Rumours about new destinations or airlines?

[airbus]

i have just been on to lbia route map and it isnt working i wounder if thay updating it for a new route and leeds does show on ba website so could this meen a ba route to london

 

[pug]

Someone on fruit saying its a flybe codeshare?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Just been having a gander on the British Airways website and Leeds is on the drop down menu when you search for flights, anyone else notice this, could this be a sign of things to come?...

Someone on fruit saying its a flybe codeshare?

Newquay is another UK airport in the BA drop-down list.

NQY had a BA route to Gatwick three or four years ago and currently has a Flybe route to Gatwick, though a test booking from NQY to LGW on the BA website revealed no flights.

Mystery deepens.

 

[cmj]

There were two 'odd' flights the other day on the online departures / arrivals boards. One was BAxxxx. Can't remember where it was going (or had come from).

 

[lbaspotter]

There were two 'odd' flights the other day on the online departures / arrivals boards. One was BAxxxx. Can't remember where it was going (or had come from).

That was one of the Charter flights going out to Naples operated by a BA Cityflyer, Embrear 170 for Omega Holidays that's been operated this summer season. Normally charter flights don't show in the British Airways booking site.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

FlyBe/BA codeshare into Gatwick? Would make perfect sense. FlyBe had reasonable loads to LGW and the possibility of adding BA connecting pax could tip it back in favour? I have said all along that domestic London flights, especially Heathrow, should look more at codesharing with larger aircraft. It would release a decent number of slots, either to add more domestic connecting routes or to enlarge the worldwide market.

In any case, it can only realistically be FlyBe or Easyjet if the information is correct. I still do not understand why people think Southend, Luton or Stansted are realistic possibilities. Only LGW or LHR will generate a reasonable demand for pax. None of the above three airports serve any purpose to pax from LBA and if any of them appear on the route list from LBA, I will officially revoke my own membership of this forum.

 

[markietg]

Leeds was showing on the drop down menu in June this year. I remember it being there when I was searching for flights, so not that new.

 

[White Heather]

There is no doubt that LBA's preference is to somehow find a way of reviving a route to LHR and they will not give up on that. Their preference too would be BA to operate it, even if it were only a couple of times a day to connect with long haul and European routes. If they ever pulled it off, it would count as the biggest coup by any regional airport for some time. I remember Ryanair showing LBA as a base on their route map over a year before they finally announced one, and on that occasion it was a case of 'no smoke without fire', so it would be amazing if they did the same with BA. After all, why would BA suddenly put Leeds on their drop down menu if they were not going to operate to the airport or code share with another airline? It is not likely that it appeared by mistake!

I would agree though that LGW is the most likely and if they did code share with Flybe, it could make all the difference to loads, making the route more viable.

Whatever is said on the fruit forum etc, its just speculation though. I can guarantee that there would be nobody out there that actually knew. There is about as much chance of finding out what is going on with route development as there is in finding out Leeds United transfer fees!

 

[User0001]

Hi Heather.

No disrespect intended, but whilst a route to London on BA would be a valuble benefit to Leeds, fitting in with the connection banks at LHR, I think its a little extreme to say it would be the 'biggest coup for a regional airport for a while'.

East Mids has just got a 3 daily FRA which is just as good as any prospective BA route to LHR from LBA, and whilst it is beneficial, its hardly groundbreaking. There have literally been 'bigger' things (A380) happen at UK regionals than a multiple daily BA service to Leeds.

Given that LHR is becoming so slot constrained and seems to ground to a halt every winter, Id take a 3 daily FRA service over a 2/3??? daily LHR service any day.

 

[wawkrk]

I agree with Heather. Restoring the long gone BA route to Heathrow would indeed be a major happening for any regional airport. All those sadly missed BA card holders would jump with delight. It for sure would do better than BMI. Not many frequent travellers like the stingy Lufty Miles & More frequent flier scheme and this is where the most revenue comes from frequent fliers and connections.

