[AllOverTheGaff]

OddvarJohansen – 17/04/2013 10:06 GMT
No surprise. All European and US airlines will have problems earning money where the Middle East airlines, THAI Airways and others are flying.

I wonder if they based their decision on the future-labs Merc S Class feedback that senior management don’t listen to?

On a more serious note, seems BA have done what is right for that particular market, according to rferguson the demand for 1st to and from BKK simply isn’t there, and going by my recent flight back with BA on that route, you couldn’t pay me to use it again. It was that bad.

And I note Angus points out there are 4 EK first class flights a day from BKK, looks like BA simply cannot compete with the opposition for price, product and service so they’ve admitted defeat and will offer more CW.

Rgds.
AOTG.

[AMcWhirter]

Re daytime flights ex-BKK

Note that BA is not the only carrier which has switched to a daytime schedule between BKK and Europe.

Both AF and KL now depart BKK in the morning. And Norwegian, which starts flying between Oslo/Stockholm and BKK this summer, has an even earlier departure from BKK than does BA. So too does AF.

At least BA will continue to operate a viable product on the route, unlike Air France which drastically cut the number of its BKK flights and configures its B777s with 10-across in Y.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/air-france-to-retreat-from-bangkok

As AOTG notes, there is ever fiercer competition from the Gulf carriers.

Besides EK with its x 5 daily flights (including one service operated by an A380), there’s QR with x4 daily flights, EY with x 3 daily flights and even WY with a single daily service.

Indeed EY claims that BKK is the busiest route on its entire network.

A further selling point is that two of these Gulf carriers (EK + QR) also serve Phuket which means that some holidaymakers (those bound for the Phuket area) avoid having to transit BKK.

Indeed, one wonders whether SAS will ever return to BKK given that competition is now so great.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/sas-to-axe-bangkok-route-after-63-years

[rferguson]

Flying eastwards on the more leisure oriented routes, the Gulf carriers are bound to be attractive to european originating passengers.

I was reading the results of a travel survey only last week regarding the most important factors for both business and leisure travellers when choosing an airline.

The #1 requirement for business travellers was a ‘non stop/direct flight’. Things like flat beds, lounges and cost were further down the list. The top ask for the leisure based travellers was ‘cost/value for money’.

I’m not suggesting that the euro carriers aren’t losing business travellers to the Gulf airlines, but it is much more acute on the leisure/visting friends and family routes. And who can blame them? Fares are extremely competitive, aircraft are generally new, catering is superior, IFE generally better. If you don’t need miles or tier points why not go via the gulf?

[Binman62]

DerekChilvers…….I think irrespective of the timing you will not be flying BA as a 3 class aircraft 777-200 does not have First.

Whatever the competition are or are not doing the demise of the BA10 as premium route is almost entirely down to the ending of the JSA with QF. This was predicted when QF linked up with EK as BA’s entire European transfer traffic will have been switched off overnight.
No one in the right mind transits LHR unless they have too especially when it also involves a change of terminal.
EK and others have now taken away almost all of BA’s business from the UK regions and now have done so in Europe for traffic to Asia and Oceania.
It is also something of an eye opener when you look at an app such as flight radar 24 and see where BA aircraft actually operate. There is a huge number of aircraft plying the Atlantic and over Europe but look further and their presence globally is almost non-existent.
Far from worrying about the Future of First one has to wonder what sort of carrier they will be in a few years.
Today they operate to Asia and Oceania flying to SYD HKG SIN SEL TYO BJS and PVG yet in the 80’s and 90’s they flew to ADL PER MEL BNE CHC AKL SYD BKK HKG SEL TPE MNL CGK SIN.
I do understand that things change but their focus on USA in particular seems like putting all ones eggs in a single basket.
When you then read some of the other posts it does make you wonder what they are doing. Surely for example something more original and interesting could have been done with the BA010 by extending it. Simply to switching timings may work but the comment re getting up at 4am for a flight to BKK is valid on what is principally a leisure route.

