British Airways has advised that the planned launch of Airbus A350-1000 flights from London Heathrow to Dubai has been brought forward.
Flights BA106 and BA107 between London Heathrow and Dubai were due to be operated with the Airbus A350-1000 from Tuesday 8 October 2019.
This has now been brought forward to Monday 2 September 2019.
The Airbus A350 will not operate BA107 on 7 & 8 September, nor BA106 on 8 & 9 September.
As the Airbus A350-1000 does not have a First Class cabin, passengers booked into First Class will be downgraded to Club World if they remain on these flights.
This also means that Toronto will no longer be the first BA long-haul route to be served by the A350 from Tuesday 1 October 2019.
If you did book a flight to Toronto to specifically fly on an early Airbus A350 flight, BA has in the past exercised discretion when there are changes to schedules for new aircraft, but this cannot be guaranteed.
Schedules for new aircraft do of course remain subject to changes at very short notice.
BA’s first Airbus A350-1000, G-XWBA, is due to arrive at London Heathrow next week and will operate passenger flights between Heathrow and Madrid for crew familiarisation purposes.
Passengers can check the status of their booking using the Manage My Booking tool on ba.com
Affected passengers should contact BA or their travel agent.
American Eagle & British Airways Aircraft, Miami International Airport (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Hello and welcome to the The Atlantic Update providing a weekly bulletin on developments on transatlantic travel between Europe and North America.
The Atlantic Update Takes A Summer Break
This will be the last Atlantic Update for a few weeks as it takes a break for the summer.
This is partly as it is a relatively quiet period for news and also to accommodate a special series for the summer which launches next Monday, 22 July 2019. The Atlantic Update will return on Wednesday 4 September 2019.
In terms of developments to watch over the coming weeks:
It is usually at this time of year that BA announces a new transatlantic route for next summer from London Heathrow with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
Previous routes have been Austin, San Jose, New Orleans, Nashville and Pittsburgh. All of these, bar Pittsburgh, had no direct link to Europe which gives a clue as to likely contenders for a new route. That said, there has to be a point where BA has exhausted new transatlantic route options, at least with the 787.
On the subject of BA and transatlantic routes, last year the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) announced it was to investigate the transatlantic joint-business involving BA, and American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia.
The basis for this was that the commitments made by the joint-business in 2010 when it was reviewed by the European Commission are due to expire and in light of the UK’s planned departure from the European Union, the CMA has opened a fresh review of the joint-business.
Following an initial information gathering exercise, in April the CMA opened a full investigation which is due to conclude this summer.
What can be said with confidence is that there will have been intense lobbying by JetBlue for slots at London Heathrow.
Also, nothing can be taken for granted as far as the CMA is concerned. It has taken a tough line in other cases. It effectively killed a planned merger between two UK supermarket chains, ASDA and Sainsbury’s. Also, when Amazon recently acquired a minority interest in the food delivery service Deliveroo during a funding round, the CMA issued an initial enforcement order barring any integration between the two businesses, ahead of a decision whether to carry out a formal investigation.
The Atlantic Update returns on Wednesday 4 September. Join us next Monday 22 July, for the launch of a special series for the summer. You can always get in touch by dropping an e-mail to [mail @ londonairtravel.com]
British Airways pilots pictured with the Red Arrows (Image Credit: British Airways)
Welcome to our Monday Briefing for the week beginning 15 July 2019.
The Monday Briefing Takes A Summer Break
This will be the last Monday Briefing for a few weeks as it takes a break for the summer.
Does this mean a quiet summer? Not at all. Next week we begin a special series for the summer which will run until late August.
The Monday Briefing will return on 2 September 2019. We will of course report any major stories throughout the week as normal.
In terms of things to be looking out for over the next few weeks:
This coming Saturday, 20 July 2019, the Red Arrows will perform a fly past with a BA 747 in BOAC livery at the Royal International Tattoo.
Next Monday, 22 July 2019, BALPA’s ballot for industrial action at BA closes. It is likely that BALPA will announce its intentions immediately after the result of the ballot is known.
BA’s first Airbus A350-1000, G-XWBA, is expected to arrive at London Heathrow next week and we should see the first official pictures of the actual cabin interior.
