SRB hints at VS / Lufthansa tie up....again

The Lufthansa tie up rumbles on. Will it ever happen?

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... idate.html

Interesting to see he says at the moment their business is 70% Heathrow 30% Gatwick, but that will even out.

If that's the case, and assuming it means a huge expansion in the Gatwick rather than a decrease in Heathrow traffic, they will have to seriously look at the feeders into Gatwick.

With the potential of a BA strike (which doesn't give the best service anyway) it only leaves Easyjet, which is a nightmare.

David

No surprise they see LGW growing- VH seems to be performing very well of late even more so since the TCD acquisition.

BE to me seem an obvious LGW partner rather than EZY.

Just had a look at the BE website as they are the only carrier from NCL down to LGW - they don't look bad... certainly not as bad as EZY.

Pity that BA dropped that route from NCL a few years ago. From the north east, we're pretty stuck for choice on carriers into LHR and LGW. Flights are only available from NCL and not Durham-Tees Valley and limited to BA and BE.

With the potential of a BA strike (which doesn't give the best service anyway) it only leaves Easyjet, which is a nightmare.

David

Sorry, should have added from EDI or GLA.

Mandy, it might be worth looking at NCL for us(always forget about there), are the times any better into and out of LGW?

thanks

David

Fly Be are not bad but from previous experience of flying up to Manchester with them on 3 occasions my return flight to London/Southampton has always been delayed by 45 mins canceled or flown via Leeds Bradford to cover another canceled flight. that said they are reasonably priced and i am flying with them again next month.
i would like to see a VS - BD tie up and more BD flights into LGW

According to the flybe website there are four flights daily down to LGW: 06.25, 10.20, 14.20 and 18.05.

BE are not a bad airline really.

THey have been around for donkey's years (as Jersey European) and have expanded rapidly in the last 3-4 years, partly due to taking over pretty much the whole BA domestic network when they purchased BA Connect.

The whole thing is based on if VS want to be the "lead" airline. If they do any sort of tie up with LH, they will be very much the carrier that is being acquired, rather than the acquirer. With BE, there is more scope for more influence from VS.

Of course whilst SRB may be, yet again, attempting to wooh LH in public, lets not forget that we could see SQ take a larger proportion of shares in VS. SQ/VS are a pretty good match although, given how protective SQ are over their brand and image, I am not sure they would want to be more closly associated with VS currently given all the cut backs in VS service.