[AllOverTheGaff]

rferguson – 17/04/2013 12:07 GMT
The #1 requirement for business travellers was a ‘non stop/direct flight’. Things like flat beds, lounges and cost were further down the list. The top ask for the leisure based travellers was ‘cost/value for money’.

Hi rferguson

For me, I have to stop no matter where it is I am going, or who it is I am flying with given I’m located in Scotland.

Emirates stop in Dubai, BA in London, Virgin London (annoyingly, you still can’t book a through fare with VS from EDI – LAX for example on their website) and United in Newark. Last few Pond hops I’ve done have been with United via EWR so as when I land coming back I don’t have the agro of connecting at LHR and a sleepy wait in the lounge. I connect in the US then over the Pond to Scottish shores.

Emirates, I believe, fly from Glasgow, Newcastle & Manchester to Dubai, this is just as convenient I would suggest than a LHR connection with BA, certainly overall journey time isn’t a whole lot longer, the pinch one would assume from non-London based travellers must be quite significant.

Rgds
AOTG.

[FormerlyDoS]

rferguson – 17/04/2013 12:07 GMT

The #1 requirement for business travellers was a ‘non stop/direct flight’. Things like flat beds, lounges and cost were further down the list. The top ask for the leisure based travellers was ‘cost/value for money’.

When interpreting survey results, one has to be careful to think about what they really mean.

In this instance, although one cannot be sure because there is no clear data on the respondees, only the business travellers who can access business or first class will compare the type of seat/bed.

The business travellers in Y or Y+ will usually prefer a direct flight to minimise the time spent in an upright seat.

All I’m saying is that audiences are not always homogenous and the audience selection will often skew the results.

[DerekVH]

All confirmed I am afraid; I have just received an email from BA advising my First class flight to BKK has been cancelled and I have been moved onto the following days flight in Club! The departure time is 1505 from Terminal 5 and return at 0920.

[londonlad]

Strong rumour this is to become a Mixed Fleet route in early 2014.

[bacrew1]

DerekHodgson..

BA usually offers a full refund if unhappy with the changes… So if you still wanted to travel in F, you could find another carrier?
Big news for me… I haven’t even heard any “crewmours” off BKK
1. going to the 777
2. becoming a 3 class route
3. changing departure times.

[TerryMcManus24]

BA Departure Times Changed……

Wife is booked on BA to Bangkok for next week and assume still T.3 but now that you mention it will double check.
also

just been told that the have changed return flight Departure times from Bangers

Dear Customer,..We regret to inform you that – Flight BA0010 on 15 November has had a time change.

Passengers:
MS ……………………….wife…………….Booking Reference: …etc

————–
FLIGHT CHANGES
————–

***The following flight has a timing change***

Flight Number: BA0010
From: Bangkok
To: Heathrow (London)

Original departure time: 15 Nov 2013 00:10
New departure time: 15 Nov 2013 10:55

Original arrival time: 15 Nov 2013 05:55
New arrival time: 15 Nov 2013 16:55

We hope you find this acceptable, in which case you
do not need to contact us…..

almost 11 Hours later…..Suwanna is nice but..

again need to check her connection/bookings from Chiang Mai..

[Ardmarnoch]

As a (poor) BA shareholder the revised timings look like much more efficient aircraft utilisation, which should be good news.
However, if we consider that QR will become a member of OneWorld in the next year, and has a generally superior service and frequency, it makes even more sense.
Having a home in BKK. I will at some stage try the BA service, instead of QR, and see how my body responds to the timings. For me, the timings, especially ex BKK look good.

[fastphil]

Me thinks BA could use the evening departure and early morning arrival LHR slots for a KUL service ……..

[Binman62]

KUL very unlikely.
firstly they do not have the aircraft,
Secondly SIN just down the road and significantly higher yields.
thirdly MH has significantly better product on A380

The one hope for KUL route is connectivity to Region via codeshare on MH. SIN weakness is lack of connectivity in or out of city state. BA currently survive on the route by very goofd point point traffic and onward feed to SYD.

[VintageKrug]

KUL highly likely.

[AllOverTheGaff]

Binman62 – 18/04/2013 18:06
thirdly MH has significantly better product on A380

And then some!

Rgds.
AOTG.

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