RyanairGuru From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 2530 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (2 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 35237 times:
I was expecting HKG, but that's great news about LAX!
Not to get technical, but aren't the 380s going to Worlwide or are Mixed Fleet getting them as well? I ask because, unless something has changed recently, I thought that LAX was a mixed fleet route?
KarelXWB From Netherlands, joined Jul 2012, 1816 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (2 months 3 weeks 1 hour ago) and read 35016 times:
Interesting, BA will get their first A380 in July but will not fly it to LAX until October 15. It looks like they will take plenty of time for crew training.
Bongodog1964 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2006, 3019 posts, RR: 2 Reply 11, posted (2 months 3 weeks ago) and read 34051 times:
I've followed the link, but I'm not sure how to interpret it. Are we just looking at the specific dates in the left hand column ?
To start with just LAX and HGK doesn't seem quite right to me. Both are routes long enough to result in very poor utilisation. LHR - LAX & return is just about 24 hours, resulting in the aircraft being about 2 hours short of being able to go straight back to LAX, if however combined with an East coast route where the plane is away for 15 hours or so, it can do nearly double the work in the same time. Likewise HGK has a 9 hour layover at the far end.
someone83 From Norway, joined Sep 2006, 2784 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (2 months 3 weeks ago) and read 33787 times:
Quoting Bongodog1964 (Reply 11): Both are routes long enough to result in very poor utilisation. LHR - LAX & return is just about 24 hours, resulting in the aircraft being about 2 hours short of being able to go straight back to LAX, if however combined with an East coast route where the plane is away for 15 hours or so, it can do nearly double the work in the same time. Likewise HGK has a 9 hour layover at the far end.
Expect the aircraft coming from LAX continuing to HKG, so the time table isn't that weird.
And yes, the utilization is low, but this has been the case for all new A380 operators, where utilization has been low in the first few months.
It will be less cramped than the 777, where they still get 8-across. EK puts 8-across on the upper-deck, so upper-desk on BA in J should be very nice.
The disgram also seem to show a gap between the footrest and the seat in front, which will hopefully allow access to the aisle without the current 'straddle' over someone else's legs.
motorhussy From New Zealand, joined Mar 2000, 2760 posts, RR: 10 Reply 16, posted (2 months 3 weeks ago) and read 33439 times:
Quoting motorhussy (Reply 7): Off topic but interesting that they're splitting their business class between decks...
[Edited 2013-03-05 03:28:57]
Is it possible there's going to be a passenger elevator between decks? Looks like one possibly marked on the map in the galley.
Somehow my addition turned into miniature script above, but does anyone else think it's possible that BA could have a pax elevator planned to link the two business class cabins? On the main deck of the Biz cabin, to the starboard side of the central aft galley, there looks to be an elevator which lines up with that of the upper deck in the forward starboard section of the galley area. It would be pretty cool to have a small hotel-like lift.
sandyb123 From UK - Scotland, joined Oct 2007, 873 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (2 months 3 weeks ago) and read 33407 times:
Quoting motorhussy (Reply 7): Is it possible there's going to be a passenger elevator between decks? Looks like one possibly marked on the map in the galley.
I'm not seeing that? Is the A380 able to take a pax elevator?
The World Traveler + seats on this video look quite different! Otherwise BAs standard Long Haul product.
Will there be a bar or similar innovations that A380 operators have adopted?
Looks like lavatories to me. I really don't see the point of having an elevator between the two Business Class cabins. It would be very heavy and it is not like there is any need for most passengers to move between the two. If for some reason they have to they can take the stairs.
