As some of you may know, one of the routes I travel the most is ZRH-CDG or LGW-ATL and back.
I have never been able to find out why ATL is always treated by both airlines almost as second class destination. I mean by that, that BA stubbornly has its flights out of LGW which almost requires a stopover in London if one wants to fly out of ZRH or have to transfer by bus from LHR to LGW, which , since 9/11 is a real pain as one cannot check luggage through any more.
BA waited almost two years before finally converting its C-class to the new.
Air France is doing the same, promising now for a year that the new F and C would be installed but according to the last info I have, it will not be the case until 2006.
CDG-ATL on AF or LGW-ATL on BA are almost always full. Some so-called "prestige" routes, like LHR-HKG or CDG-NYC have received the new classes almost immediately but when on these flights, most of the times I have never encountered more than two or three passengers in F and was surprised to see half of C full.
Many times also, the ATL flights arriving in CDG or LGW do not get a gate but are left on the apron and by all kinds of weather, the passengers have to be transferred by bus.
Can anyone explain why such busy and I suppose, profitable routes are always so neglected?

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I'll make a wild guess and say it's because the competition hasn't forced them to.

Reminds me of an old joke.

2 men are hiking in the woods when accosted by an angry grizzly bear. One man starts to run, the other kneels down to lace his running shoes tighter. The first turns back around and says "Are you crazy, you can't outrun an adult grizzly bear." The second replies, "I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you."

BA has to go to LGW, and will continue to have to unless (a) DL decides to stop flying LGW-ATL; and (b) nobody else steps into the breach; and (c) BA has enough slots at LHR to give to ATL; and (d) there is a commercial case for doing so. Conditions (a) and (b) follow from Bermuda II, and since there's not much chance of both of those happening in the foreseeable future that's the end of that.

I, too, have noticed LGW-ATL being pretty full whenever I've been on it, even in the premium cabins. I think, though, the profitability of the flights may have been somewhat affected by the fact that many people on my flights were, like me, in a premium cabin despite having paid only about �300 for the return trip.

Airlines are going to put their upgraded cabins on routes where they are going to maximize the profit from them--revenue first/biz tickets and cargo. ATL falls to the second tier. IMHO, the first tier destinations in the US are New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Maybe ATL isn't considered a high premium traffic destination for many carriers.

I live about halfway between MIA and ATL and cast my vote with Magexpect. Atlanta is - and has been for quite a few years - the busiest airport IN THE WORLD.

But - when I'm trying to find international or even west coast US connections - it's hardly ever the best hub to go through - even though my connecting flight to ATL will be an hour or so. Either the carriers are very limited - or the prices are way too high - or the schedules are inconvenient - or the equipment is dumpy - whatever. It is usually "Ditto" when I look at connections through MIA or MCO. I think at some point that perhaps TPTB will recognize that there are an awful lot of people who live in the southeast US - and that we don't appreciate being treated like second class citizens. Robyn