Monkeyboi From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 457 posts, RR: 3 Reply 6, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 3217 times:
This could all fall into some grand plan for BA at LGW.
By the end of this year LGW long-haul flights will be merged into the Eurogatwick operation. The long-haul flights will be operated by eurogatwick crew to the eurogatwick (shorthaul) agreement.
So no more CSD (Cabin Service Directors) on board and a greater saving to BA as the crew operating these flights will be on a cheaper contract (less allowances, days off afetr trips etc). All the current LGW long-haul crew will be re-based to LHR this year.
Maybe plans for GB to somehow slot into this as well?
Speedmarque From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 677 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 3142 times:
Thanks monkeyboi, although none of what you quote has been formally agreed yet of course. Union issues. And not all LGW WW crew will transfer, I know of a few who like LGW and will stay on "onefleet LGW".
BMED From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2004, 853 posts, RR: 7 Reply 11, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 3082 times:
I wouldn't have thought it would be a GB service to Moscow seen as they mainly fly to the Med. Maybe a A319 service from MAN if they still have them. Saying that would any of the citiexpress fleet be able to fly such a route. I'm not sure on the distance but it seems pretty long.
FlyCaledonian From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 1965 posts, RR: 3 Reply 13, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 2978 times:
I hope Bland don't sell out to BA for the simple reason that the previous franchise carriers taken over by BA have seen their former networks slashed to ribbons. I may be wrong, but I'd have thought GT still has a lower cost base than BA. It was able to take on the BA routes to Malaga and Faro after all.
BMED From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2004, 853 posts, RR: 7 Reply 15, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 2971 times:
I would have maybe thought a BD route but then again we would see such a chop and change. One day it would be a ERJ-135 stopping off somewhere on route, the next a nice A332 and then a leased 757!
On a real note could BD fly the route from MAN even though they don't fly to Moscow from LHR or any other airport.
Monkeyboi From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2004, 457 posts, RR: 3 Reply 16, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 2932 times:
I remember a few years ago BD were fighting like mad for the license to operate LHR to Moscow. After some stiff competition from VS, BD were eventually issued the license.......and then despite several start-up dates NEVER operated a single flight on the route! Crazy!
ManchesterMAN From United Kingdom, joined Sep 2003, 1192 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 2913 times:
Quoting Monkeyboi (Reply 16): I remember a few years ago BD were fighting like mad for the license to operate LHR to Moscow. After some stiff competition from VS, BD were eventually issued the license.......and then despite several start-up dates NEVER operated a single flight on the route! Crazy!
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 6617 posts, RR: 17 Reply 18, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2842 times:
Quoting LTU932 (Reply 1): Any more details on this rumour about GB Airways becoming a full BA subsidiary and how this could affect their ops?
What goes around comes around. For most of its life GT has effectively been all but a BEA / BA subsidiary.
Formed as Gibair to operate a Gibraltar to Tangier service in 1931, the airline soon became inactive. It restarted operations in 1947 when British European Airways bought a majority shareholding. Its 51 per cent stake passed to BA in 1974 and was subsequently reduced to 49 per cent. As recently as 1995 BA sold their stake back to Bland but also signed the current franchise agreement.
However since then the relationship has been more than that of being franchise partners. For example I believe that several of the aircraft operated by GB Airways today are leased by them from BA. G-TTOJ, an A320, is a good example. It was bought by BA from Airbus on 30 March 2004 and put into service by GB Airways the following day (BA6902 LGW-GIB). However it remained registered to BA until 14 June 2004 when the registration was transferred to GB Airways.
So if BA is going to retake a significant stake in GB Airways I would only expect this would effect the airline's operations if there were some much larger changes to, for example, the BA EuroGatwick operation. However even then it should be remembered that GB Airways also flies out of LHR.
Going bach to earlier days, prior to operating in BA colours - Landor from 1995 and then Utopia from 1997 - GB Airways had two distinct liveries:
LTU932 From Germany, joined Jan 2006, 13864 posts, RR: 51 Reply 19, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 2769 times:
Quoting VV701 (Reply 18): What goes around comes around. For most of its life GT has effectively been all but a BEA / BA subsidiary.
Formed as Gibair to operate a Gibraltar to Tangier service in 1931, the airline soon became inactive. It restarted operations in 1947 when British European Airways bought a majority shareholding. Its 51 per cent stake passed to BA in 1974 and was subsequently reduced to 49 per cent. As recently as 1995 BA sold their stake back to Bland but also signed the current franchise agreement.
However since then the relationship has been more than that of being franchise partners. For example I believe that several of the aircraft operated by GB Airways today are leased by them from BA. G-TTOJ, an A320, is a good example. It was bought by BA from Airbus on 30 March 2004 and put into service by GB Airways the following day (BA6902 LGW-GIB). However it remained registered to BA until 14 June 2004 when the registration was transferred to GB Airways.
So if BA is going to retake a significant stake in GB Airways I would only expect this would effect the airline's operations if there were some much larger changes to, for example, the BA EuroGatwick operation. However even then it should be remembered that GB Airways also flies out of LHR.
