[Bucksnet]

My mistake re AGP; it is not a route I fly. The others don’t have F.

Agree with Binman, T5 should remain BA only, with the possible exception of EI to make best use of the domestic gates and allow other terminal moves. However, don’t forget that IB and BA are now one and the same in IAG, so there would not be the same problems as in T4, but that is not a reason for them to move out of T3.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Rich

I can see where you are coming from in your defence of T3.

BTW, I wrote US flights, not just NYC, for the reasons you pointed out.

[Hippocampus]

Iberia moving into T5 is a matter of when, not if.

[Bucksnet]

How do you know Hippo?

If the move is to merge IAG operations then fine, but IAG will still be split between T3 and T5, so what is the point?

[Hippocampus]

IAG have said publicly it’s going to happen, subject to resolving systems issues between BA and Iberia.

The rationale is clear in terms of improving connectivity between the networks of the two IAG hubs at LHR and MAD. Passengers from Madrid will no longer to have to change terminals to connect to the majority of BA’s flights at LHR.

[Bucksnet]

I’ve not seen anything official, so maybe you could publish a link.

Moving MAD flights to T5 will of course improve connectivity to other flights at T5, but I would imagine that IB fly to most of the shorthaul destinations directly from MAD and US routes can be reached via IB flights to AA hubs.

[BGIWorldTraveller]

Just so everyone knows, BA2153/BA2152 on Sundays Only…LGW-BGI-GND (Grenada) is also a four class aircraft. So its BGI, BDA, UVF and GND with First.

BGI and JFK were the only two destinations which got BA Concorde service right up to the end. BGI deserves its flights to depart from LHR and not LGW! BDA as well. The wealthiest British tourists go to BGI and BDA. That’s why they have First service. Not to mention, almost every single Caribbean Government does business with BA and travel only in First and Club World.

Many of BAs passengers to BGI are tranfers from FRA, TXL, FCO, EDI, MAN and CPH. They all have to make that annoying switch between LHR T5 and North Terminal whenever they go to Barbados on holiday. Not to mention, during the Christmas period, Virgin Atlantic normally does 3 flights with an A340-300 to BGI from T3. This happens the last two Saturdays of the year as well as the first Saturday in January. Did it last three winters in a row. Moving to T5 would give BA a major competitive advantage over VS. Too many people complain about having to trek all the way to LGW to fly to Barbados. Let’s not forget, it now have 12 flights a week. More than any other destination in Latin America/Caribbean! It’s a big revenue earner, and could be even more so operating from T5.

[transtraxman]

It seems to me that some people do not understand the idea of mergers and alliances. They are not to better one element but the whole.

As IAG is the holding company for two principal “legacy” airlines and as a result an indirect or direct shareholder in six other airlines(Vueling, Flybe, Comair, Open Skies, BA CityFlyer, Royal Air Maroc).

With that in view then one can understand that BA should serve its partners in IAG and secondly its partners in “oneworld”, before anybody else.

Hippocampus and Bucksnet:

You are taking the view that BA should be served by its partners.This is wrong when W.Walsh has already said that if expansion is not possible at Heathrow then Madrid Barajas will be used. Thus BA should serve its partners. (As an IAG shareholder I understand that).

However, WW has never explained how this will be put into effect when there are no direct IAG flights from the UK regions to Madrid (or for that matter still very few from Spanish regions to LHR).

Of course, the service provided by IAG should be the best with the distribrution of flights facilitating the transfer of passengers bewteen members of the group in one or even more terminals. As I said previously in this topic it is illogical for BA codeshare flights to Ireland to be in yet a third terminal. Aer Lingus should be brought back into “oneworld” and T5.

Let us be less BA centric and more atuned to the needs of passengers (from whichever region) so that the shareholders eventually benefit.

[Surreyson]

Vueling will not be part of an IB move to T5

[Bucksnet]

BA may well have a competitive advantage over VS if flying from T5 instead of LGW, but the move would certainly benefit all the connecting passengers who take the bus between airports.

Maybe BA can put a 744 back on the route as well; I remember Clarkson moaning after the switch to the 772.

[jet72uk]

BGIworldtraveller – another LHR centric customer! Get over it!

[kevin46]

Wow! So many experts in one thread.. Very impressive!!

[dutchyankee]

Jet72UK, what an absolutels stupid comment to make. If BA operated the same connections to the continent from LGW as from LHR, I would be happy for BGI to stay at LGW. The First lounge needs work, but otherwise LGW is an easy airport, my luggage has never gotten lost through there, and links into London are fine. My problem, personal as it is, is that I live in Belgium. To get to LGW I either drive to AMS for the BA flight to LGW and connect to BGI, or I fly out of BRU to LHR, claim my luggage and take the tacky as hell bus to LGW. Either option is time consuming and a nuisance. At least years ago, when I was living in Dar es Salaam, and was flying to JFK or ATH BA would transfer me by limo from LGW to LHR (DAR flights were at LGW for a time) as was the offer for First Class passengers. It would be nice if they would do the same as a First client to BGI. As for LHR Centric, perhaps living under the flight path of LGW has made you LGW centric!

[jet72uk]

I don’t live under the flight path – I live in the middle of Surrey. And yes why wouldn’t people be LGW centric, LHR is awash with constant delays.

[VintageKrug]

Although I personally rarely experience delays at LHR, I know that when they do occur, they are significant due to the airfield being at capacity

It’s not just slots at capacity; gates are also rammed right now as improvements are made to the T2 “Central Area”.

Mixed Mode will help, but the airport is full.

LGW is ripe for expansion, and a second runway by 2019 (just over seven building years away).

I hear BA has plans to expand at LGW, and this can only be welcomed.

[Author]

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