British Airways

[jason1-11]

BA have axed LHR to SVG and LHR to BGO from this winter. These are middle of the day slots so don't do anything to help us get a night stopper at LBA. But LBA - LHR looks like it is still performing well so we can continue to hope that BA stick to their intention of getting us a night stopper sooner rather than later. As has been said before, that would increase pax numbers still further

Not LBA related, but both SVG and BGO could end up at LGW so I am lead to believe.

 

[jason1-11]

Just checked in for tomorrow's BA 1344.

Counted 27 spare seats so with some passengers still to check-in perhaps, we can expect a load in the region of 120+.

Flight has just been cancelled - appalling !!!

 

[Aviador]

Flight has just been cancelled - appalling !!!

 

[lbaspotter]

Whats the reason given by BA for the cancellation? As weather is fine up here in Leeds so not a problem this end.

See they have only cancelled 3 services: LHR-LBA, LHR-NCE & LHR-GVA,

 

[jason1-11]

Stating weather. We've had rain in the London area, but that's about it. Re-booked on the BA1340 tomorrow morning, but to canx the flight 3 hours before departure really is poor.

Let's see what BA do with G-EUPK as that was the bird scheduled on tonight's run.

 

[KARFA]

Yes it's not weather in Leeds or in London, or even in between. Like the cancellations which happened on 22 June it seems to be storm issues elsewhere in Europe, particularly in western France and northern Spain at the moment though (along with a bit around Anglia in the UK).

See here: http://en.blitzortung.org/live_light...aps.php?map=10

The cancellations are almost certainly pro-active to get the rest of BA program for the day back on track. As noted a few other short haul and domestic routes have cancellations too:

BA356/357 (NCE)
BA736/737 (GVA)
BA748/749 (BSL)
BA1344/1345 (LBA)
BA1458/1465 (EDI)
BA1486/1493 (GLA)

None of this is particularly helpful of course - and it is frustrating for those booked on the evenings' LBA rotation.

 

[KARFA]

...but to canx the flight 3 hours before departure really is poor.

Well yes, but the alternative is say nothing, let you come to the airport where you watch the flight progressively get predicted a later and later departure time, and then potentially just get cancelled after you have waited for several hours. As someone who has been in situations I would rather just know a few hours before so I can make other plans.

If you have a look on the BA flights status page here https://www.britishairways.com/rtad/travel/public/en_gb enter LHR as a deparure aiport and show everything after 1200 you can get a sense of how many departures from LHR are departing late and how many of the later departures are showing 1hr or more delayed already - and it is quite a few!

 

[KARFA]

Not LBA related, but both SVG and BGO could end up at LGW so I am lead to believe.

Really? They would be an odd choice for a move to LGW. If the amount of traffic on them isn't sustainable for LHR with all the potential for addded connecting passengers, I don't see how they work at LGW where there are much fewer connecting passenger opportunities.

 

[jason1-11]

My frustration is born out of the fact that neither Newcastle or Manchester see any cancellations today, but Leeds yet again gets the proverbial chop.

Tonight's flight has beended sacrificed to maintain an all be it delayed schedule to other airports even though there was a very healthy load booked.

 

[cmj]

Really? They would be an odd choice for a move to LGW. If the amount of traffic on them isn't sustainable for LHR with all the potential for addded connecting passengers, I don't see how they work at LGW where there are much fewer connecting passenger opportunities.

They are also up against Norwegian from LGW to SVG at least (not sure about BGO).

Stating weather. We've had rain in the London area, but that's about it. Re-booked on the BA1340 tomorrow morning, but to canx the flight 3 hours before departure really is poor.

Didn't try to get them to put you onto KL1024 + KL1551 to get back into Leeds tonight?

 

[lbaspotter]

British Airways Winter 2017/18 Schedule has been updated today. Sadly no night stopper yet but the Leeds/Bradford – London Heathrow shuttle service will continue to operate 3x daily Sunday to Friday with 2x flights on Saturday all using Airbus A319 Aircraft.

BA1346 = LHR 07:40 – LBA 08:40 / BA1347 = LBA 09:20 – LHR 10:35 MO/TU/WE/THU/FRI/SAT/SUN
BA1342 = LHR 12:15 – LBA 13:20 / BA1343 = LBA 13:55 – LHR 15:05 MO/TU/WE/THU/FRI/SAT/SUN
BA1344 = LHR 17:30 – LBA 18:35 / BA1345 = LBA 19:10 – LHR 20:25 MO/TU/WE/THU/FRI-----------
BA1344 = LHR 17:30 – LBA 18:35 / BA1345 = LBA 19:20 – LHR 20:35 -----------------------------SUN

 

[tleeds]

Think I may have already posted this but a BA Boss who was at LBA a month or so ago said a night stop could potentially add £500k onto the route. Considering; slots, overnight expenses for crew and a/c etc. So he doesn't think that it's going to happen anytime soon!

Just look at what KLM are doing with their UK crews..! There will be none by October 2018! It will all be Dutch night stops. Crewing is an expense a lot of people forget about.

