London Air Travel

Titan Airways To Operate London Heathrow – Cairo For BA

Titan Airways is to operate London Heathrow – Cairo for British Airways from 7 November 2019 to 12 January 2020.

BA Boeing 787 at British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (Image Credit: British Airways)

British Airways is currently wet leasing an Airbus A340 aircraft from Air Belgium to cover the London Heathrow – Cairo route.

This was due to end on Thursday 31 October 2019 for the outbound flight from London Heathrow (flight BA155) and Friday 1 November 2019 for the inbound flight to London Heathrow (flight BA154).

The Air Belgium wet lease has now been extended to Wednesday 6 November 2019 and Thursday 7 November 2019 respectively.

Due to ongoing maintenance requirements to the Rolls-Royce engines of BA’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, BA will then wet lease an Airbus A321-200 aircraft from Titan Airways to cover this route.

Titan Airways will operate flight BA155 from Thursday 7 November 2019 to Wednesday 12 January 2020 and BA154 from Friday 8 November 2019 to Thursday 13 January 2020.

Given it has, much to the frustration of BA, taken longer than expected to address the issues with the Boeing 787 fleet, there is every possibility that the wet lease may be extended.

Club World Passengers

The Titan Airways Airbus A321-200 aircraft has two cabins which, for BA, will operate as economy and premium economy.

There is no equivalent cabin to Club World on this aircraft and Club World passengers will be downgraded to premium economy, with an appropriate refund of their fare.

Club World passengers will retain their original baggage allowance, lounge access privileges and Avios/tier points earning entitlements. Club World passengers are also entitled to cancel their flights with a full refund.

Titan Airways has recently refurbished its fleet of Airbus A321 aircraft and you can see pictures of the interiors from Titan Airways. From the pictures available, there appears to be no seat-back in-flight entertainment system on this aircraft.

Affected passengers can check the status of their booking using the Manage My Booking tool and should contact either BA or their travel agent.

London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update – 16 October 2019

A weekly bulletin on transatlantic travel, published every Wednesday at 06:00 BST.

London Air Travel » Page 50

New York Skyline (Image Credit: London Air Travel)

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’s Summer Long-Haul Schedule

Norwegian has confirmed its long-haul schedule at London Gatwick for the summer 2020 season.

It’s largely minor tweaks and certainly no new routes – the era of growth for Norwegian is long over.

London Gatwick – Austin – Increases from 3x weekly to 4x weekly

London Gatwick – Buenos Aires – Decreases from daily to 5x weekly

London Gatwick – Denver – Increases from 3x weekly to 4x weekly

London Gatwick – Miami – Decreases from daily to 6x weekly

London Gatwick – Orlando – Decreases from daily to 5x weekly

London Gatwick – Rio de Janeiro – Decreases from 4x weekly to 3x weekly

London Gatwick – San Francisco International – Increases from 5 x weekly to daily

London Gatwick – Tampa – Increases from 2x weekly to 3x weekly

BA’s Club Suite on London Heathrow – New York JFK

The first BA Boeing 777-200 aircraft to be retrofitted with its new “Club Suite” has now been in operation for around a week on London Heathrow – New York JFK.

The aircraft, registration G-RAES, has been operating on this route since 9 October. It has operated flight BA173 from London Heathrow and BA112 from New York JFK. This is of course subject to change at short notice due to operational requirements.

The Empire State Building Reopens 102nd Floor Observation Deck

It’s fashionable to be dismissive of popular tourist attractions. But sometimes tourist attractions are popular for a reason.

Arguably, there is simply no better experience of New York than taking in the view of Manhattan from the Empire State Building, particularly at night. Getting to the observation decks has not always been a pleasant experience. The Empire State Building has this month completed the third and final phase of a revamp which includes a new visitor entrance and a revamped obervervation deck on the 102nd floor. Full details are available from the Empire State Building and New York Times.

Staying in New York the redesigned Museum Of Modern Art reopens on 21 October 2019 following a $450m revamp by Diller Scofidio + Renfo. The revamp encompasses a new entrance, extra gallery space and improved navigation for visitors around the building.

London Air Travel’s Monday Briefing – 14 October 2019

Welcome to our weekly briefing on air travel in London and around the world, as published every Monday at 06:00 BST.

London Air Travel » Page 50

Extinction Rebellion Protest, London, Friday 11 October 2019 (Image Credit: London Air Travel)

Welcome to our Monday Briefing for the week beginning 14 October 2019.

Aviation Prepares For Climate Change Scrutiny

Events were dominated last week by the ongoing “Extinction Rebellion” protests in London, which involved a day of disruption at London City airport.

