ETStar From Canada, joined Jan 2004, 2103 posts, RR: 9 Posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 6899 times:
Checking for fares on BA's site, I get "BA does not fly to Addis Ababa". While I know that it does not fly using its own metal, it does codeshare on BMI's flights out of Heathrow. And I used to be able to lookup fares both pre and post BMI takeover of BMed.
Checking for same fares on BMI's site from Canada or the US for that matter, ADD is not a recognized city. But can do London to Addis Ababa.
Why is BMI not showing ADD as a valid route from Canada/US? Is it because it is an agreement that they have with BA, where they operate the flight on behalf of the latter? And if so, why is BA not making these available? Who sells their tickets?
Theginge From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2006, 1110 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 6772 times:
Probably something wrong with the BA website, the inbound flight to LHR is the BA7514 and I know that they codeshare on the way down.
Not sure why it is not showing as a BMI route from Canada, maybe they are not able to sell tickets all the way through on that route.
StarGoldLHR From Heard and McDonald Islands, joined Feb 2004, 1529 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 6685 times:
Has BMI continued this route ?
Addis Ababa was an extension of the Alexandria service from BMED, but BMI dropped Alexandria and it's too far for an A321 direct ?
So far in 2008 45 flights and Gold already. JFK, IAD, LGA, SIN, HKG, NRT, AKL, PPT, LAX still to book ! Home Airport LCY
It was also showing the BA route with the BA flight number on the LHR - ADD leg. I suspect that the reservation systems might not all have been updated since the handover?
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 6621 posts, RR: 17 Reply 5, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 6240 times:
I have an electronic copy of the BA flight timetable on my computer. I have just updated it and then checked it. It still shows BA7513 as a one stop service to ADD flown by a 320 for Mon, Wed, Thur, Sat and Sun in the seven days starting 12 November.
ACVitale From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 921 posts, RR: 13 Reply 6, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 5879 times:
Why bother with BA when you can fly ET with a far better flight experience, more frequencies, etc.
ACVitale From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 921 posts, RR: 13 Reply 9, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5730 times:
Quoting PADSpot (Reply 8): ... without doubt too far, might be a perfect route for a B757 though ...
Ikramerica From United States of America, joined May 2005, 21029 posts, RR: 60 Reply 10, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5692 times:
There may be something to the 'not allowed to sell' the itinerary in the USA and Canada due to some bilateral or other treaty with Ethiopia, the UK and the USA/Canada. It wouldn't be the first time this kind of thing happened.
Finding it on Expedia.uk doesn't count. We'd have to check expedia.com in the USA or expedia.ca (is there one?)
Of all the things to worry about... the Wookie has no pants.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21472 posts, RR: 24 Reply 11, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5651 times:
Quoting ACVitale (Reply 9): Quoting PADSpot (Reply 8):
... without doubt too far, might be a perfect route for a B757 though ...
That is why ET flies the B752 between ADD and LHR
But I believe only 3 of ET's LHR-ADD flights are nonstop, and all their westbound flights appear to be one-stop.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15724 posts, RR: 47 Reply 12, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 5631 times:
A little off topic here, but does anyone on a.net work for ET? I'm spending next week there and wanted to check some loads into and out of ADD. Gracias!
Davescj From United States of America, joined Jun 2007, 2244 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 5519 times:
Try Expertflyer.com (I am assuming they support ET?), you can get a freebie membership for 3 days. I also like that you can buy by the month if you want....let membership lag, buy back when you need it.
ACVitale From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 921 posts, RR: 13 Reply 14, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 5478 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 11): But I believe only 3 of ET's LHR-ADD flights are nonstop, and all their westbound flights appear to be one-stop.
ET 701 is non stop
ET 711 is a one stop
ET 700 is a one stop
ET 710 is a one stop
The one stop flights are operated via FCO where ET maintains a crew base. Most of the European/US flights stop in FCO before continuing to ADD.
The high altitude of ADD limits the weight/range of all departures.
ET has in the past operated nonstop from ADD to London. However, there have been weight restrictions due to the altitude of the airport.
ETFokker50 From Netherlands, joined Feb 2006, 106 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 5207 times:
ET better than BA/BMI ha ha That's a new one. The reason BA / BMI does this flight and is daily is because the better quality of service offered, and better connections. Before BA and more recently KLM came to ADD, there was just ET, KQ and LH. LH is expensive, and KQ required a connection in Nairobi, but was good for NW connections. ET compared to other african airlines is great, but I've heard a lot of bad bad customer service stories as well as strange in flight stories (oxygen masks drop, and no, no announcement whatsoever...).
Quote: ET has in the past operated nonstop from ADD to London. However, there have been weight restrictions due to the altitude of the airport.
That's kinda funny because ET was the only airline to offer 40kg of bagage allowance on that route, which was an advantage to some. I guess they weren't carrying other cargo then...
