Continental Airline Tickets

Serves you right?; British Airways posts record loss...is this on account of them becoming 'London Airways'?

Used to love the MAN-JFK service which used to arrive in New York in the mid-afternoon. There were many passengers who were happy they didn't need to spend a packet to get to Heathrow, from say, Leeds, Liverpool or anywhere else in the North. So good I used it half a dozen times, but as soon as BA decided to have their continental flights leave from Heathrow, Gatwick or elsewhere within a 40 miles radius of the capital, they lost respect from the rest of Britain. Now, from Ringway, Delta, Virgin and even Pakistan International Airlines (from Karachi), with a couple other airlines will take you to the US - and not only New York. And to think, BA originally told us outside the noose (known to one and all as the M25) that continental flights outside London were not 'called for'. Maybe they will find a reason for their loss, with the usual words 'security' and 'terrorism' getting a fair airing, but could be their yearning to become 'London Airways', with other airlines quickly taking over elsewhere has been cause for their moaning of 'loss'.

Public Comments

1. They are not called for by me. And I doubt the Ameicans want plane loads of Northerners arriving either (all going ee-by-gum and leaving their chip butties all over the place).
2. If I can't go from my regional airport (15 minutes down the road) I don't go. The trouble with that is Cardiff airport is so pathetic, it only ever seems to go to Spain, so I don't go very far.
3. That's a bit cruel! But I agree with you, nonetheless. Their profit wasn't too great, and like most firms who's profit lets them down, they target on the area where they will never fail. I've tried most of the airlines you've mentioned, and PIA comes up tops. Went to see old friend in Boston a couple of years ago, and went business class. Well spent! British Airways are not too bad, but when they pulled out of international flights, other airlines of the world must have been waiting to fill in. Hey oop, Geoff, tha knows when tha's beat - tha starts to get silly!
4. This drive to make Heathrow the "Hub" airport is proving bad for economics as well as the local environment then. I've never been on a jet, I'm too skint for foreign travel. I know I'd sooner go from a local airport than have to go to Lundun to do it.
5. My husband worked for BA and took redeployment to heathrow for 6 months. It's ridiculous how they pulled out of all non-london airports. Not many people can afford BA flights but when you have to add on a london flight on top it makes it even less affordable. Any flight we wanted to go on with BA meant a flight to Gatwick or Heathrow first, it's very annoying - the worst thing for me is that we have to go to T5 instead of T1 now - theres no Krispy Kreme donuts inT5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6. Swine Flu is a problem. Less people take air travel
7. Every airline is producing heavy losses. There is too much competition and eventually we are going to see airlines going bust. I always prefer to fly BA and will continue to do so. They are about to tie up with Iberia and AA. Iberia is in a worse state than BA.
8. I live in Newcastle, which only just lost out on a daily direct flight to JFK from American Airlines. Too bad really as it would have been very handy. However, when flying to the U.S. from Newcastle, I've always gone via Amsterdam with KLM. It's far more convenient and much better value. I wouldn't go near Heathrow if you paid me, even if BA laid on a private helicopter to take me there. Their loss. In the last few years we have seen more and more intercontinental flights from non-London airports, though, we just don't have BA to thank for them. BA's attitude harks back to the 70s when regional airports mainly handled bargain bucket charter flights to Benidorm, and you had to go to London if you wanted to fly anywhere serious.
9. Don't understand BA's obsession with Heathrow. Heathrow is a hell on Earth, and BA is the chief culprit of making it so by insisting on routing all its international flights through Heathrow. I'm not even keen on the "great" T5. IMHO, its noisy and feels too big and busy. Heathrow doesn't need an extra runway or T6. It needs BA to have a sensible approach to its international flights.