ThomasCook From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2004, 725 posts, RR: 9 Reply 21, posted (2 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 33173 times:
From my experience of working on the A380, I feel splitting J between 2 decks will make it messy. This may work on the B747 but not on the A380. Splitting J catering and stores between decks is the main issue. The galleys also look very small. On another note, it is quite disappointing that BA haven't used this opportunity to reinvented their product. It is typical British conservatism...scared to push the envelope. I doubt passenger love the current product as BA say they do. If their passengers had a choice between a First Class Suite or BAs 'refreshed' old generation First seat, I think it is easy to figure out who'd they go for! Watching the promo video on YouTube, for a second though they'd posted Qantas' when they swept up the stairs as they have seemingly copied QFs logo concept. Only, it doesn't quite give the same effect.
Quoting motorhussy (Reply 7): Is it possible there's going to be a passenger elevator between decks? Looks like one possibly marked on the map in the galley.
qf002 From Australia, joined Jul 2011, 2558 posts, RR: 1 Reply 23, posted (2 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 32934 times:
The J seats themselves actually look quite different (ie the actual thing you sit on, not the surround). Will they actually have that more defined headrest and vertical contrasting stitching, or is that just an error by the graphic designer who created the renders? Looks quite nice to me, and will break up the blocks of blue and white up quite nicely.
Quoting PHLwok (Reply 19): Why would they want to do that? Does BA even have the rights to carry passengers between the US and HKG?
Reread the quote. The timetables suggest that the aircraft that comes from LAX (ie inbound to LHR) will continue onto HKG later the same day.
Argh, I need coffee. Even after reading that twice I still misinterpreted it. Apologies ...
25 someone83: Thank you Seems like the typical scheduled is built up the following utilization: DAY 1: LHR-LAX // 2,5hrs @ LAX // LAX--> DAY 2: -->LHR // 3,5
26 Lofty: I have heard that the training flights will not be out of LHR, so I doubt we will see the A380s on short-haul.
27 Bongodog1964: Clubworld is presently spilt between 2 decks on the 744's In practice the upper deck is for passengers on either full price fares or with high FF sta
28 upperdeck: Looks great to me! As a passenger I couldn't give a monkey's if the J cabins are split. I've flown BA J plenty of times and still consider it to be on
29 ThomasCook: Hi, it's not really about where you put passengers, it is the effect it can have on service flow, timings and efficiency, especially when things star
30 packsonflight: Air France did LHR-CDG initially when they got the 380 for crew training, and that is ultra-short haul!
31 brilondon: LAX is becoming a huge destination for the A380 and I don't believe the poster would disagree that LHR is also a A380 power house. He was just mentio
32 Channex101: The promotions team also wear hats so this could be anyone, even groundstaff! Also cityflyer crew wear hats, its just mainline LHR and LGW who dont
33 nclmedic: I personally think it's a massive plus point! All the feedback I've heard from people who've flown on AF in J on the A380 has been tinged with negati
34 scouseflyer: Eventually it'll be 12 x BA Although thinking about it DXB is something like 28 x EK
35 Bongodog1964: You have to weigh up the relative costs of the inconvenience to cabin crew, compared to the increased revenue from business passengers who favour a C
36 nclmedic: It's currently only confirmed that both WW and MF crew will operate on the A380 on their own routes (rather than together). LAX isn't currently a MF
37 airbazar: Funny, I much prefer the lower deck to the upper deck on the 744. The upper deck walls make it feel more cramped and you're further from the window w
38 BlueShamu330s: Perhaps, though there is nothing to prevent even a lowly blue or 'Avios whore' from paying for a seat selection anywhere on board. Rgds
39 KarelXWB: Funny you mention it, Emirates posted this picture on their Facebook page:
41 dergay: Thought that QF was switching to EK flights via DXB! At least that's the routing QF are advertising and selling....
42 HawaiianBird: In terms of range it would be no problem for BA to operate their A380s on LHR-DXB-LHR. Their top competitor on that route, EK, operates several daily
43 ThomasCook: I don't believe there is anything stopping 'kids and drunken holidaymakers' sitting on the upper deck, especially given that you can pay BA for the '
44 HUYfan: In regards to nclmedic's post, that list is way out of date. Mixed Fleet operate LAX and have done since August 2012. Mixed Fleet no longer operate DE
45 A388: So no BA A380 flights to MIA, I was expecting that. A388
46 planiac787: I am surprised to see no indian destination on the list... British Airways operates 2 daily flights to new delhi....One on the 747 and other is a 777.