Planesavvy From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2007, 61 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 4064 times:
I just want to add that the old Bmed service now run by BMI is still in a bit of a transition, so how it is published by BA and by BMI will not be as concrete right now. It is funny seeing the hybrid BMI/BA colours at LHR; the paint over on some aircraft is already coming off.
And also ET has been using 767-300s to LHR fairly often recently.
ACVitale From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 921 posts, RR: 13 Reply 17, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 3876 times:
Quoting ETFokker50 (Reply 15): ET better than BA/BMI ha ha That's a new one. The reason BA / BMI does this flight and is daily is because the better quality of service offered, and better connections. Before BA and more recently KLM came to ADD, there was just ET, KQ and LH. LH is expensive, and KQ required a connection in Nairobi, but was good for NW connections. ET compared to other african airlines is great, but I've heard a lot of bad bad customer service stories as well as strange in flight stories (oxygen masks drop, and no, no announcement whatsoever...).
Having flown ET and the BMED BA flight. I must say unequivicably the ET service was superiour in my opinion. The customer service comment is interesting as ET largely handles all carriers in ADD (including BA/BMED when I flew them in 05 and 06.) and in London the ET check in was quite good.
ETStar From Canada, joined Jan 2004, 2103 posts, RR: 9 Reply 18, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 2916 times:
Quoting StarGoldLHR (Reply 2):
Addis Ababa was an extension of the Alexandria service from BMED, but BMI dropped Alexandria and it's too far for an A321 direct ?
AMM is the new stop for the service to ADD. I find that the BMI schedules are very inconvenient, with 2AM arrivals at ADD and 4AM departures. The only advantage is that it is a Star Alliance partner ...
Quoting Ikramerica (Reply 10): There may be something to the 'not allowed to sell' the itinerary in the USA and Canada due to some bilateral or other treaty with Ethiopia, the UK and the USA/Canada. It wouldn't be the first time this kind of thing happened.
I got this response from BMI today: "You can book this as a through route via our call centre, as yet we have not been able to put this specific itinerary online, but hope to do so in the next week."
Not sure how things work, but I am dialing their number now ... Never mind, the UK office is only open from 7AM to 9PM.
Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 12): A little off topic here, but does anyone on a.net work for ET? I'm spending next week there and wanted to check some loads into and out of ADD. Gracias!
I can check loads on expertflyer for you. PM me.
Quoting ETFokker50 (Reply 15): ET better than BA/BMI ha ha That's a new one. The reason BA / BMI does this flight and is daily is because the better quality of service offered, and better connections. Before BA and more recently KLM came to ADD, there was just ET, KQ and LH. LH is expensive, and KQ required a connection in Nairobi, but was good for NW connections. ET compared to other african airlines is great, but I've heard a lot of bad bad customer service stories as well as strange in flight stories (oxygen masks drop, and no, no announcement whatsoever...).
Not sure which airline you are referring to, neither airline offers daily service: ET has 6 flights per week, while BMI has 5. Connections wise, ET's overnights out of ADD are great for trips beyond Heathrow, while the return is also great for trips beyond Addis. Customer service wise, I was quite impressed with ET the last time I did LHR-ADD-LHR, with check-in and boarding being very orderly (and I do remember how it was in the old days), and plenty of service including multiple language announcements. To mention second-hand accounts on the BA/BMed service (BMI's is still new), flights arriving at ADD with just a handful of luggages, FAs disappearing into galleys after a quick service, luggage arriving weeks after the inbound trip (after all, BA was involved), lining up to board a plane at a remote parking spot under a heavy downpour are just a few that currently come to mind. Every airline has its bad customer service story, and we cannot make generalizations based specific incidents.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15724 posts, RR: 47 Reply 19, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 2518 times:
Quoting ETStar (Reply 18): I can check loads on expertflyer for you. PM me.
HUYfan From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 1372 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 20 hours ago) and read 2333 times:
ADD has always been operated by BMED, not BA.
the whole debacle at T4 has now been substantially improved with the move to bmi at T1. The whole experience should prove much better, and the bmi service is certainly more comprehensive than the version of BA's we used to deliver, especially in Economy.
Theginge From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2006, 1110 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (5 years 6 months 2 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 2189 times:
Unfortunatly the move of BMED to T1 has made it worse over there for everyone else as it is even more congested than it was before. Terminal 4 has a bit of slack for a change!
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That's a new one. The reason BA / BMI does this flight and is daily is because the better quality of service offered, and better connections. Before BA and more recently KLM came to ADD, there was just ET, KQ and LH. LH is expensive, and KQ required a connection in Nairobi, but was good for NW connections. ET compared to other african airlines is great, but I've heard a lot of bad bad customer service stories as well as strange in flight stories (oxygen masks drop, and no, no announcement whatsoever...).
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