Milan Linate airport will close for three months from Saturday 27 July 2019. Alitalia will transfer all Linate routes to Milan Malpensa. BA will also operate from London City to Milan Malpensa.
International Airlines Group announces its half-year results on Friday 2 August 2019. Given last week’s announcement that the Information Commissioner’s Office intends to fine BA £183m, Willie Walsh no doubt has a lot say about the matter but given a pending appeal and numerous group litigation actions, he may have to bite his tongue.
Qantas announces its annual results on Thursday 22 August 2019. Qantas usually has something to announce with its annual results. Whilst this may be too soon for a final announcement on whether it will place an order for aircraft to fly non-stop from London to Sydney and Melbourne, we should at least learn of the project’s progress.
Beijing Daxing International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)
British Airways has confirmed that it will switch its daily service from London Heathrow to Beijing to Beijing Daxing International Airport from Sunday 27 October 2019.
Currently, BA flies daily to Beijing Capital International airport (airport code PEK). From Sunday 27 October 2019, BA’s entire operation to Beijing will transfer to Beijing Daxing International airport (airport code PKX).
The new airport opens on Monday 30 September 2019. BA’s Oneworld alliance partner Finnair has also advised that it will operate three flights a week to Beijing Daxing from Sunday 3 November 2019, in addition to Beijing Capital.
Currently, BA codeshares with China Southern on a number of domestic routes from Beijing. China Southern will be operating from the new airport, and passengers with connections should check their itinerary carefully.
British Airways lounge, San Francisco International (Image Credit: British Airways)
British Airways has reopened its lounge at San Francisco International airport following a six month refurbishment.
The lounge remains in its current location near Gates A4 and A6 on Concourse A, which benefits from floor to ceiling windows and good views of the airport apron.
The new lounge has combined the old Club and First lounges into one. Whilst First Class passengers and Gold Executive Club cardholders no longer have a separate lounge, First Class passengers do benefit from a new dedicated pre-flight dining area.
The lounge follows a similar design brief to BA lounges in Aberdeen, New York and Rome. The centrepiece of the lounge is granite topped bar.
You can also take a 360 degree tour of the lounge on a dedicated microsite.
British Airways lounge, San Francisco International (Image Credit: British Airways)British Airways lounge, San Francisco International (Image Credit: British Airways)British Airways lounge, San Francisco International (Image Credit: British Airways)
Although the lounge has not increased in size, first impressions are that the new lounge is a significantly better use of the space and it has a much more open feel than the old lounge. There is also a vastly better range of seating choices.
Access to the lounge is available to British Airways First and Club World (business class) customers, British Airways Executive Gold and Silver members, and oneworld frequent flyers with Emerald and Sapphire status.
In terms of other BA lounge refurbishments, the Geneva and Johannesburg lounges are currently closed for refurbishment. Hopefully in the next few months, we will have a timescale for a refurbishment of the BA lounges at London Heathrow.
Norwegian Boeing 787 aircraft (Image Credit: Norwegian)
Hello and welcome to London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update providing a weekly bulletin on developments on transatlantic travel between Europe and North America. The Atlantic Update is published every Wednesday morning at 06:00 GMT.
Norwegian Cuts London Gatwick – Las Vegas
Norwegian celebrated five years of long-haul operations at Gatwick last week.
However, the period of rapacious growth has clearly come to an end. Norwegian has confirmed it has suspended London Gatwick – Las Vegas. The route launched in 2016 and switched to winter seasonal last year.
Austin, Chicago and Seattle are suspended for the winter from Sunday 27 October 2019. As per last year, Austin is currently scheduled to resume from late March 2020. At present, there are no flights available for Chicago and Seattle for summer 2020.
Severe Weather Forecasts
Severe weather is forecast for the North East region today and a number of airlines including Delta and KLM have issued weather waivers.
The National Hurricane Center is also reporting a high probability of a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Mexico this week.
BA has reopened its newly refurbished lounge in San Francisco, which includes a new dining area for First Class passengers. (SFGate)
BA has also produced a 360 view of the new lounge which can be viewed here.
London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update is published every Wednesday at 06:00 GMT. If you have any comments, suggestions or tips then please drop us a line at mail [@] londonairtravel.com
You can follow us on Twitter for breaking news throughout the day. Also, please join us on Monday for our weekly Monday Briefing.
