[Anonymous]

[continentalclub]

British Airways are announcing that Gatwick will be gaining a new route and also some additional frequencies on its longhaul services for the Winter 2011 timetable.

The new route is Mauritius, which will transfer from Heathrow and be operated by a three-class Boeing 777. Although the aircraft used will not offer First, timings have been changed such that the homeward bound flight from Mauritius will depart in the evening rather than the morning. This has long been a grumble from regulars on the route and effectively means that passengers now benefit from an extra day in the sun.

The first flight is planned to leave London Gatwick on Monday 31st October 2011 at 20:30pm local, arriving in Mauritius 12:25pm local. The return flight will leave Mauritius at 21:05pm local, arriving back at Gatwick at 05:20am on Wednesday 2nd November 2011. Flights are on sale from today.

http://bit.ly/foTwFL

Other changes at Gatwick from October 30, in comparison to Winter 2010, will include Cancun increasing to three flights a week from two and Tampa increasing from five to six flights a week.

Interestingly, there’s also mention in the BA email that ‘addition, Gatwick’s owners, GIP, are ploughing significant investment into the airport so customers can expect a new level of service there soon.’

No idea what that means!

[travelworld]

Interesting- I wonder why they are happy to leave the 777 on the ground at Mauritius for over eight hours. It’s a big price to pay to give the punters an extra day in the sun….

[continentalclub]

It’s mostly down to the length of flight and what you could do with the aircraft if it was back in the UK from a tighter turnaround.

If you look at BA’s schedules, downroute stations such as Cairo, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Sydney and quite a number of others play host to aircraft for what look like fairly long periods of downtime.

However, the Heathrow curfew often precludes a return to base for many hours, and even at Gatwick there’s not much that you can do with an aircraft landing at 22:00GMT or later. With stand congestion and parking costs as both Gatwick and Heathrow being relatively high, it makes a certain amount of sense to stable some aircraft downroute rather than at home.

And, in general, BA passengers don’t buy outbound departures between 00:00 and 05:00 – so the schedulers have always tried to build operations around demand rather than out-and-out airframe-sweating.

[travelworld]

Thanks for that. I must admit I had always thought that the long delay at JNB (which someone told me years ago had something to do with its altitude- fully laden aircraft had to take off at night from such a location (???)) permitted some maintenance to be done there- and for that matter HKG and SYD.That’s probably historic now, if indeed it ever were true. Shame the BA flight can’t do a Seychelles return instead of sitting on the ground in Mauritius, but I can’t imagine Air Seychelles would be happy ….

[StephenLondon]

Isn’t Air Seychelles withdrawing from the UK market?

Also, Sharm el Sheik is rumored to be moving to LHR with a corresponding reduction in frequency…

[NewBAexec]

Good news Mauritius is moving to Gatwick, where it belongs since Gatwick is now, as stated by BA, the new premium leisure hub of the UK and Europe.

After this move, will we be expecting more premium leisure routes to move to Gatwick, routes such as Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands currently operated out of Heathrow?

It would make more sense since they are leisure routes and Caribbean destinations.

I would not be surprised if Sharm El Sheik moves to Heathrow new cheap fleet. BA would be able then to make the crew from that fleet operate the route on the Airbus as a “there and back” compared to it being a 4 day and 5 day trip for the crew at Gatwick on a B777. Good cost saving measures there!

[NewBAexec]

Also I can see more routes out of LGW being announced in the very near future.

I strongly believe GOI and FLL will be the next two.

[VintageKrug]

That’s great news, as discussed here; let’s hope it’s soon.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Willie-s-Fort-Lauderdale-and-Havana-Adventure

The main barrier as I see it is lack of aircraft to serve such routes, but with new 777-300ERs on their way this could allow services to be offered from this October…would have to be announced within the next month or so…

[NewBAexec]

Well when the Sharm El Sheik flights move to Heathrow, it can be operated on an A321 which releases the B777 currently used at Gatwick on that particular route.

That B777 alternates between the Male flight and Sharm El Sheik flight at the moment. Moving the Sharm El Sheik to Heathrow on an Airbus would release that 777 and make space for a new route to be operated out of Gatwick.

[sparkyflier]

Regarding Nassau, Grand Cayman and Turks & Caicos, these 767 routes may stay at LHR as they are also business routes, with many financial institutions based there, who need the connections that LHR offers. Also these places may not have runways long enough for a 777. They may also be that bit too large as well.

I did hear rumours that Mombasa, Fort Lauderdale, Havana, Goa, Colombo and Male may be on the LGW wish list, but BA Mngt maybe wating to see how the UK economy unfolds and the impact this has potential travellers.

What will be interesting is wha BA will do with these evening slots made available from moving the Mauritius flights from LHR to LGW. More African, Asian or moving around some flights to allow more South American flights?

[VintageKrug]

I cannot see a justification for moving Sharm to LHR. It’s a pure leisure route, and even on an A321/A320 would stick out like a sore thumb at LHR.

[hemispheres]

In 30 years of traveling to South Florida, Fort Lauderdale would be my preferred airport BUT it just never seems to happen.

Even Laker, Air Florida, National, Eastern, Pan Am & I think Delta at some point always operated London – Miami.

[sparkyflier]

VK is right, a 5 hour flight on a A320/321 is not what people expect on a BA flight, with no PTV etc. The trouble with the BA Sharm flight is the timing, who wants to arrive anywhere a 4:50 am? Easyjet timings are far more agreeable but not everyone’s cup of tea for 5 hours!
Another option could be extending the flight to Luxor, to capture the Nile cruise market, and for those who want a 2 centre Egypt holiday. However with current development maybe there is a wait and see policy before investing further…

[VintageKrug]

I’ve done this flight, and actually the 0450am arrival is a non-issue, for me at least.

You can potter along to Gatwick, do some shopping and have a light supper in the lounge, a glass or three of ‘poo and a quick shower before getting on board, all ready for bed.

Four hours reasonable slumber, up and out into the airport and your waiting hotel car to transfer you to the

http://www.fourseasons.com/SharmElSheikh

or the

http://www.savoy-sharm.com/savoy/roomroy.htm

as dawn breaks, check in, and straight to bed for a couple of hours before waking to room service breakfast and the warm breezes of the Red Sea wafting in from your Terrace.

An outstanding bargain, with flights for £820 rtn in http://www.newclubworld.com

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