[Bucksnet]

The 787s are too expensive and too good to be put on short haul.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

I read yesterday that the A319/320/321s will be integrated in to the BA fleet and the A330s returned.

I would love to think that the cabins would not be subject to a makeover and that the A321s might be used for routes like IST and LCA where the competition offers proper C seats. Probably too much to hope for as BA do their usual of racing for the lowest common denominator of service standard they can find while charging a fortune for it.

[RichHI1]

Bucksnet – 16/04/2012 05:45 GMT “The 787s are … too good to be put on short haul.”
I think you have a future in airline management… 😉

[oldchinahand]

BMI larger aircraft are not young ,the320s and 330s are all over 10 years old apart from 1 X 320 that is 8 years old.
The A319 and 321s other than 2 aircraft are also close to 10 years old
Given the age and as 90% of the aircraft are on lease it would not be logical for BA to take them on
. Not at all perfect as a replacement for the BA 767 and a step backwards ?

[sparkyflier]

Slightly off topic, but it seems BA have already started to pull out some BMI operated routes. Just had a brief look and see that Marrakesh is only available on the BA LGW flight, Cairo is now only BA, Khartoum in Sudan totally gone, and Amman only on Oneworld partner/ codeshare with Royal Jordanian.

So maybe some A320 series are already on their way out.

[wanula72]

Hi sparkyflyer, not sure where you are looking but the BMI site still has Marrakesh and Khartoum flights on sale for the summer schedule?

The EU deal requires the Amman service to continue but BA must drop its current code share with Royal Jordian on the route

It will be interesting to see if BA adopt the Chauffeur drive option that BMI give on some of their routes? Its one area that BA lack in terms of their Club service, especially in some locations where local taxi’s may not be allowed depending on company travel policies, with Khartoum being a good example.

[sparkyflier]

I was looking at the BA website, so perhaps these are the routes where there is not a BA code on the flight. Which makes you wonder why they would select some, but not others, to put a code on.

[LeTigre]

Re Chauffeur: BA need to offer this service as a minimum to F class passengers in order to compete with the Gulf/Asian carriers. I propose that BA create a chauffeur terminal point at the T5 Biz Car Park so that the chauffeurs can park there and passengers just take those lovely pods to the terminal (3 mins or less).

Does anyone agree?

In respect to Jordan, it would be really sad for RJ (loss making) to lose the BA code-share, and plus what the EU said was that they have to keep only existing BA frequencies, no BMI ones if they want to keep the codeshare. That would be best for everyone.

[lostsomewhere]

Hi Wanula72,

Are you sure that EU requires the Amman route to continue?
There was not mention of Amman. Only for slots for flights to Aberdeen, Cairo, Edinburgh, Moscow, Nice & Riyadh.

[sparkyflier]

Am with you Le Tigre about RJ. Having a BA/RJ codeshare would be fine, it is not as thought there is not competition, in this case from easyjet.

[LeTigre]

http://www.centreforaviation.com/analysis/british-airways-plans-two-phases-to-bring-bmi-and-its-london-heathrow-slots-to-profitability-65333

Here is says:

IAG’s codeshare with Royal Jordanian

Should IAG continue to operate bmi’s services between London Heathrow and Amman (currently served 10 times weekly on A320s/A321s), IAG will terminate its codeshare with oneworld partner Royal Jordanian on the route. London-Amman is the only route that will become a oneworld monopoly following bmi’s incorporation into IAG. This would not be a welcome development for Royal Jordanian.

——————–

So to avoid risking the anger or ruin of RJ, BA would be wise to conserve slots and not operate the BMI services.

[Henkel.Trocken]

If all the BMI fleet is returned ASAP how are BA going to utilise the slots? They must be keeping something for that purpose.

I was also told they were keeping the A319s, A320s and A321s at least for the next year.

[LeTigre]

I just read another enlightening article on potential new routes:

http://www.routesonline.com/news/36/the-hub/146429/iag-receives-green-light-for-bmi-purchase/

The table below highlights the top ten medium- and long-haul destinations from London Heathrow that are not currently served by BA from the hub airport. Other destinations outside of this area currently not served by BA but with strong traffic flows from London Heathrow are the aforementioned Belfast, the Irish cities of Dublin, Cork and Shannon, Malta and Keflavik in Iceland.

TOP TEN MEDIUM AND LONG-HAUL O&D DESTINATIONS FROM LONDON HEATHROW NOT SERVED BY BRITISH AIRWAYS (bi-directional O&D traffic)

Rank

Destination

Estimated O&D Traffic

1.Seoul Incheon (ICN)-322,135
2.Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL)-291,707
3.Colombo Bandaranayake (CMB)-268,439
4.Kuala Lumpur International (KUL)-246,600
5.Auckland International (AKL)-228,858
6.Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL)-220,236
7.Perth International (PER)-213,344
8.Islamabad International (ISB)-182,015
9.Mauritius Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International (MRU)-177,994
10. Lahore Alama Iqbal International (LHE)-140,722

Looks quite interesting- ICN and KUL seem a certainty.

In other news:

http://www.routesonline.com/news/36/the-hub/147461/routes-asia-air-china-prepares-for-london-gatwick-debut/

Air China are majorly frustrated about LHR capacity. So they are not only launch 4x weekly PEK flights from LGW in a couple of weeks but they are also putting 777-300ERs on the LHR flights which should boost capacity substantially.

Good news all round!

[trident3]

At least 1 x A319 (‘CB) already in the ‘Marmite’ (some like it, some don’t)
Golden Dove scheme

[trident3]

…and A319 ‘CH’ now in full BA paint

[Author]

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