London Heathrow Terminal 5 (Image Credit: Heathrow)
The British Airline Pilots Association, BALPA, which represents the vast majority of British Airways pilots, is currently balloting its members for industrial action at BA.
This dispute follows a breakdown in negotiations on an annual pay deal. The ballot closes on Monday 22 July 2019. For the past two days BALPA has been holding talks with BA at the conciliation service ACAS.
BALPA has issued a statement this evening, Tuesday 9 July 2019, to advise that talks have broken down without agreement:
It is bitterly disappointing that despite two full days at ACAS we are still no further forward. BALPA tabled options for resolution but BA was not prepared to negotiate so there was no progress at all and no point continuing. Until BA changes its attitude there is little prospect of talks resuming.
It is inevitable that the strike ballot will produce a strong mandate for industrial action. BALPA is required by law to give two weeks’ notice of industrial action, meaning that a strike could theoretically take place in the week beginning Monday 5 August 2019.
Any strike would cause very significant disruption at Heathrow and Gatwick. BA’s options to mitigate against the impact such as wet leasing aircraft and rebooking passengers on other IAG airlines and joint-venture partners are relatively limited in the summer.
In previous incidents of industrial action BA has adopted a conservative approach to scheduling and would only publish a strike schedule it would be confident of operating. BA is unlikely to say very much publicly until it has to announce contingency plans, other than it remains open for talks with BALPA.
The current impasse does not preclude further talks between BA and BALPA. Ultimately, both sides know they need to reach an agreement on this issue and pay negotiations can go right up to the wire. Unfortunately, this does mean a month of uncertainty for passengers.
Update Monday 22 July 2019:
BA pilots have, as expected, voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.
However, no strike dates have been announced. BA is also seeking an injunction to prevent any industrial action. (London Air Travel)
More to read on British Airways Disruption
Here are our latest posts on disruption affecting British Airways:
Artist impression of new Singapore Airlines lounges, Terminal 3, Singapore Changi Airport (Image Credit: Singapore Airlines)
Hello and welcome to our Monday Briefing for the week beginning 8 July 2019.
Connect Airways Bid For Flybe Approved
The Connect Airways bid for Flybe was approved by the European Commission on Friday.
Although the takeover completed some months ago, Flybe has been effectively “held separate” and remained operationally independent from the consortium until now.
As a condition of approval, the European Commission has required Connect Airways to make available five daily slot pairs at Amsterdam Schiphol and three daily slot pairs at Paris Charles de Gaulle to any entrant wishing to fly from these airports to Birmingham International.
The airline will eventually operate under an as yet unspecified Virgin brand. It will be no surprise to anyone with a cursory knowledge of Flybe’s operation over the past few years that it is likely to be some time before a rebranding takes place.
On the subject of regional flying, it’s worth noting that in the slot allocation reports from Airport Coordination Ltd for the winter season that Loganair has, albeit unsuccessfully this time, put in a request for 42 weekly slots at London Heathrow.
Also unsuccessfully bidding for slots at Heathrow were China Airlines, Luxair, JetBlue and SpiceJet.
Singapore Airlines Lounge Revamp
Singapore Airlines is to spend £30 million revamping its lounges at Terminal 3, Singapore Changi Airport.
Singapore Airlines promises that passengers travelling in First Class and Suites will enjoy a new Private Room with a full service fine dining section and a new First Class lounge with a new Flagship Bar.
The Business Class lounge will be expanded with a cafe, dining hall and a full service bar.
The refurbishment will be carried out in four phases starting in August 2019 and is expected to complete by mid-2021. In spite of its reputation, Singapore Airlines has never been lauded for its lounges, so it will be interesting to see how these turn out.
Singapore Airlines’ lounges in Terminal 2 of Singapore Changi are not affected by these works.
A review of American Airlines’ Arrivals Lounge for First & business class passengers arriving at Heathrow Terminal 3 on AA, BA, Cathay Pacific & Qantas.
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
It’s not often an airline lounge merits a second review within the space of 18 months.
Having reviewed American Airlines’ London Heathrow Arrivals lounge on a late morning visit last year, here’s second review at a much earlier hour in the day.
