Englishmum

I don't know if Manc flies with BA from Detroit, but they're discontinuing this route:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/fligh...-detroit_N.htm

Duncan Roberts

dgsyd1

Bollocks!!!!!

Looks like we'll be flying into Gatwick from now on.

Manc

naaaaaah never did fly it.

doesn't surprise me though, the load factors were bad, and the plane went onto Houston for awhile and they kept changing the times......
it was doomed to fail.

Also Northworst has upped it's international european flights out of DTW so there was more competition. (I think MAN is on the schedule too) by adding flights to Brussels and Dusseldorf.

dgsyd1

So what do you reckon our best best is to get a good deal on a flight then Manc? If there's one thing I liked about BA, it was that they run some bloody good sales if you know when to look. Seems like Northwest sales were never much cop.
Oh well, it's only money.

Manc

It's difficult for you wanting to go into LHR as the Bermuda agreement still limits only 4 US/UK airlines into LHR.
United / Virgin / AA / BA are all that currently fly into Heathrow direct out of the USA.

some other airlines are grandfathered in such as Air India and Air NewZealand but I've found them always prohibitively expensive.

Air Iceland sometimes have a good deal now and again out of Baltimore to heathrow via Rejkyavik.
as do Aer Lingus out of JFK / chicago and boston.




Agreed Northworst are kack........

I'd look at BMI out of Chicago.. via Manchester
Lufthansa out of DTW via Frankfurt sometimes have a deal.

Giantaxe

Only until March 2008...

Manc

hence it still limits.

however I don't see an open sky's agreement opening up THAT many new airlines to Heathrow as the slots just simply aren't available.

I can't see American or United giving up much coveted slots to give them to Continental or US Airways

The only winner will be BMI I think as they already have slots at heathrow on their domestic and international routes....... a quick jimmy about and they will be flying to the USA out of Heathrow. However it will hurt Manchester as I see them losing the Ord-Man route.

Giantaxe

As slots are more valuable for transatlantic routes (iirc, the UK->US is the most profitable international route right now), what will probably happen is that slots used for some less revenue-generating domestic/European/rotw routes will get sold to airlines wanting to fly to the US. For example, I can well see Alitalia's Heathrow slots going up for sale, particularly given the parlous financial state of that company.

Manc

true......but I also reckon the Italian government (although not allowed too) will still find a way to maintain the status quo at alitalia.

but some US airlines aren't in any better financial situation.
Northwest and Delta haven't got a pot to piss in.

continental and US airways have a few quid now I guess.....


Also are the slots all worth the same? or are slots given out by aircraft type? surely a slot for a 737 is shorter timewise than a slot for a A340 or are they all the same?

Giantaxe

The US airlines that currently fly to Gatwick have been itching to get their hands on Heathrow slots for ages. Additionally, once Bermuda 2 goes away BA will almost certainly want to fly to more US destinations. I can see strong airlines such as Lufthansa wanting part of the action too.

I have no idea.

lapin_windstar

Good point - and BMI just took over all the British Mediterranean slots, which I think mostly come out of LHR. flyertalk.com is good for all of this.

dgsyd1

I was actually reading today that slot permitting, Northwest want to move their operations from Gatwick over to Heathrow Terminal 4.

Manc

it'll be a mute point until they can actually get slots in order to land and take off!

and I bet your ass they fly to LHR out of Minneapolis before Detroit.
sods law for us decrees it......

Patrick Hasler

Well ! ............ I DON'T GIVE A FLYIN' F**K WHO I FLY WITH

......................... so long as it's Virgin Atlantic