[Anonymous]

[BusinessTraveller]

BA has just announced it will fly from London Heathrow to Tokyo’s Haneda airport from February 19 next year, using a four-class B777. The carrier is also launching direct flights to Buenos Aires from next March, and increasing several of its Caribbean services.

Our consumer editor Alex McWhirter will be publishing a piece on the new five-times weekly Haneda route on this site later this morning.

[VintageKrug]

Not quite the LGW route expansion we had posited on here.

But welcome nonetheless to see the increased frequencies to Tampa, Barbados, St. Lucia, Cancun and Antigua even if those come at the expense of a modest reduction to Orlando.

Heathrow to Buenos Aires direct and LHR-Haneda in Japan are good news, too.

[CharlieBrown]

I remember reading a wikipedia article (not the most reliable source, I know) around two weeks ago regarding Tokyo Haneda. I was intrigued after hearing how the Japense authorities were opening this more centrally located airport up to international air travel. A table depicts the various landing rights granted and mentions BA had been granted rights for up to 2 daily flights. Nevertheless, this doesn’t rule out expansion at LGW.

[robsmith100]

LHR – Haneda will be most welcomed! Connecting from downtown Tokyo to Narita is a real pain as they are both expensive and long. I take it BA will discontinue the Nartita route in favour of Haneda?

[VintageKrug]

Full release now on BA.com

Haneda Holiday
Posted on Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

British Airways is today announcing the launch of a new route to Haneda in Japan in a push to open up the domestic Japanese market to UK travellers.

Other highlights in today’s announcement include new direct flights to Buenos Aires, rather than via Sao Paulo and an increase in services to the Caribbean.

The five-a-week service from Heathrow to Haneda will begin on February 19, 2011. The route will be served by a Boeing 777, with a four-class configuration enabling customers to choose from First, Club World (business class), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) or World Traveller (economy). Prices will start from £721.

As well as offering an excellent domestic network Haneda Airport is located near the business centre in Tokyo, which is ideal for premium customers.

The airline’s daily service to Tokyo’s Narita airport will continue. The route is performing well and operating from two airports in Tokyo provides customers with greater flexibility.

The rest of the changes to the network will begin from March 27, 2011.

Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo will have their own daily direct flights. Currently the route stops first in Sao Paulo before going on to Argentina’s capital.

Gatwick is reaping the benefits of the success of its longhaul leisure routes with increased flying from the airport.

Barbados will increase from 10 to 12 flights a week, Antigua will increase from five to six services a week and the St Lucia – Port of Spain service will increase to daily flights from five a week.

New route Cancun, only to be launched in November 2010, is increasing from two to three services for summer 2011.

Gatwick to Tampa is increasing from five to seven flights a week however, Orlando is decreasing from nine to seven flights a week.

Ends

September 21, 2010 88/AA/10

Notes to editors:

1. The new Haneda flight schedule is as follows:

· London Heathrow to Haneda

Between February 19 and March 26, the service will operate on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The flight will depart from London Heathrow at 0800 local and arrive at Haneda 0500 local the following day.

· Haneda to London Heathrow

Between February 19 and March 26, the service will operate on a Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The flight will depart from Haneda at 0625 local and arrive at London Heathrow at 1000 local.

From March 27, 2010 the flights will arrive and depart from Heathrow approximately one hour later.

2. Heathrow – Haneda flight prices will start from:

First: £5,458 return including taxes, fees and charges
Club World: £2,995 return including taxes, fees and charges
World Traveller Plus: £1,238 return including taxes, fees and charges
World Traveller: £721 return including taxes, fees and charges
BA.com hotel prices start from £168 per room per night at the 3* Mercure Hotel Ginza, Tokyo or the 5* InterContinental Tokyo Bay from £199 per room per night.

http://press.ba.com/?p=1446#more-1446

[VintageKrug]

It would be interesting if Alex’s piece addressed the reason for the horrid proposed flight schedules at Haneda.

Are these curfew related, or is there another reason? Do the other US carriers who will also be starting services to Haneda also have these similarly non-ideal slots?

Does this signify a longer term move away from Narita for other airlines, despite BA’s commitment to retain services to NRT?

What was the reason behind opening up Haneda – is it simply a cash-grab on behalf of the aurthorities?

And, finally, are there other similar underused airports with excellent locations close to City Centres which are currently restricted for longhaul flights but which could be opened up to similar initiatives?

[TominScotland]

Yes, the route is 100% geared to local traffic from LHR as feeder flights (from up here, for example) would be out. The timings will work perfectly, in terms of aircraft utilisation, as inbound transatlantic 777s can be sent out again immediately and, on return, will be ready for midday departures out west again.

[JordanD]

VK – it isn’t slot related, but airport related. Haneda (HND) is only permitted to “fully operate” international long haul flights in the hours that Narita (NRT) is closed, namely 2300-0600 local; outside of these hours, it permits arrivals and departures in 150 minute windows either side of these times (someone with the Japanese source might be able to say, but I believe it is evenings 2030-2300 international arrivals only, 0600-0830 international departures only).

The reason is part money grab from Japanese authorities, but partly to allow international airlines to access Tokyo during the Japanese night – you’ll note that time difference currently means afternoon returns from Japan for most European airlines.

To your last point, Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington (also known as DCA – District of Columbia Airport) has a perimeter rule which prohibits flights over a certain length, with certain exceptions – for example no rule on Saturdays.

[Bucksnet]

Haneda is very busy and the new slots for international services can only be offered very early or very late.

This route needs to be flown at night on the westbound, but it would mean having a plane on the ground all day. It would be far better if JAL operated the route and then codeshared with BA. The JAL flight could leave HND at 01:15 and land LHR at 04:50 with the return a few hours later.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

LHR is not open at 0450.

[Bucksnet]

LHR is open for arrivals because BA26 from HKG is scheduled at that time.

BA could make BA26 a little later and slot swap with JAL. This would also benefit early morning noise reduction, as the 747 is louder than the 777.

[BusinessTraveller]

Alex’s piece can now be read here:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/ba-to-launch-tokyo-haneda-service

[VintageKrug]

Nice article.

I may be wrong on this, but shouldn’t it read “complement” rather than “compliment”?

[BusinessTraveller]

Thanks for spotting that VintageKrug, the article has now been corrected.

[Author]

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