bcworld

No they don't - not with a planeload of passengers & freight anyway. Qantas A380 might just make LHR - PER but probably not the opposite due to prevailing winds. BA has nothing that could do this route non-stop commercially.

I agree with your point about the economics of having the connecting point in Asia. What V Australia might do is treat Perth as the hub and ferry passengers from the East Coast to Perth on Virginblue flights, so they connect in Perth instead of Singapore. I don't think it would work though because there is no domestic business class service and even their premium economy is barely premium - these passengers would rather fly premium or business the whole way via Asia.

I've already read elsewhere that this story is yet again made up with Virgin unofficially denying being in the market for these planes.

danjones1

this will never happen as demand for london to perth direct is tiny.

Wol

BA used to do London - Osaka direct, a sixteen hour plus flight time, near the pole, down across Alaska at Nome then the North Pacific along the Aleutians. Even with two full crews it was pushing the limits.

NELBHOY

Having spent 16yrs working for BA, watching them lurch from one bad decision to another, & considering the state they are in now,I wouldn't put too much credence in what BA see or don't see a market in

NELBHOY

Based on what exactly? Surely a 16 hr flight per day to LHR would be filled pretty easily, even though it may not appeal to the business sector.
Would the Perth Government not be interested in partially funding such a venture?

koalakim

Qantas flew their first B747-400 from London to Sydney non-stop - it had no cargo and only the crew, a few jurno's and execs. It's all to do with weight so if I didn't take my hand luggage the plane would be fine....

I can't see the point in non-stop from Perth as from Mellie I'd have a four hour flight first so that would make it the same as flying from Mellie to LHR on SIA anyway! You can do UK to Oz in 19 hours on SIA with a minimum stop over anyway if the winds are with you.

I actually like the stop-over if going all the way through, gives you chance to stretch your legs and have a freshen up. I guess a non-stop flight is okay if you are up the pointy end but in cattle..

They have been talking about non-stop to Oz for years. Branson was supposed to be developing his space plane concept but the cost of a ticket would be so horrendous I can't see it happening. They had to give up on Concorde flights out this way because the flight was too much over land and they couldn't go supersonic so it wasn't much quicker getting to Singapore in the end!

They could start to try and "beam me up Scottie" technology and just zap us to the UK....but then I wouldn't get my stop-over in Singapore to do a bit of shopping

Centurion

I don't believe the passenger numbers for a direct LHR-PER would fill the service either. At present the services that come into Perth are generally originating in Asia hubs. That means they can fill the route from a lot of connecting flights and be regionally based. BA can use its code share partners and not have to operate the expensive end of the business as far as they are concerned.

LHR is a hugely expensive airport for a carrier to route through and if you connected from say Europe you would in fact be backtracking on yourself when there are already existing carrier services in many Euro cities.

The onward connections from Perth are pretty dire offerings domestically and expensive. People would prefer to travel internationally generally. The equipment used and the service product is usually better. Would you rather fly Jetstar or Singapore airlines ?

Lets not forget Perth has a population of 1.6 million. When people think of tourism and Australia they don't generally think Perth if your honest. I just don't see the market.

ozzieeagle

A lot depends on price, this has caught my attention. Right now my future favoured route would be via Asia air X with a two night stop over each way in KL... not only is the price competitive, it also should go a long way to culling the effect of Jet Lag. Stanstead suits me more than most of the other airports, as most of my family that would pick me up would be driving from Milton Keynes.


Not too sure of the affects of Jet Lag with the Perth to London 16 hour option, but if it is capable of giving you some of that 3 day recovery time (takes me 3 days) back, then I would be very interested. I would add I would try and book this Journey with as cheap a flight as possible from Melbourne to Perth with a one night stop over.

Got to say I didnt realise you could get to London in 19 hours from Melbourne via SA... Quickest I've done it is circa 21.5 Hours with SAirlines..

bcworld

21.5 with stopover is about as quick as it gets LON - MEL, and closer to 23 hours in the other direction.

LON - Perth you can do in under 19 hrs now.

kaungchiau

The current record held by Singapore Airlines for the longest, continuos non-stop flight between Singapore and New York at 18 hours 50 minutes will be very hard to break.

I agree that the market for direct non-stop London-Perth flight is small. Forget about BA. I agree with the poster above saying they have lurched from one bad decision after another. I find it disgusting that the board of directors are cutting jobs when they themselves are pocketing bonuses. If this happen to an Asia based airlines, like Cathay Pacific, MAS or Singapore Airlines, to name but a few, the directors would have been sacked long ago. Ever wonder why Asia-baed airlines pick up the accolades year after year?

bcworld

The fact is most westerners wouldn't work under the conditions that the Asian airlines impose - there is a very different work ethic when it comes to working for their national airline. Singapore Airlines has sacked many many staff worldwide and from my understanding treats a lot of its staff pretty horribly - such is the cachet of working for the airline, particularly for Singapore nationals, that they put up with it - many SIA staff accepted pay cuts recently.

British Airways problems don't just lie with the current board but also the unions involved in industrial relations and agreements made years ago which are seemingly impossible to update or replace. Willie Walsh is no angel but the unions are also a big problem for BA. I believe the majority of the job cuts will be through voluntary redundancy and part time working.

kaungchiau

Is western work ethic better than Asian ones?

By laying off staff in the name of cutting cost, can this not be claimed as treating staff badly? BA directors should volunteer themselves for a paycut. The airline is a disgrace to Britain.

bcworld

I wasn't suggesting that...I was suggesting that these airlines have more reign to impose conditions on staff without fear of industrial strife - It's unthinkable that SIA cabin crew would consider going on strike.

The airline is not a disgrace to Britain.

Do you believe that laying off staff is purely to add a few pence to the shareholder dividend? Or is BA in fact an airline reporting quarter after quarter of losses while sitting on a precariously small pile of cash!? Those mistreated cabin crew you mention, you know the ones that CAA data shows are paid on average DOUBLE what their counterparts at Virgin Atlantic get, will have a whole lot more to worry about if the airlines ceases to be financially viable!

As for BA directors volunteering themselves for a paycut, well I believe Willie Walsh did work for free for a month, as he asked his staff to do voluntarily - sure, I know he can afford to.

BA is in big trouble, it has to do something...lots of things, staff changes included.

Wol

Asian airlines have in the past been very fortunate to be able to hire retired BA pilots when they were compulsorily retired at 55. They were able to pick up very experienced crews without the need for the expensive training required.

Now that the common European retirement age of 65 is in place, the Asian airlines will not have the same cost advantages in this respect and may even have some trouble hiring. (Flying is generally considered not to be a career for an ambitious man - he prefers to make it in finance.)

NELBHOY

The problem BA has lies soley with the cabin crew in that they are the only department that has not agreed to the cuts the management has asked for. So I have little sympathy for them.
BUT.....BA has a long history of crying wolf in order to win over it's employees & make them agree to certain conditions. A lot of staff will see it as no coincidence that, on the eve of a ballot for strike action, the company has published figures showing a massive quarter loss for a period it has NEVER lost money before.
Personally I do think they are in big trouble. There only hope for survival I feel is to join with IBERIA. Branson is circling, waiting to pick up the slots.
Sad times for a once great airline.