Heads up on another interesting pointer. There is a scheduled BA Mixed Fleet (I believe) strike from 1st-16th July. BA have managed to organise 6-7 Qatar Airways A320s (including crews) to minimise distribution. These aircraft transitted over within the past 24hours. An internal email we have had suggests that Qatar Airways A320s will almost certainly be operating into U.K. Bases over the next fortnight or so. Watch this space...

 

[KARFA]

Think I may have already posted this but a BA Boss who was at LBA a month or so ago said a night stop could potentially add £500k onto the route. Considering; slots, overnight expenses for crew and a/c etc. So he doesn't think that it's going to happen anytime soon!

Just look at what KLM are doing with their UK crews..! There will be none by October 2018! It will all be Dutch night stops. Crewing is an expense a lot of people forget about.

Heads up on another interesting pointer. There is a scheduled BA Mixed Fleet (I believe) strike from 1st-16th July. BA have managed to organise 6-7 Qatar Airways A320s (including crews) to minimise distribution. These aircraft transitted over within the past 24hours. An internal email we have had suggests that Qatar Airways A320s will almost certainly be operating into U.K. Bases over the next fortnight or so. Watch this space...

They are operating on LHR to BRU, NCE, OSL, MUC, KRK, SFO, MAD, KBP, ZAG, TLL, EDI, and ATH atm. Other route may be added but I don't see it being LBA. They are mostly being sent on routes served by Mixed Fleet crew - LBA is a Euro Fleet crew route. I wouldn't be holding my breath for any appearing at LBA.

 

[White Heather]

Well at least we have had a Quatar Airways A320 here at LBA in the past.

 

[Sam b]

 

[KARFA]

British Airways Winter 2017/18 Schedule has been updated today. Sadly no night stopper yet but the Leeds/Bradford – London Heathrow shuttle service will continue to operate 3x daily Sunday to Friday with 2x flights on Saturday all using Airbus A319 Aircraft.

BA1346 = LHR 07:40 – LBA 08:40 / BA1347 = LBA 09:20 – LHR 10:35 MO/TU/WE/THU/FRI/SAT/SUN
BA1342 = LHR 12:15 – LBA 13:20 / BA1343 = LBA 13:55 – LHR 15:05 MO/TU/WE/THU/FRI/SAT/SUN
BA1344 = LHR 17:30 – LBA 18:35 / BA1345 = LBA 19:10 – LHR 20:25 MO/TU/WE/THU/FRI-----------
BA1344 = LHR 17:30 – LBA 18:35 / BA1345 = LBA 19:20 – LHR 20:35 -----------------------------SUN

I think sadly there have been some changes fed in to the system today. From what I can tell:

1-14 Jan
Morning and midday rotations only Mon-Fri, & Sun
Morning rotation only Sat

15-28 Jan
Morning and evening rotations only Mon-Fri, & Sun
Morning rotation only Sat (except Sat 27 which has morning and midday)

29 Jan - 4 Feb
Morning and midday rotations only Mon-Tue
Morning and evening rotations only Wed-Fri, & Sun
Morning rotation only Saturday

5-11 Feb
Morning and evening rotations only Mon-Fri, & Sun
Morning and midday rotations Sat

12-26 February
Morning, midday, and evening rotations Mon-Fri, & Sun (except Sun 25 which has midday and evening only)
Morning and midday rotations Sat

27 Feb - 24 Mar
Midday and evening rotations only Mon-Fri, & Sun
Midday rotation only Sat

25 Mar onwards
Back to normal, with three rotations Mon-Fri, & Sun and two on Saturday

 

[Finger66]

I think this is fairly standard practice for BA on LBA LHR during the winter months. Separately they are moving their LHR to ORY service to LCY for w17/18 which frees up an early ish slot at LHR. One can hope!

 

[KARFA]

I think this is fairly standard practice for BA on LBA LHR during the winter months. Separately they are moving their LHR to ORY service to LCY for w17/18 which frees up an early ish slot at LHR. One can hope!

You are right there have been reductions in previous years, but this looks more than normal. Also the changes are all over the place, they seem to change what they are running almost from week to week. This doesn't help to continue to grow the route unfortunately.

I hope for an earlier rotation too, maybe one day

 

[lbaspotter]

BA have being changing the LBA-LHR scheduled all summer to be honest with you.
It seems like they are just not interested in point to point customers, which comes as no surprise really as its the Long Haul connections that rakes the money in for them. The main thing is that we keep the service, also could it be that BA are looking to upgrade some flights from the A319 onto the larger A320?

In comparison you've only got to look at the big cut backs KLM have made with their LBA-AMS route this summer. Down from 4x daily Embrear 190 last summer 2016 to 2x daily Embrear 190 & 1x Embraer 170 this Summer 2017.

 

[KARFA]

The main thing is that we keep the service, also could it be that BA are looking to upgrade some flights from the A319 onto the larger A320?

Apologies, I didn't check types when looking through the timetable for early 2018. At least for the flights I have booked between Jan-Mar 2018 they have all remained as A319s. BA will start retiring the A319s gradually from end of 2018 I think so I would hope we start to get some A320s in the future and have the passenger numbers to justify their use.

The one positive of LBA being exclusively A319 is that I have actually managed to travel on all 44 BA have, just did the one I was missing this Sunday gone. Only half way through the A320 fleet so if some start coming our way that will help me complete that list