[NTarrant]

Dubai is the exception but rarely uses long haul on other routes or indeed on domestic.

Gulf air is another which does not generally use long haul on regional routes. Occasionally they will use the 330s on the RUH route but usually this is because the timing connects with particular flights to Pakistan or other destinations in that region

[DerekVH]

When BA used to operate Concorde on short haul flights as a promotion I had a friend who worked in BA ops so I usually got a couple of days advance notice. I have travelled on Concorde to NCL, CPH, BER and BCN. BA’s strategy worked as I then paid for 4 return flights LHR/JFK! With both Berlin and Barcelona we were given permission after take off to do a low fly over of the City – it was amazing! Back on subject, Thai airways regularly used a 747-400 on the 1 hour flight from BKK-HKT and if you are booked in business and check in early I have been given seats if F on several occasions. The only drawback no alcohol on internal flights so no bubbly to celebrate!

[Londonian]

I flew a 747 on Thai between BKK and Chiang Mai once years ago…but just for fun and as a way of trying out product and airlines I thought it would be good to try some of the European routes.

[IstanbulWarrior]

It’s quite common to see LH aircraft used on SH flights outside of Europe.
CX operates a fleet of only widebodies, some of which are deployed on flights of around 1hr and until recently, TG was in the same boat.

I also remember reading once that the shortest 747 flight in the world was operated by JL and was about 35 mins long.

LX are currently operating their new 777s regionally for crew training, this should last till the end of summer.

[EU_Flyer]

Further to earlier posts on Turkish, in summer they fly ATH – IST (1.5 hours) using A330 and 777-300ER aircraft with flat beds in J class.

The meal service in J class on this short sector is excellent. A full hot breakfast and accompaniments. And for lunch / dinner a delicious hot meal with a large starter, salad and dessert plus wine.

Highly recommended!

Also have fond memories of BA flying a 767 with old CW seating on the ATH-LHR route. For only an extra 120 euros you could upgrade each way. The duty manager at Athens was a bit of a salesman and he’s tout the offer to passengers at check in and I believe sometimes even got 80% load in the CW and WTP (selling at Club Europe) cabins. Must have been a catering nightmare with all those last minute upgrades. So I don’t think Club Europe catering was guaranteed for those upgrading. Still, for those lucky to snare a CW bed, a nice way to pass the 3 hours.

[rferguson]

Yup Concorde used to regularly appear on the domestic shuttle flights as it was often the only ‘spare’ aircraft available at LHR – there were seven of them to operate the two daily JFKs (which later reduced to one rotation). So it often made sense to use one as a sub aircraft as the crew complement was smaller than the other wide bodies also.

Not exactly a longhaul aircraft but I did travel on a BA A321 with flat beds in J and World Traveller product in Y LHR-FCO and back last week.

[AndrewinHK]

BA used the 777 to operate Glasgow and Edinburgh rotations only yesterday. Nicely timed for this thread.

[dutchyankee]

Didn’t Garuda up until only recently operate their 77W between Amsterdam and Gatwick? Now the route is into Heathrow with the stop being in Singapore on the outbound from Jakarta. And if we look into the past, Pan Am used to use their jumbos between LHR and AMS/FRA/BRU, between CDG and FCO and CAI/ATH as did TWA, and from FRA to IST and beyond. There were numerous pairings back then on Long Haul aircraft of various airlines. I think the most prolific using long haul aircraft within Europe today is TK.

[AMcWhirter]

dutchyankee – Correct. GA had fifth-freedom rights for AMS-LGW before it transferred services to LHR.

As you say, decades before liberalisation, there were many fifth freedom rights within Europe and these were mainly utilised by long-haul airlines.

Because these carriers had no market identity (for these fifth-freedom routes) and because schedules weren’t always convenient, they would covertly sell tickets at a discount to earn a little extra revenue.

Some examples from London:

PA/TWA for LHR-FRA B747

JAL for LHR-FCO B747

PAL for LGW-FRA B747

East African Airways for LHR-ORY (Super VC-10).

[MrMichael]

I recall Pan Am also doing Heathrow-Oslo in the eighties, I think with a 727 that they based in Europe to feed in to their transatlantic flights.

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