47 1400mph: Better once a year than than never !! With respect ThomasCook I think we can assume that British Airways know what they are doing and that their conf
48 tonystan: LA is current,y a MF route I'm afraid!!!!
49 tonystan: I could be wrong and perhaps it's more related to a feud with EK but I was under the impression the Indian Government where not allowing any foreign
50 airbazar: I don't think anyone has enough of a O&D market at DXB to operate an A380 economically. Even for for EK most of their passengers are connecting t
51 PHX787: Congrats to LAX for yet another A380! How many BA flights will there be? I know there are currently 2 scheduled 744s sent to LAX, but will this be an
52 planiac787: At the moment I think only LH and EK have really tried bringing in the A380 but since both FRA and DXB are also AI destinations the govt put there foo
53 ASA: How about a cool LHR-LAX-HKG-LHR ... in one direction and another going LHR-HKG-LAX-LHR ... round the world!!!
54 A388: This is why I was also expecting BA to announce MIA as one of their first A380 routes. MIA also has 2 daily 744 flights. I assume the A380 flight to
55 1400mph: There's 3 x daily during the summer schedule every year so it's gotta be an A380 plus.....??? I know you're all going to flame me but I like the 744.
56 planiac787: As interesting and cool that sounds I doubt BA is going to go for such an adventurous route... Jet airways had started a Mumbai-Shanghai-Sanfrancisco
57 motorhussy: The loos are clearly and separately marked. Not through First Class they won't and it's quite a trip through Y and Y+, and the rear stairs. Most prob
58 eurowings: Looking at what BA staff are saying on the official Facebook page it perhaps seems less-likely; "Facebook User: Are you doing European flights in the
60 LHRFlyer: I expect there will be passenger familiarisation flights, but these will be by invitation.
61 steve6666: In last month's HighLife there was an interview with BA's first qualified A380 captain - James Basnett I think. A few crew have received their type r
63 babybus: It's good they have decided to put their A380s on the 10hr plus flights. The passengers are really going to notice the difference. I do think it is a
64 skipness1E: Doesn't really leave a lot of options. Familiarisation will also be for ground staff (based at LHR) who work for BA (based at LHR) and cabin crew. Wh
65 OA412: What does everyone mean by Mixed Fleet?[Edited 2013-03-05 08:44:49]
66 1400mph: You won't see a bar on a BA A380 or any other BA aircraft for the same reason you won't see mile upon mile of faux gold finish or high polish veneer.
67 PHX787: Indeed you're not but I love both the 744 and 380. I don't discriminate my jets So they're adding ANOTHER flight there? 4 flights total?
68 flyba380: I like the elegant BA F product. I think this is what stands BA apart from its A380 competitors. Other Airlines (EK, SQ...) have opted for the flashy
69 1400mph: Well I have no idea what they will do but there are currently 3 744's a day for the LAX summer schedule. Maybe 2 A380's a day in the summer and an A3
70 cv990coronado: Quoting PHX787 "So they're adding ANOTHER flight there? 4 flights total?" No BA 269 which departs LHR at 1615 will be a 388 instead of a 744 The fourt
71 SASDC8: I suspect that JNB will follow shortly after that. In the video, they only show Business, WT+ and WT right?
72 AeroWesty: LOL, do people not know how to look-up online timetables any longer? Beginning with the W13 schedule, BA has only two flights loaded so far for LHR-LA
73 cv990coronado: Quoting AeroWesty "LOL, do people not know how to look-up online timetables any longer? " We were talking about October when the 388 starts as per bel
74 MadameConcorde: I was on the very first turnaround. Mixed classes between the two flights. I had a great time. I hope British Airways will do it the other way around
75 VV701: Almost all the first 100 747s and a significant proportion of the next 150 had a bar / lounge fitted out on the upper deck as a standard feature. So,
76 mah4546: There's no gate. But MIA is ready to transform gate E8 (IIRC) to an A380 gate for British Airways. But that will still take some time.