Whilst the protestors generated a lot of press coverage, they have not yet won over the “hearts and minds” of the public. Many representatives did not perform well when some of their apocalyptic claims were put to question in TV interviews.

That said, the airline industry is now preparing itself for much greater scrutiny on its impact on climate change.

Last week BA’s parent company IAG announced it plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. BA will also pay to offset the carbon emissions from UK domestic flights from next year. Though, note BA has not yet changed its plans to keep the Boeing 747 in service until 2024.

Whilst the concept of “flight shaming” has entered contemporary lexicon and some in the commentariat are calling for higher taxation on frequent flyers (Financial Times) there is no sign yet of a wholesale shift in public opinion against flying.

That said, public sentiment can change. Witness the near wholesale change in attitude towards single use plastics following the BBC series “Blue Planet II”. A single image with the right messenger can have a powerful impact. This is an industry where even a small percentage fall in demand can have huge financial consequences.

German Rail Advert 2019 — “No need to fly – Around the world in Germany” (Image Credit: Ogilvy & Mather for Deutsche Bahn)

Qantas “Project Sunrise” Test Flights

Qantas will carry out the first of its ultra long range “Project Sunrise” test fights this week. A Boeing 787-9 aircraft will fly from New York JFK to Sydney on Friday.

A test flight with another Boeing 787-9 aircraft will operate non-stop from London to Sydney later this year. Qantas has confirmed that Airbus and Boeing have submitted final offers to supply aircraft capable of flying non-stop from London to the East Coast of Australia.

A decision is expected by the end of this year. As well as economics, a final decision is dependent on regulatory approval and reaching agreement with Qantas’ trade unions. It has to be said if Qantas does not go through with the project, it will be a considerable failure in expectations management.

Also of note this week:

Air New Zealand appoints Greg Foran, currently President & Chief Executive Officer of Walmart US as its CEO. (Air New Zealand)

Guernsey based Aurigny is expected to report losses of £9.6m in 2020. (BBC News)

Late post publication updates:

[Reserved for updates throughout the day]

The European Commission has approved a bridging loan from the German Government to Condor. (Condor)

London Air Travel’s Monday Briefing is published every Monday at 06:00 BST. If you have any tips or stories please contact us. You can also follow us on Twitter for breaking news throughout the week.

If you’d like to receive our Monday Briefing and all articles we publish directly in to your mailbox, then please enter your e-mail address below:

British Airways Launches London Gatwick – Antalya

British Airways has launched a new summer seasonal route from London Gatwick to Antalya, Turkey.

London Air Travel » Page 50

British Airways has launched a new summer seasonal route from London Gatwick to Antalya, Turkey.

The route launches on Thursday 30 April 2020. It initially operates three times weekly, before progressively increasing to six times weekly in the summer peak.

The flight times vary by day, but flights typically leave Gatwick at around lunch time and depart from Antalya in the evening.

Flights are on sale now at ba.com

In other Gatwick related news, BA’s seasonal routes to Gibraltar and Limoges will not return this summer. These were due to return on 30 April and 22 May 2020 respectively.

BA will continue to serve Gibraltar year-round from Heathrow. Passengers whose flights from Gatwick to Gibraltar have been cancelled can be re-accommodated on BA services from Heathrow.

BA does not serve Limoges from any other London airport. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are entitled to a full refund. Alternatively, passengers should be able to choose an alternative BA destination in France. However, any consequential costs 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.

There has been relatively little news so far this year on BA’s schedules for summer 2020. Further route news is expected for all London airports in the coming weeks.

London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update – 9 October 2019

A weekly bulletin on transatlantic travel, published every Wednesday at 06:00 BST.

London Air Travel » Page 50

Hotel Le Germain, Montreal (Image Credit: Le Germain Hotels)

Montreal’s Boom

Some time ago a region decided to have a referendum on whether it should remain a member of a union, where it has had not always the easiest of relationships.

It was a narrow result, but the referendum still had profound economic effects. Particularly for one city, once a financial capital and a host of a world fair. Banks relocated their headquarters elsewhere. Whilst the city retained its many European charms, the sight of economic decline was inescapable.

No, not that referendum! The 1995 referendum on whether Quebec should become an independent country from Canada.

It had a significant impact on the economic fortunes of Montreal. However, there are signs the city is making a comeback. There is a huge construction boom in downtown Montreal. A new light rail network is under construction. The Canadian hotel chain The Four Seasons opened a new property earlier this year.

Another highly rated Canadian hotel chain is Le Germain Hotels. It has this month reopened its property in Montreal after an extensive refurbishment.

