[sparkyflier]

AinHK – I think you are right and cannot see VS going to GRU at all now, especially in light of BT’s interview of Shai Weiss by Hannah Brandler. VS were not helped by their hard product (787 J) and starting in the northern Summer months which was just daft.
But DL were happy to have VS work with Latam as DL have a major shareholding in that airline too ( along with AeroMexico and Westjet).

Re product consistency at BA you are right.The less geeky travellers will be pretty peeved if they ended up with one J when they were anticipating another. Most regular posters here are savvy enough to book on the “right” plane for our particular preferences.

Re Brazil/South America if BA had more A380s GRU would be ideal, releasing 787s/350s for a Bogota and/or a Kansas for example (with a Cairo). Maybe BA could look at Asiana or KE for options (but that is for another thread).

In the meantime as we touched on India – not sure if AI’s BLR route ex LGW is going ahead – maybe BT can investigate?

[AMcWhirter]

To where will BA deploy one of its A380s this winter ?

A few mins ago @LondonAirTravel tweeted that BA will remove its A380 from the LHR-DFW route for this coming winter.

The affected flights, BA192 and BA193 are to be rostered for 787 operation.

At time of writing BA does not list any aircraft type operating the above flights for the coming winter season.

[MarkivJ]

If we were to look at historic data – JNB (who knows, they may make it double daily A380), HKG, SIN, DXB and MIA.

[MarkivJ]

Reg pax loads to DEL and leveraging an A380: I think it’s doable from a load factor but just not a sound biz decision for BA.

India is a tricky market: on one hand, EU and British carriers want to capitalise on the population, connections to the USA and the NRIs (non resident indians) living in EU as well. On the other hand, the yield isn’t that encouraging.

Most airlines barring LH send the bare minimum to fill a bunch of seats, whilst using the 77Ws and 380s for higher yielding markets. Such is the case with BA’s DEL (788 and I reckon a 777). There was a time pre-pandemic when BA was operating 777 and 747 to both BOM and DEL, so the load is definitely there. So BA could play on increased frequency (enough to fill in other connecting flights from LHR) without adding too much capacity.

More recently after the pandemic when EK switched one of its 3x daily BLR flights to A380 (other 2 being 772 and 77W), I’d asked the BA ground manager his thoughts on the rise of MEB3, etc. His response – being Indian and a proud BA employee, as much as he’d love BA to fly more and more to India, he realises there’s more money elsewhere and they do enough to stay in the market, be competitive but that “matching the MEB3 in Indian skies is going to be losing proposition when we can get so much more from NA that MEB3 haven’t penetrated yet”.

[CheerUp]

Quick look at Dec suggests LHR-DXB (BA 107) 12:45-23:45 is scheduled for an A380.
107 is currently serviced by a 787-8 – maybe the one they are sending down to GRU in winter?

[sparkyflier]

Thing is DXB usually does have the A380 operating there, especially the lunchtime departure ex-LHR.

I did think IAD which usually has the A380 in the Summer timetable but in light of a certain election in USA in November and masses of media going to/from there (not just UK media) to report on it might drive up demand and justify it for at least a couple of months, however ba.com report IAD as 2 x 787 each day.

Other cities which have the 380 or have done include LA, San Fran and also Vancouver. With I think AA quitting Seattle, could that get it to give more supply without using up more slots?

On a separate and frustrating note with ba.com, why can I view and search timetables easily from my mobile, but then have to log on to my BAEC when looking from my laptop?

[MarkivJ]

Sparkyflyer – Seattle airport can’t accommodate the A380 so BA won’t be flying it there. With AA ending LHR flights and the Hawaiian – Alaska merger, if BA wants to ramp up services to Seattle, either start a suitably timed 3rd rotation (challenging given prime LHR slots) or deploy 777s on both daily rotations.

I had hear rumours about A380 to Mexico City for a while. I’m surprised they removed Dallas off the a380 winter schedule as I’d assume there’s enough winter traffic as well to south and Central America, not to mention within USA.

[AMcWhirter]

If BA were to consider A380 operations to Mexico City it might be dissuaded by infrastructure issues (unless matters have improved since 2016).

I say that because contributor Andreas Spaeth travelled there with Air France’s A380 in 2016 and he reports on the issues faced by this airline regarding the superjumbo.

Report: Air France A380 debuts in Mexico

[cwoodward]

There are in fact only 8 airports in in mainland USA that can take the A380 – LA -JFK-San Fran-Miami-Huston-DFW-Boston-Dulles.

Washington Dulles has no A380 traffic for a few years until recently and Boston rarely

Alex, I believe that Air France used to operate the A380 to Mexico City

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AMcWhirter

[AndrewinHK]

The A380 gets moved around based on the joint venture with AA, more demand in Miami during the winter than DFW, point to point into Miami but also transit traffic to Caribbean and South America destinations will be stronger as peak time/weather. LHR-Miami is 4x daily in the winter, 2 380’s from BA and 2X 777 for AA. I noted for Winter BA switches HK to 2x 789’s adding more First Class capacity but downgrading the J to exclusively the old seat, often BA F is relatively well priced versus CX J, but with CX likely to have the new J seat on the LHR route, competition stepping up.

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jwhi56

[AlanOrton1]

BA has historically flown the A380 to both BOS and IAD and I think is due to again this summer.

I spotted what I think was an EK A380 at IAD on Tuesday. (OT, while visiting the superb air and space museum adjacent).

I wonder with BA having moved to T8 at JFK if there is an option of them rostering one on this route.
(I remember something along the lines of T7 couldn’t manage this aircraft).

HNL is another US airport that handles the A380).

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AndrewinHK, jwhi56

[AndrewinHK]

BA have said on many occasion that frequency is what matters most to JFK so I doubt they will ever roster the 380. In addition the 380 won’t have Club Suites until close to the end of the decade, JFK owing to its importance is already flown exclusively by aircraft with the Club Suite.

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AlanOrton1

[transtraxman]

Given that the Mexican President is pushing his “new” Mexico City airport (on a previous military airbase), any “new” flights will be pushed out there. Does it have facilities for the A380?

[AlanOrton1]

Hi Andrew – completely agree re: frequency. The morning BA flights often sit for 7-8 hours at JFK before their return flight.
It might work for one of their late pm flights though. Also, and I may well be wrong, but I thought I’d read they are due to fit CW suites to the A380 between now and 2026.
They’re supposed to fly CW suites to JFK – not so on my flight in Feb, with the originally planned 787-10 swapped a week prior to a 787-9! Unlucky I guess as last week it was a 773 with about 20 rows of CW suites.

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AndrewinHK

[sparkyflier]

cwoodward – you said “there are in fact only 8 airport in the mainland USA that can take the A380”.

This is not true. You listed LA, San Fran, DFW, Boston, JFK, Dulles (Washington), Miami and Houston. You can add Chicago to that as well as Atlanta, which I think used to get both Air France and Korean Airlines A380.

You also said “Washington Dulles has no A380 traffic for a few years until recently and Boston rarely” – well apart from during Covid IAD has been a very frequent receiver of A380. I have been there multiple times on BA A380 over the years (and seen UA and EK versions too). Boston I think has seen A380 for many years too although not flown it there myself.

[Author]

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