V-Flyer

Not sure what this means for VS codeshares
link

Also BA is now starting an LGW-JFK flight starting Oct 26th using a 772.

I thought that would be on the cards. I personally don't get why Heathrow is preferred over Gatwick. 30 minutes on the Gatwick Express or 15 minutes on the Heathrow Express - it doesn't seem a deal breaker to me

Originally posted by barnstaple
I thought that would be on the cards. I personally don't get why Heathrow is preferred over Gatwick. 30 minutes on the Gatwick Express or 15 minutes on the Heathrow Express - it doesn't seem a deal breaker to me

In fact I would suggest that Victoria (GEx) is on balance a better location to end up at than Paddington (HEx) for the majority of people. Plus, from LGW you have the option of London Bridge/Blackfriars/Farringdon for the City, and that's far more convenient than battling in from Paddington.

Regarding the LGW-JFK flight, as I understand it that seems to be at the expense of MAN-JFK I'm afraid. BA has always been so London-centric, but now even more so. Interesting that the likes of Emirates, Continental and Delta for example feel completely the opposite about provincial UK airports. For example, EK want to add a third DXB flight from MAN as well as increase capacity from NCL by using a 777 instead of the A330 currently on the route.

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Originally posted by barnstaple
I thought that would be on the cards. I personally don't get why Heathrow is preferred over Gatwick. 30 minutes on the Gatwick Express or 15 minutes on the Heathrow Express - it doesn't seem a deal breaker to me

Overall, LHR's got better business connections to the UK, and to Europe. From LGW you basically fly on to tourist european locations, either low cost, or BA. BA explicitly relegate to LGW all european flights which do not generate sufficient revenue. It is a nuisance if you happen to like flying through the UK, but your onward connection is out of LGW (as is the case for me when I visit family). Or if you live south/south east of London.

From London, I would agree, it is much of a muchness. I remember flying VA out of LGW when most of its flights were out of there, and it was never an issue to me.

I have in the past gone to the extent of making an extra connection within the US to get to LGW (either through New York/Newark, BWI or DFW). Bit of a shame that this option won't be there with VS codeshare now - you'd have to go to MCO, which is a pain...

Before 9/11, when BA used to comp the bus trip from LHR to LGW and actually transfer your suitcases between the airports, there were many times I had gotten on a flight at SFO and get on a bus to gatwick, and I'd recognize 75% of the passengers on it from the flight. Now the loads on their LGW Euro flights have definitely gotten lighter, and flights have been cut; they can't survive purely by competing with Ryanair and Easyjet, IMO. A JFK-LGW makes some sense to try and get some traffic onto the holiday flights.

I dont really understand BA's logic for european flights ex-LGW. I've been flying to Warsaw a lot on business recently, and it's been hard to book flights for less than £600 return in economy - er - sorry, 'euro traveller' on BA. Conversely, it's often been cheaper to fly in Business on LOT from LHR... no prizes for guessing which we choose to do. Besides - the service on LOT is better (if you don't mind the eastern european charm)... in business class it's actually really quite good - excellent food.
BA asked us to fill in a survey on a recent flight, and we all independently commented that it was shocking you could pay well in excess of £600 for an economy flight and yet all you get in the way of nourishment is a limp sandwich. When you're travelling at 'dinner time' and are often rushing to the airport from the office, then you dont always have time to eat before boarding... meaning you arrive at the other end starving.
If it wasn't for the fact that Sleazyjet fly from Luton (shudder) to the cheapo terminal in warsaw (double-shudder) then we would actually fly them out of choice, as at least then you can purchase food on board.

As I mentioned earlier, in another thread, it will be far better for LGW once the airport is not owned by BAA, BAA seem completely uninterested in keeping the likes of CO/DL/AA at LGW over LHR. Surely a new owner will offer good incentives in order to keep these carriers at LGW.

BA LGW-NYC was announced a fair while back and will be a nice addition, of course they are really reverting to a route that was popular pre 9/11.

Rumour has it that BA have dropped MAN-NYC because Open Skies will eventually take over the route. Not sure if I believe that or not if I am honest.

Of course, in a way, it is much easier for non UK carrier to operate to the regions than it is for BA. For example they only have to get premium loads on one route (ie: To their hub) than numerous. Also its worth pointing out that the premium loads on 'other' EU routes keep the UK regional routes from other major carriers in operation. Of course this is not true of EK but certainly SQ to MAN is very low yielding and relies heavily on being subsidised by cargo and/or other routes. We must also remember that CO operate a much smaller a/c than BA could on regional routes and rely heavily on onward connections (something which BA cannot in NYC due to US laws etc etc).

We are all well aware that BA are London-centric, its just such a shame that VS have let BD take all the MAN glory.

Originally posted by willd
its just such a shame that VS have let BD take all the MAN glory.

and the departure gates [}:)]

Originally posted by barnstaple
I thought that would be on the cards. I personally don't get why Heathrow is preferred over Gatwick. 30 minutes on the Gatwick Express or 15 minutes on the Heathrow Express - it doesn't seem a deal breaker to me

Well, when we go to the UK we rent a car and drive up to my Aunt's house in Northamptonshire...so Heathrow saves us at least an hour. Luton, of course, would be better, but Silverjet was the only one doing the EWR-LTN service, and we all know what happened to them.