[RichHI1]

I suspect the BAA support for non BA is fairly low.

[VintageKrug]

If you’d actually ever flown out of T3 in Upper Class, you’d know that Virgin’s investment in ground facilities, including a dedicated chauffeur car arrivals check-in facility, dedicated security and a sizeable lounge is not inconsiderable.

BAA does not pay for lounge fit-outs. BA spent over £100m on its T5 lounge facilities.

[Bucksnet]

Maybe BA will move its Bangkok flight to T5 once Qantas drop BKK-LHR in March.

[HedgeFundFlyer]

Almost certainly. The only rationale for BA using T3 for the long haul routes to SIN, BKK and SYD was to share facilities with QF.

Given how important (and profitable) the SIN route is, I wouldn’t be surprised if BA moved the LHR SIN and LHR SIN SYD flights to T5 as well, now that T5C is operational. QF’s reduced services could be accomodated as well.

[Hippocampus]

There are two issues with moving the BA/QF LHR-BKK/SIN services to T5:

1. T5 was set up entirely for BA processes. QF has to be willing to adapt its own processes to move T5. Changing such processes is why Iberia’s move to T5 was delayed to Summer 2012.

2. Adding all of the BA/QF flights which leave closely together would add a lot of congestion to T5 in terms of stands when there are a lot of other long haul departures at that time. T5C did not add any capacity to T5, it just reduced the amount of bussing.

[Bucksnet]

Most of those flights leave late at night, and T5 is not that busy then.

[Hippocampus]

For long haul departures the 9-11pm period is one of the busiest times (other departures are HKG, RUH, BOM, GRU, DXB, KWI, EZE, ABV, TLV). Remember long haul aircraft spend a lot longer on stands than short haul aircraft, so in terms of stand planning all those extra flights would add stand pressure.

[RichHI1]

Question for all you aviation mavens. Would like your views. Probably sits in new thread but cMe to mind from this one.
A long long time ago in a galaxy far away, the Europeans tried to come up with a Euro Alliance called Qualiflyer. It’s members gradually moved to Star Alliance so now we have 3 alliances. Airlines need anti trust Pproval to work together but alliances have different regulatory concerns. If the global economy id dragged down by The Euro, US politics and a strangled Uk economy for example, what are the repercussions if two alliances merge? I cannot see Skyteam Merging with Star Alliance due to overlap but I could see Sky Team move closer to One World if not formally merge. What happens then, especially to Virgin?

[Hippocampus]

RichHI1, In the situation you describe I don’t think a merging of two alliances would be the answer to the problem. Merging alliances would result in huge costs in systems changes and so forth.

Some carriers/groups would be strong enough to withstand a downturn (LH, IAG). Others much less so, and they would be bought/merged with consequent changes to alliance membership.

[RichHI1]

Hippocampus I agree that merging is unlikely for many reasons. AA and BA still have different systems after years of 1W but I could see cooperation as in status mile collection, mutual rewards, elite lounge access and easier through routing fares.
I wonder how keen any airlines will be in takeovers in the current climate. Slots and pax base possibly but equipment and employees with attached liabilities?
We have seen the rise of lo cost as a revised business model and I know some carriers are trying ro sell off regional ops, so I wonder what the next model will be?

[Bucksnet]

The BA takeover of BMI has been confirmed this morning, so where will all the new BA flights go?

[HedgeFundFlyer]

Kuala Lumpur, Saigon and Jakata must all be in the frame. Possibly a few Chinese cities too. Maybe Santiago too? Possibly up the HKG to a full three times a day service and add extra capacity to Singapore, Shanghai and Beijing?

[Bucksnet]

I meant what terminal(s) would they fly from?

[HedgeFundFlyer]

BMI is currently in T1. BA won’t want to operate from there so I think more shuffling around is on the way.

My guess is that T5’s capacity will get pushed up with the use of buses. In addition, some non key European flights might get moved to T3 to make room for new long haul routes out of T5.

T3 may get some of its non OneWorld flights moved out of T3 to T1.

All in all, it’s another good reason why BAA should get cracking on T5D and T2C as soon as possible.

[ChrisBuda82]

Maybe the New LHR East should be given to one world and BA as there have over 50% of the slots, does take the **** that BA and one world are the biggest at LHR even before BMI takeover and get the crap at LHR (other than T5) They need to go back to the master plans!

T5D was canceled due to BAA owners not want to spend the cash! Cuts! Cuts!

[Author]

Posts