Does anyone know why BA has set up its schedule such that no option exist to fly from VCE to Tokyo on BA planes?
I flu often VCE to Tokyo in the past three years and I always managed to sit on BA planes.
Now it seems no longer possible. The BA booking webpage offers various combinations of JAL and Finnair codeshares on the London-Tokyo leg, but no BA-operated flights. It's not even possible with a layover in London (within a single booking). I like BA and like to fly on their metal so as to exploit maximally the perks of my BA-frequent-flyer status, but it seems they want me to join another fidelity program. Does anyone know why is that? Is that related to 787 RR engine checks? Is that temporary? Thanks for any insight.

-Diego

dtonelli75 wrote:

Does anyone know why BA has set up its schedule such that no option exist to fly from VCE to Tokyo on BA planes?
I flu often VCE to Tokyo in the past three years and I always managed to sit on BA planes.
Now it seems no longer possible. The BA booking webpage offers various combinations of JAL and Finnair codeshares on the London-Tokyo leg, but no BA-operated flights. It's not even possible with a layover in London (within a single booking). I like BA and like to fly on their metal so as to exploit maximally the perks of my BA-frequent-flyer status, but it seems they want me to join another fidelity program. Does anyone know why is that? Is that related to 787 RR engine checks? Is that temporary? Thanks for any insight.

-Diego

BA, Finnair, and JAL maintain a joint venture for Europe-Japan flying.

https://www.businesstraveller.com/news/ ... t-venture/

I’ve just done a dummy booking and found a flight with BA on 01/05/20
VCE 1310-1430 LHR BA579 A319
LHR 1540-1135+1 NRT BA005 B787

There's only one BA VCE-LHR (on the date I checked). It arrives after the two BA LHR-HND flights have departed, leaving only the JAL option at 1900 hours.

Carriers have figured out that circuitous routings appeal to people who have time to waste, not people who value their time and are willing to pay profit-maximizing fares. MUC and FRA offer time-efficient connections and do not require flying 700sm the wrong way, each way.

[this is an answer to avek00]: Thanks. Yes, I knew that -- but this joint-venture going on since a while and so far it didn't prevent to find BA-operated combinations, which are the ones I always
used in the past three years. Now it seems they are strongly downsizing BA-operation on the route in favour of JAL/Finnair. It may make sense business-wise for them, but it screws all people like me who invested in accruing seniority on BA fidelity programs and now cannot find BA flying options.

fromheretohere9 wrote:

I’ve just done a dummy booking and found a flight with BA on 01/05/20
VCE 1310-1430 LHR BA579 A319
LHR 1540-1135+1 NRT BA005 B787

Lucky you. This option does not show in my browser opened on BA from my Executive Club account (settings: "United Kingdom/English").
Either the seats got sold out in these five minutes, or BA just doesn't show all options to all countries.

dtonelli75 wrote:

fromheretohere9 wrote:

I’ve just done a dummy booking and found a flight with BA on 01/05/20
VCE 1310-1430 LHR BA579 A319
LHR 1540-1135+1 NRT BA005 B787

Lucky you. This option does not show in my browser opened on BA from my Executive Club account (settings: "United Kingdom/English").
Either the seats got sold out in these five minutes, or BA just doesn't show all options to all countries.

Huh? There are many BA/JL options available on Google Flights (searched February 2020). Outbound is mostly on JL because depending on the day, most VCE-LHR/LGW flights arrive after LHR-NRT/HND depature (1055 to HND and 1355 to NRT). Taking BA flight will require overnight in some cases.

BA.com is notoriously flaky sometimes it works better to find an itinerary on google flights and then click through to the booking engine at ba.com, alternatively you can ring.

BTW, what benefits would you get on BA that you wouldn't get on JAL or Finnair, they are all oneworld

In summer season, you can connect at LHR with a 1 hr 10 min connection. In winter season - no same day BA-operated connection.

dtonelli75 wrote:

Does anyone know why BA has set up its schedule such that no option exist to fly from VCE to Tokyo on BA planes?

...

I like BA and like to fly on their metal so as to exploit maximally the perks of my BA-frequent-flyer status, but it seems they want me to join another fidelity program. Does anyone know why is that?

Because an airline, like most businesses, cannot be everything to everyone. BA's primary business is carrying passengers to and from LON (and less so the rest of the U.K.). While you, individually, may be willing to pay a premium for BA to enjoy the perks of your frequent flyer status, the vast majority of the airline-ticket-purchasing public is not willing to do so.

And the fares in that market are crazy cheap. $600 round-trip for flights that are at least 6,000 miles each way? No one makes money at those fares.

dtonelli75 wrote:

[this is an answer to avek00]: Thanks. Yes, I knew that -- but this joint-venture going on since a while and so far it didn't prevent to find BA-operated combinations, which are the ones I always
used in the past three years. Now it seems they are strongly downsizing BA-operation on the route in favour of JAL/Finnair. It may make sense business-wise for them, but it screws all people like me who invested in accruing seniority on BA fidelity programs and now cannot find BA flying options.

That’s what you get for greed imho !

Bye the way those points aren’t exactly free are they with the premium you pay for the upgrade !

BA and all the other carriers WILL prioritise the London/ Frankfurt/ etc. POINT TO POINT over just about all connections - simply put that LONDON ticket will almost certainly generate far better yield .

And if they don’t need back fill they really don’t care .

They have the numbers oh and limited slots someone and some places simply fall at the cut I suppose

dtonelli75 wrote:

Does anyone know why BA has set up its schedule such that no option exist to fly from VCE to Tokyo on BA planes?
I flu often VCE to Tokyo in the past three years and I always managed to sit on BA planes.
Now it seems no longer possible. The BA booking webpage offers various combinations of JAL and Finnair codeshares on the London-Tokyo leg, but no BA-operated flights. It's not even possible with a layover in London (within a single booking). I like BA and like to fly on their metal so as to exploit maximally the perks of my BA-frequent-flyer status, but it seems they want me to join another fidelity program. Does anyone know why is that? Is that related to 787 RR engine checks? Is that temporary? Thanks for any insight.

-Diego

Pointless post. Ring them and find out??

Thanks for your replies.
I have to admit that I find it funny the unquenchable need some people have to be lecturing others...
Ring and find out? Sure I did (before posting) -- and guess what? Customer service (as expected) replies that commercial decisions are made somewhere else and they don't know neither the rationale nor for how long those decisions will stay.
What a BA frequent-flyer misses while flying JAL with respect to BA? Well, upgrade priority in case of overbooking, bonus miles for senior FF status etc.
Use google flight? I'd be happy to, but engines often show BA-only solutions that require splitting the booking into two independent tickets (VCE-LHR and LHR-TYO) because of the long layover involved -- which puts your travel at risk if a disruption in the first leg causes missing the second leg.

I was hoping that some BA insider or in the know would tell me that this was a temporary modification that would change soon but it's obviously not the case. I'll probably switch to Lufthansa then. Thanks again.

What’s wrong with JAL? They’re a phenomenal airline.