First, let’s quickly recap its location and facilities:
Lounge Location and Opening Hours
The lounge is located on the 2nd floor of the arrivals section of Terminal 3.
Once you have cleared immigration and customs, follow the signs for the American Airlines arrivals lounge and take a lift to the 2nd floor. The lounge entrance is immediately in front of you.
In the past year, the lounge opening hours have been extended from 05:00 to 15:30 daily.
Lounge Access Criteria
The simple explanation is that you can use this lounge when arriving at London Heathrow Terminal 3 in First or business class on American Airlines, BA, Cathay Pacific, or Qantas.
Arrivals lounges do not fall within normal Oneworld alliance reciprocal access rules.
However, there are lounge access entitlements for Oneworld Emerald, BA Premier, American Airlines Concierge Key card holders. These are detailed in full on the American Airlines website.
Lounge Facilities
The lounge facilities include:
Self-service luggage storage area
Private shower suites and bathrooms
Valet pressing service
Hot & cold food buffet & a la carte menus with table service
A wide variety of seating, with many having at-seat power
Business centre with PCs & copier-printers
Newspapers, magazines, and two live TV screens
Complimentary WiFi
Shower Suites
As you can see the shower suites are well-sized and well maintained:
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Self-Service Buffet
The lounge features an extensive self-service buffet.
Starting from the left hand side of the lounge, you’ll find juices, cereals, dried fruit and, if you feel so inclined, all you need to make your own Bloody Mary.
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Moving on, there’s a cold selection of cold meats and cheeses and pots of berries and vanilla bircher muesli with pumpkin seeds; greek yoghurt with berry compote and granola; and fresh fruit salad.
Also available are a “heartbeat” smoothie made from beetroot, mango and carrot or a “pash ‘n’ shoot” smoothie with pineapple, mango and passion fruit. Later in the day, these are replaced with brunch items.
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
In terms of hot options, there’s a full English breakfast comprising scrambled egg, Cumberland sausage, bacon, slow roasted tomatoes; parsley chestnut mushrooms and baked beans.
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
To end the self-service options, there are a full range of hot drinks. Also not pictured are well stocked fridges offering Diet Coke, Coke, Schweppes Tonics, and Evian/Harrogate Spring bottled water.
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
A La Carte Options
You do also have the option of ordering a la carte items.
The menu does change occasionally but a typical menu includes Eggs Benedict, Eggs Royale, American Pancakes and a full English Breakfast and, of course, that London brunch staple, Smashed Avocado On Toast:
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Other Lounge Facilities
The lounge also includes a business centre which, from experience, seems rarely used.
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Overall, this is a great facility to have. It’s well run and staff do a very good job of attending to tables and keeping the lounge tidy. It is much smaller than the BA Arrivals Lounge in Terminal 5, but seems more than adequately sized to cater for the volume of passengers.
To pick a couple of faults. First, as this lounge is geared towards business traveller, the seating is geared towards passengers travelling solo. There are no large tables or benches. If you’re travelling as a family or in a group, you’ll need to shift the chairs around a bit to sit together!
American Airlines Arrivals Lounge, London Heathrow Terminal 3 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Also, the decor does veer a little towards the corporate side. The design of most airline lounges has to reflect the fact they are used for almost all of the day. For a lounge that is primarily used early in the morning, it could perhaps be a little brighter.
American is due to open a new Flagship lounge in the departures area of Terminal 3 in the medium term. If it combines the design of its Flagship lounges in the US with the catering and service of this lounge, then it should impress.
Disclosure: This review was carried out as part of a self-funded trip.
London Gatwick Airfield (Image Credit: London Gatwick Airport)
British Airways has announced it has suspended its winter seasonal route from London Gatwick to Friedrichshafen.
The route has previously operated on Saturdays from late December to late April. It was due to return this year on Saturday 22 December 2019, but has now been suspended.
There are no alternative BA services from London to Friedrichshafen. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are entitled to a full refund. BA may offer affected passengers a flight to an alternative BA destination nearby. However, any consequential costs such as ground transportation will be at passengers’ expense.
Passengers can check the status of their booking using the Manage My Booking tool on ba.com
Affected passengers should contact BA or their travel agent.