77 AeroWesty: Yes, when I was looking up flights, there's a short period between when the A380 is introduced and the beginning of the W13 schedule, which starts Oc
78 fraspotter: Hmmm... surprised that JFK wasn't among the first. Could we see JFK among the first 5 BA A380 destinations? I could see it LAX, HKG, JNB, JFK, and NRT
79 mia305: Any chance of seeing a BA A380 in Mia in the future? I know theres only one gate currently and that's for LH I believe they do good on that route. One
80 jfk777: Miami is NOT a business route like Hong Kong , LAX, JFK and J'berg. Why is some one always saying Miami is an early BA A380 city, it was among the la
81 PHX787: Now what about Tokyo? I'd love to see another carrier fly the A380 into NRT Oh damn, wow. Interesting. That flight diverted to PHX a few times in the
82 mah4546: Yes, it absolutely is a business route, especially to London. Or did the Concorde fly to Miami for eight years for fun?
83 mia305: Yes there is one dedicated gate at mia for the A380 its in terminal J for Lh. Also I thought that Ba was moving back to the north terminal to be with
84 EPA001: That is indeed very interesting. Nice to see that LAX gets more and more A380's.
85 A388: Yes, MIA indeed is both a business route and I also think a leisure route for BA so they can use the A380 to MIA. A388
86 777STL: And the ultimate irony here is that your beloved VS is singlehandly responsible for starting the latest craze with the inflight bars - they've been d
87 MadameConcorde: BA says no passengers on Europe crew training flights British Airways facebook page Q&A Q: Are you doing European flights in the A380, for crew fa
88 jumpjets: Its good that BA aren't rushing into starting commercial flights - when they do they'll have enough planes to be able to offer more or less daily flig
89 jfk777: The Concorde stopped in Dulles and only flew to MIA with 15 to 20 passengers. A Real winner ?
90 ba319-131: Don't panic folks! Read this link, suggests other flights will run before the LAX services start http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...ba-confirms-la
91 timboflier215: Mixed Fleet is the term for the cabin crew on the newer contracts at BA. Basically, they can fly both short and long haul services, rather than befor
92 mah4546: Obviously. It lasted for a very, very long time. MIALHR is a high-fare market. There is a strong leisure component, but it's a strong business route
93 mia305: If BA is moving back to the north terminal in Mia in due time to be with AA & ow partners how will they be able to fit an A380 there? Everything i
94 DTWPurserBoy: That is an electric cart lift for use by the caterers. No passengers allowed. It is VERY small and willonly hold one cart.
95 A388: The article is a bit confusing in my opinion. A388
96 DolphinAir747: Make of it what you want, but I heard from a well-informed BA crew member that BCN would be the original crew familiarization destination. It's not a
