[Anonymous]

[NewBAexec]

The rumour has it that British Airways will be announcing four new longhaul routes from LGW starting summer 2011. Wonder what they will be. Any information regarding this statement?

[VintageKrug]

Good spot Speedbird.

This is what I reckon:

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Willie-s-Fort-Lauderdale-and-Havana-Adventure

Top Tips:

Fort Lauderdale

Havana

Second Tier:

Phuket or Goa or Bali (a South East Asian Resort Destination)

Colombo. Sri Lanka

Outside runners are Belize and Honolulu (I don’t think most of the LGW 777s have the range for Honolulu direct).

They may evven surprise the market with an announcement of an additional longhaul US route exLCY, but that would be subject to A320 orders from Iberia being delivered as BA A318s and if they manage to pull that off in six moonths without the merger having been finalised I’d be very surprised.

WW keeps talking of additional US routes, but unless AA give up some routes I really cannot see demand for anything other than Fort Lauderdale.

I have a feeling that some of the 767s will have a role to play in these routes, though hopefully not before they are fully internally refurbished, which BA should be able to swing for free as a consequence of the 787 delays.

[BAdboys]

Columbo…def!

[Bucksnet]

VK, in my view BA should do a deal with Boeing to defer the 787 order for a few years because this will help both both of them. The 767s could re-fitted with the Boeing Signature Interior and new seats in all classes.

As for new routes, BA should do Charlotte and Ottawa, from LHR of course.

[Flytoomuch]

Any prospect of KUL?

[LHRtraveller]

There is also talk of adding long haul route to LHR. Willie has given a presentation the the staff a few weeks back and said that BA will start flying from LHR to city that BA used to serve, but refused to name them or give a time scale.

[andski1975]

Buenos Aires direct? How I long for the day…

[NewBAexec]

San Diego could be a possible one, as they have around 80000 passengers travelling to and from this destination a year. BA used to fly there on a B777, would not be surprised if they decide to resume flights.

[Dandy76]

San Jose direct for Silicon Valley? A return to Detroit (please)?

[BABenji]

I’m with Flytoomuch; KUL all the way for me!

[OneA]

My tuppence would be on resumption of San Diego for the LHR route as an extention of the Phoenix flight – as it used to be.
How about Nashville via Raleigh Durham for one of the LGW routes and South America is very poorly represented for an up and coming economy – Bogota. Maybe S. America will switch to LGW?

[Bucksnet]

Raleigh-Durham is already flown by AA from LHR and I think BA should take over this route to save AA operating long haul flights from 7 different bases. I don’t know if a tag-on to Nashville would work.

[Hippocampus]

In the case of LHR, I think it is most likely to be a transatlantic route made viable by a combination of a BA 767 and a codeshare with AA. Simon Talling -Smith did mention that a new route was being considered now that anti-trust immunity has been obtained.

In time, I think KUL and ICN will be restored from LHR.

[SSTBeliever]

Never forget that the BA/IB venture is meant to be streamlining their combined operations so I think it highy unlikely there will be an increase in BA routes into South America – if anything there will be a reduction.
Also bear in mind that BA have stated they wish to purchase Asian carriers so an expansion in that direction, particularly in view of the admission of Kingfisher into OneWorld, is unlikely.
I wonder how much longer they will continue to service Australia which is very expensive as currently operated and, although busy is not a high revenue route?
Interesting times but I believe BA will come out leaner and meaner in five years time!
Safe travels.

[Author]

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