Thanks for the explanation. Let's see how this will turn out in the end, so those who have more info on this rumour keep us posted.
BAxMAN From St. Helena, joined May 2004, 671 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 2696 times:
I've heard nothing of this rumour, but I hope there's some truth to it.
Whilst Orion and his ilk may like the reportedly good service they provide in the air (I've never flown them so can't comment), everything else about GT is a bit of a shambles. I've lost count of the number of schedule changes and cancelled flights GT have had this year. And we're not talking about a flight being adjusted by an hour or so, but quite often 10 hour adjustments. People expecting to arrive in LGW late at night, but still in time to use the last available public transport, are now finding out they arrive at 3am. People with connections to/from the regions are also being royally screwed. It's an embarrassment to have to deal with so many of these screwed up bookings and people, understandably, are saying that they will never book BA again.
Last week, I had to deal with an elderly Italian couple who had already flown outbound NAP-LGW-TFN. Or were supposed to have done but GT decided to mess about with the LGW-TFN flights. Instead, they were forced to fly NAP-LGW-TFS. Now, as their 5 month break in Tenerife was coming to an end, they now discover that their return flights TFN-LGW-NAP now misconnect due to yet another GT schedule change on their TFN service. They are now forced to fly 2 days earlier so their plans can now suit GT's erratic schedule planners'.
These schedule massacres occur during every season, every year. Hopefully, bringing GT under more direct control from BA will bring some common sense to GT's timetables.
BCAL From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2004, 3384 posts, RR: 18 Reply 21, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 2590 times:
Quoting BestWestern (Reply 14): The cadogan group - owners of GB airways are struggling at present
The last that I heard is that the Cadogen Group were performing well, are highly rated as 'buy', and GB Airways was contributing well to their profits.
Part of the success of GB Airways is their lower cost base compared with BA and that is why they can succeed on routes where BA cannot. If they merge, this advantage would be lost.
MOL on SRB's latest attack at BA: "It's like a little Chihuahua barking at a dying Labrador. Nobody cares."
Richardw From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 3709 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2562 times:
Quoting BAxMAN (Reply 20): These schedule massacres occur during every season, every year.
They do, I was hoping to fly LGW-IBZ this summer on GT but the schedules kept changing, in early Jan they still looked a bit odd, with returning flights not shown, and yes in late Jan they changed it to a very late service. I think I'll buy one ways on charter flights to get good timings instead.
AIR MALTA From Malta, joined Sep 2001, 2361 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 2486 times:
Well I did not fly GT since 1993... At that time they were not BA franchisee yet. I will fly them again in March. I am looking forward to it.
I think BA should take a majority stake in GT without buying them totally. I think GT does a good job and like someones said, if BA took control of GT, a lot of routes will disappear.
Look what happended to Cityflyer Express, Air Manx, Brymon Airways, Dan Air...
I hope also they will go Daily to Tunis and from LHR, anyone knows if it is planned?
AIR MALTA From Malta, joined Sep 2001, 2361 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (7 years 3 months 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 2375 times:
Flights to Valencia are to be withdrawn beginning of May. So it seems that the Spanish routes are not that successful as some have suggested.
Next flights : BRU-ZRH-CAI (LX)/ BRU-FCO-TLV (AZ)
25 BCAL: It seems that FR has a strong grip on routes to Spain and airports besides Madrid and Barcelona, and GB Airways might have found that their aircraft
26 Richardw: I think GT will start a service to the Cape Verde islands fairly soon from LGW, you won't find FR and U2 flying there.
27 AIR MALTA: No that could be also a good idea. They should also look at Banjul and Dakar. They are surely holiday spots with little competition from the UK.
28 Richardw: I wonder which of their routes has the most Club class passengers, my guess would be LHR-AGP.
29 GayrugbyMAN: From what I have seen, MAN - RAK/PFO/LPA (posh queens love it) and MLA all have acceptable C clas loads.
30 Richardw: LGW-VLC is still bookable for May at www.ba.com
31 Oneworld1: The focus is coming off the mainland spanish routes. Hence most recent new routes have been to dalaman, izmir and Pfo. These can't, yet, be accessed
32 AIR MALTA: " target=_blank>www.ba.com From ba.com, "your questions": London Gatwick to Valencia route withdrawal British Airways Franchise Partner, GB Airways, h
33 Richardw: Iberia withdraws the VLC-LHR route as well http://latestflightnews.custhelp.com...dj0mcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=&p_topview=1 Wonder which route is next, Sevil
34 B742: On a slight side note, has anyone experianced the GB Airways service? I am flying to RAK from LGW in April, what's it like? Rob!
35 VV701: As a BA franchise operator it has to be indistinguishable from BA's service. I have flown with GB several times on the LGW-MPL route and confirm that
36 TristarSteve: Many years ago we took the Gibair DC3 from Tangiers to GIB one Sunday morning. There were four of us, the only passengers on board. We were standing
37 BA380: although I haven't flown with them for 3 or 4 years, they used to be actually BETTER than company-operated C class. they blocked out the middle seat
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