Friday. What will be left for the world's jet-setters once the ultimate flying machine is grounded?...

I suppose they'll have to slum it now in First (where they get more leg room, flat beds but it does take twice as long!)

NM

Hmm, I wonder of that means BA will now have to add capacity to meet additional up to 100 F seats daily?

mikalee

I see your hint of sarcasm. BA won't have to add F cappacity on LHR-JFK as before the retirement announcement most Concorde flights were only loaded with around 30-50% fare paying pax. The remainder were upgrades from NCW or F (most on promo's) or FF Awards.

So with the loss of custom to the private jets and competitors I am sure they will fit them in their existing F inventory.

Interestingly though they are trialing "sleeper flight" on some North America-LHR services. These are where it is strictly lights out upon the seatbelt sign going off and sleep all the way to LHR. Dining is done pre-boarding.

Globaliser

No, more like an additional 20-30 premium seats daily based on SSC loads immediately before the announcement. Some of the pax may migrate to other carriers once it's a choice between different F classes, some may fly in J rather than F if there's no time saving in F other than being allowed to get off the aircraft first.

When SSC was grounded after the accident, BA added one LHR-JFK-LHR rotation a day, expressly to to put more premium seats onto the route - premium capacity was so tight at that stage that they didn't really care how much they sold down the back. I think there's a reasonable chance that there'll be one additional daily rotation from some time next summer, when it seems that traffic should be picking up again.

QF WP

The number of domestic and international passengers carried by Qantas fell during August as the carrier battled an aviation market still feeling the effects of SARS and terrorism fears.

International passenger numbers fell from 733,000 during the month of August 2002 to 644,000 this year, while domestic passengers declined a more modest 0.3 per cent to 1.446 million.

International revenue passenger kilometres, the number of paying passengers carried times the number of kilometres flown, dropped 12.7 per cent while international available seat kilometres, which measures an airline's seating capacity, fell 11.2 per cent.

QF WP

US air giant Boeing sees profits hit by weak demand for commercial jets and the costs of scrapping the production of its 757 plane

QF WP

Alitalia could slash its workforce by up to 20 percent in the next three years if it fails to reach traffic growth objectives set out in its latest rescue plan...

Lucky we are better than them....

QF WP

Global airline revenue are set to fall by £3bn this year as a result of the Iraq war and Sars virus, a report predicts...

QF WP

British Airways has announced a 57% fall in profits to £105m ($175m) for the three months to September...

QF WP

Air New Zealand is expected to announce within a week a decision to appeal a New Zealand Commerce Commission ruling blocking a $500 million tie-up with Qantas...

QF WP

Say hello to Ted,United Airlines' new corporate offspring...

Now I will try hard not to think what some may call it...but d***head comes to mind

QF WP

Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey does not believe Qantas can operate a new cut-price airline with a lower cost base than Virgin's...

QF WP

Australian Airlines has just celebrated its first birthday in its new incarnation, reaching the milestone with a unique story to tell...

[This message has been edited by QF WP (edited Nov 16, 2003).]

QF WP

Qantas and Air New Zealand are expected to announce an appeal against a New Zealand regulator veto of its $500 million alliance...

QF WP

Cathay Pacific and Qantas Airways will have to scuttle plans to pick up passengers in Hong Kong between Sydney and the US, after aviation officials failed to expand flights between the city and Australia...