If there’s one reason for a transatlantic traveller to chose this chain over others is that there are no set check-out times for all guests. Large chains of course offer late check-outs to those in certain tiers of frequent guest programmes. Otherwise an automatic check-out is applied by default. Here, you can set any check-out time you wish, even well into the evening – perfect for freshening up before a transatlantic flight home.

London Air Travel’s Monday Briefing – 7 October 2019

Welcome to our weekly briefing on air travel in London and around the world, as published every Monday at 06:00 BST.

London Air Travel » Page 50

KLM Centenary Edition of Holland Magazine — Two special covers for KLM’s “Holland Magazine”

Welcome to our Monday Briefing for the week beginning 7 October 2019.

100 Years Of KLM

Today marks 100 years since the formation of KLM. As KLM is keen to point out it is the oldest airline to operate under one name.

The first flight wasn’t until May 1920 when, in conjunction with Air Travel & Transport Ltd (a predecessor airline to BA), it flew from Croydon to Amsterdam.

In its 100 year history KLM has played a significant role in UK aviation, thanks to the close proximity of its Amsterdam hub and coverage of UK regional airports. It has also been a pioneer with its transatlantic joint-venture with Northwest Airlines and the first (if not always harmonious) major pan-European merger with Air France.

History could have taken a very different course had BA merged with KLM. Talks in 1992 and 2000 both fell through. IAG CEO Willie Walsh has never hidden the fact that this is a deal that should have happened and wouldn’t have fallen through on his watch.

In the future we can expect much greater co-operation between KLM and Virgin Atlantic with a combined transatlantic joint-venture with Delta and a frequent flyer partnership.

KLM is marking its centenary with a TV advertising campaign in the UK.

You can also explore more of KLM’s history on a dedicated microsite.

British Airways Launches Codeshare with Malaysia Airlines

British Airways has launched a new codeshare partnership with its Oneworld alliance partner Malaysia Airlines.

London Air Travel » Page 50

British Airways and Malaysian Airlines, London Heathrow (Image Credit: British Airways)

British Airways has launched a new codeshare partnership with its Oneworld alliance partner Malaysia Airlines.

Currently, BA flies from London Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur daily with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft and Malaysia Airlines flies from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur twice daily with Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

BA will now place its code on Malaysia Airlines flights from Kuala Lumpur to the following destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, which are not served by direct BA flights:

Malaysia: Alor Setar, Kota Kinabalu, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Kuantan, Labuan, Langkawi, Miri, Penang, Sibu, Kuala Terengganu, Sandakan, Kota Bharu, Bintulu

Australia: Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth

Cambodia: Phnom Penh

Indonesia: Denpasar-Bali, Jakarta, Surabaya

New Zealand: Auckland

Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City

Note that these can only be booked when connecting to/from a BA operated flight between London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur. The two airlines will not codeshare on London Heathrow – Kuala Lumpur.

London Air Travel’s Atlantic Update – 2 October 2019

A weekly bulletin on transatlantic travel, published every Wednesday at 06:00 BST.

London Air Travel » Page 50

British Airways Airbus A350-1000 Aircraft, Toronto Pearson International Airport (Image Credit: British Airways)

American Airlines Launches Heathrow – Boston

London – Boston is going to become a highly competitive market from 2020 and beyond.

Delta will launch Gatwick – Boston from May 2020. American Airlines is to also reinstate a daily flight from London Heathrow to Boston from Sunday 29 March 2020. Flights will be operated with Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The exact schedule is yet to be confirmed. This additional flight will complement BA’s existing four times daily service between London Heathrow and Boston.

American has also announced extended operating seasons for summer seasonal routes between New York JFK and Rome; Dallas-Fort Worth and Dublin; and Chicago and Barcelona.

BA Begins Airbus A350 Flights To Toronto

British Airways has started its first scheduled transatlantic flights with the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.

As of yesterday, Tuesday 1 October 2019, flights BA93 and BA92 between London Heathrow and Toronto Pearson International are operated with the Airbus A350-1000, which now number two in BA’s long-haul fleet. This replaces a Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

If you are in Toronto this weekend, then do check out Toronto’s annual “Nuit Blanche” public art festival.

Also note of this week:

The winners of The Miami Foundation’s annual Miami Public Space Challenge are announced. (Miami Herald)

United introduces the first in a series of “Her Art Here” liveried aircraft. (United)

In the UK, a new series “The Americas with Simon Reeve” premieres on BBC2 this coming Sunday at 21:00 BST. (BBC)

Late post publication updates:

[Reserved for updates throughout the day]

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 Air Travel’s Monday Briefing – 30 September 2019

Welcome to our weekly briefing on air travel in London and around the world, as published every Monday at 06:00 BST.