 

[User0001]

I still dont think it would 'huge' news. Good news, but not 'huge'. If you think BA to LHR is huge, Id expect many in Leeds to explode with the sheer excitement of a new long haul link if one were to happen 😀

 

[Jordan-34092]

[offtopic]More long haul routes will eventually come to LBA it just a matter of when. People might say it won't happen because of MAN over the hills, but it will, Airports such as LPL, NCL, LBA are all starting to threaten MAN now with more flights from these including long haul, PIA to ISLAMABAD from LBA, Emirates to DUBAI from NCL. MAN maybe a big airport but it starting to loose the reputation it once had regarding offering more choice than compared to other local airports up here. Its a long way until we see LBA with daily long haul flights, but the airport will get there eventually.[/offtopic]

 

[markietg]

Im with you 001. I would much rather have a FRA service 3 times a day than one to LHR. I am a Star Alliance Gold card holder so i'm bias towards the SA anyway.

I see Loganair have a flight down from Glasgow on Monday morning. Could this be bringing Mr Hinkles down for a little announcement maybe???

 

[User0001]

I doubt NCL is any threat to MAN. EDI, maybe, but its too far north to start crossing MAN's catchments. Even LBA shouldnt be worried about NCL, as its quite a 'niche' catchment, serving areas it would otherwise take ages to get to.

However, as for MAN loosing its long haul reputation, with AA going year round to JFK this year, and an extra 3 flights a day to the middle east, air asia x comming next year, more long haul connections through TAP and Iberia I dont see that being the case.

Yes, LBA will serve its own long haul niche routes to say, New York and Islamabad, but, I hardly see a major pullout from MAN in favour of them. A lot more in house excuses are needed, not just 'the pennies are too much of an obsticle'.

 

[White Heather]

HI User001

No offence taken and you are fully entitled to express your doubts about a BA service from LBA to LHR being a huge coup for the airport, although you won't be surprised to know that I am sticking to my guns on this one. My reasoning in saying this is simply that LHR is renowned for being full with very few slots available and in general airlines want to use them for long distance routes, rather than 'just up the road' to Leeds. Only MAN, of the airports within 200 miles of London, has retained its service to LHR and my understanding is that even their bmi service is under severe threat now.

So, given that LHR is almost a no go zone now for short haul domestic routes of less than 300 miles (with the exception of MAN), NCL being just about 300 from London, and given that BA pulled out of LBA in 1980 and have never been seen on a scheduled service from LBA since, (I am not including such as Cityflyer Express etc as they were only franchises), it would be amazing if LBA managed to get BA to come back on the LHR route for the first time in 31 years. In fact, it would be amazing if they got ANY airline to operate to LHR from LBA, ever again, given the circumstances, but BA in particular given that they already operate from MAN and anything out of LBA would be certain to have some impact.

BA is the one carrier though that would probably be able to really pull in the passengers from LBA given their more extensive interlining opportunities out of LHR. A couple of A319's timed to connect would be all that is needed.

 

[User0001]

Whiteheather,

Fair point, I do see where you are comming from. However, I still dont see it as being the biggest coup to a regional airport in a while. Yes, for Leeds, it will be huge to have a legacy carrier back, but, I suppose I personally find other news such as the Emirates A380 to Manchester, ahead of places like Frankfurt, Munich, New York (2nd time round) and Singapore, that little bit bigger. Like I say, thats just me personally.

Its also interesting to hear of bmi LHR-MAN. I was under the impression that the downgrade to Embrear jets has been a bit of a mistake for them to the point they have had to revert back to A319's, A320's and A321's back on the route. Also, some days have had to go back up to 5-6 daily to cope with demand?
However, with growing connections to other places outside of the UK, you can see why its happening.
I suppose with bmi no one really knows whats happening though, not even them. they apparently have an announcement on Monday so will be interesting to see what its about.

 

[jason1-11]

Does anyone remember the rumours of Maradona playing for Leeds? Well courtesy of my BA contact (pilot on the Airbus fleet), Leeds wont happen as the slots are too valuable, but I'm sure we all knew that anyway.

For those optimists though, as A300boy stated "sometimes the pilots are the last to know thought."

 

[wawkrk]

I see Monarch are looking at expanding with more UK bases.
I don't suppose LBA will be on the list will it?

 

[lbaspotter]

I see Monarch are looking at expanding with more UK bases.
I don't suppose LBA will be on the list will it?

Well just to add fire to that rumor wawkrk the management of Monarch Airlines has been seen recently sniffing around LBA.

 

[LeedsPilot]

I believe that there could be a gap in the market at LBA for Monarch to expand into, as there aren't that many charter flights at the moment since the loss of the Thomson base.