Iberia to LHR T5 from 25 March

[moa999]

Found this link on Speedbird

British Airways' Speedbird Club: Iberia Flights switch to LHR Terminal 5


Quite amazing given BA still runs flights from T3

 

[elbarto]

BA operates out of T3 because of the JSA with Qantas and because of agreements with other OW airlines. IB going to T5 was always going to happen at some point when they merged, but they must have worked out their capacity issues.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[serfty]

... they must have worked out their capacity issues. ...

Yeah, like the opening of T5C.

 

[moa999]

But some non-JSA flights (eg GIB) remain at T3..

Had read at one point that this was because T5 was all containerised loading and some of the smaller jets are hand load

 

[amaroo]

Found this link on Speedbird

British Airways' Speedbird Club: Iberia Flights switch to LHR Terminal 5


Quite amazing given BA still runs flights from T3

BA LHR-MAD flights switched to T5 from T3 end of last year.

I think IB have now moved to T5 as the Spanish board members of IAG worked out they were missing out on the CCR:mrgreen:

 

[ajw373]

You would think with the number of BA flights left at T3 that BA could move everything to T5. More so when you consider that none of their short haul flights at T3 use bridges anyway, so a/c could still park where they do now, but bring the passengers over by bus from T5.

Also no reason why, with (soon to be ) 2 flights a day Qantas couldn't also move to T5. BA could then close down the lounge and their check-in area at T3 or convert it to a flash combined OneWorld area.

 

[dk4]

BA could then close down the lounge and their check-in area at T3 or convert it to a flash combined OneWorld area.

You assume that the oneworld alliance is more important to BA than IAG.

I would imagine that BA sees IAG relationships as more important to its future, than oneworld relationships. (And that as IAG increases its reach & scope, oneworld should increasingly bow to the whims of BA management and their business plan, or be sidelined.)

IMO - IAG is the single biggest threat to the future of oneworld :shock: even more so than Star Alliance or Sky Team. (And should IAG take a 25% stake in AA when it emerges from protection...well the bit players left in oneworld better have a battle plan ready, or be prepared to bend over and take dictates from BA... Perhaps QF management is already well positioned to do this?)

 

[ajw373]

You assume that the oneworld alliance is more important to BA than IAG.

I would imagine that BA sees IAG relationships as more important to its future, than oneworld relationships. (And that as IAG increases its reach & scope, oneworld should increasingly bow to the whims of BA management and their business plan, or be sidelined.)

IMO - IAG is the single biggest threat to the future of oneworld :shock: even more so than Star Alliance or Sky Team. (And should IAG take a 25% stake in AA when it emerges from protection...well the bit players left in oneworld better have a battle plan ready, or be prepared to bend over and take dictates from BA... Perhaps QF management is already well positioned to do this?)

I certainly wouldn't be too worried if Qantas left OneWorld and went elsewhere, maybe Skyteam, as Virgin seems to be heading towards being the Star partner in these parts.

As for T3 though, it makes sense that Iberia are moving to T5, especially when you read the circular in the link above that says that the Iberia flights will now carry a BA flight number, operated by Iberia rather than a code share. But as I said there isn't that much left in T3 for BA, so why not move everyone to T5 and be done with it. It also makes sense for Qantas to go too, compared to other OneWorld members, but wouldn't hurt the other OneWorld members to stay at T3, and combine efforts in terms of check-in and lounges etc.

 

[moa999]

Offtopic, but I don't think Virgin is going anywhere near Star.
They are happy to get traffic from both star, skyteam and non-aligned airlines.

Primarily...
star - Singapore, Air NZ
skyteam - Delta
non - Ethiad, Virgin Atlantic and America

--

The greater threat to oneworld is all the bankruptcies
AA, Malev, Mexicana, Kingfisher (yet to join but now delayed)
and the ultimate risk that Air China pulls Cathay into star, although that would probably cause a broader reshuffle in those parts.