London Air Travel » Page 50

Welcome to our Monday Briefing for the week beginning 30 September 2019.

Thomas Cook

The Civil Aviation Authority’s “Operation Matterhorn” to bring Thomas Cook customers back to the UK is expected to continue until this Sunday, 6 October 2019.

Yesterday, 70 flights were scheduled to operate to bring 15,000 people back to the UK, taking the total number of passengers returned to nearly 110,000.

Whilst the Civil Aviation Authority’s exercise is expected to conclude this week, the recriminations over the company’s collapse will continue for considerably longer.

Thomas Cook’s CEO Peter Fankhauser gave an interview to the Mail On Sunday yesterday effectively pointing the finger of blame at the level of debit he inherited from his predecessors and the cost of serving it.

The closure of Thomas Cook is expected to have a significant impact in Spain with the company having been responsible for carrying 3.6 million passengers to the country and a substantial minority of visitors to the Balearic and Canary Islands. (El Pais In English)

In Germany, Thomas Cook subsidiary Condor has received a bridging loan from the German Government to enable it to continue to trade. (Condor)

Following the precedent set in a court case following the collapse of Monarch the liquidators will be entitled to sell off Thomas Cook’s Gatwick and Manchester slots. IAG, Virgin Atlantic and Wizz Air have expressed an interest in Thomas Cook’s slots at Gatwick.

Thomas Cook’s auditors will also face scrutiny. The Financial Reporting Council, which is responsible for regulating the audit profession, has said: “In light of recent developments at Thomas Cook we are considering whether there is any case for investigation and enforcement action as a matter of urgency and in cooperation with the Insolvency Service.”

Finally, the Business Archives Council is seeking to preserve Thomas Cook’s historical archives. (Organizational History Network)

Delta Swoops LATAM from Oneworld

Airline alliances are fragile constructs. They are loose gatherings of airlines who are often intense rivals and are also distracted by local priorities.

Delta stunned Oneworld last week by prizing LATAM away from the alliance. Whilst American Airlines, the Oneworld member with the most to lose, and Oneworld, initially put a brave face on the news, there are already signs that LATAM’s departure may become acrimonious.

Whilst LATAM is contractually bound to meet all of the obligations of its membership (such as reciprocal recognition of frequent flyers) until it leaves the alliance, it appears that codeshares between American Airlines and LATAM have already been withdrawn from sale.

It’s not immediately clear which airline was responsible for instigating this move, but American Airlines had to issue a statement on Saturday confirm that those passengers with existing bookings should have their itineraries honoured.

Delta’s move does also have an impact on IAG with BA and Iberia both having codeshares with LATAM. IAG is not an organisation to leave others to control events and its plans will no doubt be known in due course.

Also of note this week:

Delta To Acquire 20% of LATAM Airlines

Delta is to acquire a 20% stake in LATAM Airlines, which is to leave the Oneworld alliance.

London Air Travel » Page 50

LATAM New Business Class 2019 — LATAM Business Class Cabin (Image Credit: PriestmanGoode for LATAM)

Delta Air Lines has just caused a major upset in the order of the three major global airline alliances.

Delta is to acquire a 20% stake in LATAM Airlines Group and form a new strategic partnership with the airline. LATAM is currently a member of the Oneworld alliance and LATAM is expected to leave Oneworld. However, there are no plans for LATAM to join Skyteam.

LATAM, which was formed from the merger of LAN and former Star Alliance member TAM Airlines, had been seeking to secure two immunised joint-ventures with American Airlines and British Airways and Iberia. However, these have stalled due to objections from regulators in Chile. These joint-ventures are now off the table.

Delta of course owns a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic, which is to launch Heathrow – Sao Paulo next year. LATAM currently flies from London Heathrow to Sao Paulo, which is also codeshared with BA. It seems inevitable that this will be replaced with a new codeshare with Virgin Atlantic. It may also help Virgin launch more routes to Latin America.

As part of the transaction Delta will acquire four Airbus A350 aircraft from LATAM. Delta has also agreed to take on LATAM’s commitment to purchase 10 additional A350 aircraft to be delivered from 2020 to 2025. Full details of the transaction are available from Delta.

It is no exaggeration to say this is a significant blow for Oneworld, particularly American Airlines, Iberia and, to a lesser extent, BA. It was a coup for Oneworld to beat Star Alliance to secure membership of the combined airline five years ago, and this is a signifiant loss.