97 AnsettB727: It's a big shame it's not going to SYD, especially now that QF and BA aren't 'friends'.
98 tonystan: If its anything to you, NONE of the crew regardless of fleet know what's happening, it's all just hearsay! Iv only heard BCN once mentioned, general
99 realsim: It has been said several times, at least in a lot of forums, that BA will fly the A380 to MAD for crew familiarisation flights. We'll see if that hap
100 mesaflyguy: I am also very surprised not to see JFK on the list of first destinations, but I imagine it's an issue with gates. I don't think T7 or T8 have any a38
101 warden145: No, you're not alone...I will (and have done so in the past) go out of my way to fly a BA 747-436. I don't have any hatred for the A380 (although I'm
102 777STL: Other than proving that the airport is capable of handling the aircraft, what does LH flying to those destinations have any bearing on what BA does w
103 AeroWesty: Also look at it from an economic standpoint. BA essentially runs a 744 shuttle between New York and London. For the distance, they don't need the mos
104 shankly: Lots of Luddites on today. Warden, you are insane (in a nice, wacky sort of way!) As much as the 747, in all its pre -8i guises, has been a wonderful
105 qf002: I strongly doubt that the A380 will make it to JFK until they expand the fleet beyond the first 12 frames to start properly replacing the 744s. It's
106 DTWPurserBoy: A nice tribute to my favorite airplane. She will always be "The Queen of the Skies." It will be interesting in years to come to see what technology w
107 Channex101: Your list is a bit out of date im afriad, BUD TLS LIS are back to Eurofleet, MF are also doing KWI and YVR to name a few and WW are doing BOS and DEN
108 Viscount724: In the 1960s and '70s BA flew around the world, via both Asia and Australia. LHR-JFK-SFO-HNL-HND-HKG...and back to LHR via several stops in Asia/Midd
109 tymnbalewne: On the seatmap, where's 24D? is that a crew seat?
110 FlyingSicilian: Not really alone. Not a 744, but on LH the 748 biz class is nicer than the 388. BA will probably be a different experiance however. I'm looking forwa
111 SCQ83: Well I know that... maybe I just didn't explain myself... I was just wondering if it would make commercial sense today. At the end of the day, DXB is
112 g2scandinavia: BA entered an agreement with OSL and Avinor to operate LHR-OSL for crew training. Landing fees will be the same as with A319/20/21 operating. Anyone k
113 Airvan00: On the seatmap, where's 24D? is that a crew seat? There is no 24D that is where the escape hatch from the crew rest area below. Same as on most other
114 B747forever: Not surprised to see that they will send the A380 to LAX. Sure, it is quite a sight to see the A380 make its final approach over Sepulveda, but there
116 1400mph: My beloved VS ? That's a switch. I think BA has chosen not to put in a bar on their A380's for two reasons. The first being that it is indeed tacky.
117 LH422: I'd say no chance. That would be a nice place to get stuck when the elevator breaks down during turbulence. Also, there is no reason for anyone to ch
118 flyba380: Why is it not possible for there to be an elevator? The L1011 had 2 of them. The galley was situated under the main cabin and the only way down there
119 AA777: I actually think that's one of the appeals. I've flown J class on certain planes where the cabin is so big... it lacks a feeling of being upgraded, o
120 tonystan: Well first there is the weight issue! A lift would add significant and unnecessary weight to an aircraft. Also if we are to use the Tristar compariso
121 Lofty: Does anyone know in Manston in Kent can take A380s? I note its runway is 2,748m
122 Viscount724: As did many DC-10s. A World Airways flight attendant was killed when a lower-deck galley elevator malfunctioned on a flight from BWI to LGW in 1981.
123 tymnbalewne: Having taken EK JFK-DXB-JFK on the A380 in J a few years back I would say that a bar greatly enhanced the experience. On a flight that long it's nice
124 FI642: Conservative is one thing, but not making the flying experience great is another. "To Fly. To Serve." This doesn't quite seem to fit.
125 AngMoh: When the SQ A345 was still fitted with Y, there was a kind of "meeting place" (not a formal bar) in the back where Y passengers could get drinks and
126 tonystan: The problem here is that far too many people have developed "emotional attachments" to their favourite carrier for whatever reason be it they love th
127 1400mph: Yes and the noise interferes with others trying to work or rest. Like I said....it is just a matter of personal taste. Also I like the atmosphere on
128 B747forever: I wonder if BA will charge extra for the upper level Y seats. For instance, they charge more for the pair of two seats at the back of the 744s compare
129 1400mph: N.B....to have a bar in one's lounge was fashionable in the U.K circa the early to mid 1970's. About the same time that it was fashionable to have the
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