British Airways

[a300boy]

Its airborne again and in the MME circuit. It might pay us a visit southbound [ fingers crossed ]

 

[lbaspotter]

Dont know if there is any truth this, But I've just been informed the British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner, G-ZBJG is night stopping up at Newcastle tonight and will be out training again tomorrow.

 

[lbaspotter]

British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner, G-ZBJG up again as BAW9162, Its just done another NCL-MME-NCL routing.

Update just started up again as BAW9163. Here's hoping!

 

[LBAYORKIE]

Flew up on BA1344 tonight 115+1. Crew confirmed 60 booked on BA1345. Both good as far as i am concerned.

 

[lbaspotter]

Flew up on BA1344 tonight 115+1. Crew confirmed 60 booked on BA1345. Both good as far as i am concerned.

Can't believe BA are carrying so many pax on what litary is a positioning sector. How has it gone from 10 pax 18 months ago to 40-60 pax been carried now on the late southbound BA1345!

Surely BA must be considering a night stopper and an early southbound now?

 

[a300boy]

My son in law was flying Lba to Heathrow tomorrow night and had his booking changed to the afternoon flight. I assume the evening flight has been cancelled.

 

[Gray Ham]

LBAspotter. Whilst I do agree that an early morning LBA-LHR service would probably substantially increase pax numbers on the route, surely unexpectedly good loads on the late southbound service increases the grounds to retain it rather than discontinue it! I Fear that BA's tendency to cancel flights could inhibit growth. However good to see the service flourishing, at least in numbers carried, though as frequently mentioned by others this doesn't necessarily correlate with profitability. Long May it continue and let's hope for an additional early southbound flight.

 

[ridgeback]

a300boy

The 1344/5 on Sunday has been canx yes but it was canx a long time ago along with a few other rotations inc several in Nov. I wld like to state that this has nothing to do with booked loads and is happening all over the short haul network. All stations are taking their share as BA sort some operational issues out.

I have no clue about yield but this route has never seen number like this September and the months preceding it have equally been good and improving. I hope we can continue to enjoy the route for a long time.

The nightstopper looks very viable but the issue of finding an 0800 arrival slot at LHR remains. Time will tell. I am just happy to see so many people using and hopefully enjoying a, IMO, very reliable reasonably priced shuttle that opens up many destinations to our region without the Manchester hassle (getting there not the airport).

 

[Moo2009]

Next step must be a upgrade to the A320? If the passenger numbers are good

 

[a300boy]

Thanks ridgeback !
Just to confirm my son in law arrived from Oz on Friday with Emirates via Manchester with the rest of his and my family.
Having spoken to him today he tells me the change of BA flight was made around a month ago.
Positive thinking is I get more time with my daughter and grand children as he now has to leave earlier.

 

[AirBingley]

I'm new to this site but have spied it before. I'm booked to travel back north on the evening flight on 6th Feb 2015 and spy that BA have changed it to an earlier time to allow for some late evening connections. My BA 1344 now departs 18.35 arriving 19.40 and has only 25 minutes to turn round at LBA leaving 20.05 back to LHR and arriving at 21.05 (a whole hour earlier) which picks up a few long haul flights particularly to the Middle East. For me it leaves a very tight 1hr 10 at T5 flying in from Zurich to connect but hopefully loads on the late flight improve!

 

[jason1-11]

Just been notified of a time change on my trip up on the 21st Nov: BA1344 18:25 LHR departure now arrives into LBA 19:30 .

Not sure if there are any other changes to the schedule, but one would assume the 1345 will also be heading back early.

 

[jason1-11]

After my day return in August, 2 of my colleagues are doing the same LHR-LBA trip next Friday so that's another 4 additional passengers for the October numbers .

I'll get them to count the numbers on board.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

I understand that the announcement has now been made that Virgin Little Red are to cease and that the slot are to revert to IAG. Is this the opportunity for LBA? I kind of get the feeling that if it doesn't happen now it never will.

 

[imagineif]

Yes its official, with Manchester ending already by March - this will free up a few slots that will go back to BA unless another airline apply's for them which is lets face it... unlikely.

It frees up a 0655 MAN-LHR Departure currently held by little red that would be extremely attractive on the LBA-LHR route... however it would mean a complete timetable re-shuffle for BA with flights on sale into the summer already from LBA.

Personally, I think the late departure needs axing from LBA - it currently offers nearly no connectivity and there for suffers the same problem little red have indicated - low yield point to point passengers.

A night stop arriving between 9-10pm, an early departure with 100% connectivity and a lunch time and tea time rotation with more connectivity. This can be done with a night stop crew arriving mid day so no need for a base and the associated costs.

Its a long shot but in light of this announcement, I am sure they looking at what they can change already. Willy is quoted as saying he is delighted at this announcement. BA are probably laughing at the whole situation and the return of those lucrative slots.

 

[Aviador]

Sorry am I missing something here? Virgin Red is part of Virgin Atlantic not British Airways and the International Airlines Group so as far as I understand it the slots will return to Virgin Atlantic. They will be keen to utilise the slots on more lucrative international routes before returning them to BAA for redistribution, that is unless Virgin Atlantic wish to sell the slots to British Airways and the IAG which is possible but unlikely.

 

[whoshotjimmi]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/news ... rvice.html

That should answer your query. As I understand, most of the slots were granted on the understanding that they were used domestically.

 

[Bigman]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that Newcastle currently have an early departure to Heathrow either. I would have thought that they would be higher up the pecking order for that precious early morning arrival slot.

 

[lbaspotter]

The Virgin Little Red Heathrow - Aberdeen & Edinburgh. slots revert back to IAG (other than the Manchester slots which always belonged to Virgin) unless another airline wants to operate the remedy routes. There never was any ability to use the slots for long haul other than routes from Heathrow to Moscow, Riyadh & Cairo. Even if Virgin had used them on the remedy routes for the 3 year minimum period.
Once the slots are handed back in September 2015, IAG can use the returned slots as they see fit. The restrictions only applied to the new entrant, ie Virgin.

 

[lbaspotter]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that Newcastle currently have an early departure to Heathrow either. I would have thought that they would be higher up the pecking order for that precious early morning arrival slot.

Just checked that bigman. For the Winter Schedule it looks as though the first southbound BA1321 leaves Newcastle at 07:45 and gets into Heathrow for 09:05. Compare that to the first southbound BA1347 that leaves Leeds at 09:25 and arrives into Heathrow for 10:40.