IAG confirms it will open talks with Norwegian to buy the airline

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• paul says:

  12 Apr12 April 17:19

  Really bad news for consumers and I hope that regulators step in block this deal. BA offers appalling service and standards even now and the only hope was that Norwegian and its like would force change. IAG clearly worried about them so best way to deal with competition is to stop it.

  Needs to be halted

  • Callum says:

    12 Apr12 April 18:08

    I’m confused why you think Norwegian would force BA to improve their service?

    If anything, surely they’re responsible for the opposite – proving most people don’t care about the frills coveted on here.

    This is definitely terrible for competition though – I hope it doesn’t go ahead.

    • Rich says:

      13 Apr13 April 06:59

      BA’s recent improvement to WT catering had nothing to do with a desire to add cost and everything to do with competition, that’s my view anyway. And it’s the same with hand baggage only fares.

    • RussellH says:

      13 Apr13 April 09:22

      Indeed. I would have thought that the blame for the deterioration in BA’s standards long haul is almost entirely down to penny penching purely to try to match Norwegian on price. If IAG takes over Norwegian, then they potentially have a foot in both the low cost and the traditional markets, and they could then, potentially, upgrade their traditional offering under the BA / Iberia flag, while also serving the lowest-price-whatever the conditions under the Norwegian name.

• Richard says:

  12 Apr12 April 18:58

  Any sensible look at Norwegian’s financial reports showed they are an airline on borrowed time anyway; only question whether the shareholders are too proud to sell out to IAG before the balance sheet collapses. Any real movement upwards in the price of oil or hint of recession and the game will be up anyway.
  Good move from IAG to give themselves a headstart on picking up the pieces.
  EX OSL fares have got maybe 18 months left of being as they are. Enjoy them while they last folks

  • Tom says:

    12 Apr12 April 19:20

    I bought shares some time ago and am thrilled by the news today..shares finally back in the black after an awful few months! 🙂 Time to sell methinks..

    • Genghis says:

      13 Apr13 April 07:49

      Fares leaving from Oslo.

  • Lady London says:

    14 Apr14 April 09:57

    +1. Unfortunately.

• Nick says:

  12 Apr12 April 19:07

  So IAG’s obvious strategy is to buy out anyone who’s becoming a threat, in order to remove competition and keep fares high(er) – they did it with Lingus, and now they’re trying Norwegian. So who’s likely to be next? Any guesses?

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  12 Apr12 April 20:49

  With supermarkets, the old boys look to online shopping, home delivery, click and collect, loyalty cards, big superstores and local shops etc. Aldi and Lidl don’t! Guess who is growing!
  In airlines, the old ones have old staff on higher pay, pension liabilities, fuel inefficient aircraft, tatty interiors and luxury classes.
  New ones like Norwegian have a premier class – as does Thomas Cook etc- but not fancy stuff, like loyalty programmes and buy your own luggage food seat reservations pension liabilities etc.
  Only puzzle is why they are not making money! So why copy/buy them?

  • RussellH says:

    13 Apr13 April 09:27

    They do not make money because they have a huge fleet of new planes to finance, while charging fares that do not cover their costs. No idea about their employment practicies, but with any seriuos cut-price offering, there is always the risk that worker’s Ts+Cs are poor too.

    There are exceptions to this, but not many.

  • Tony says:

    13 Apr13 April 09:56

    Norwegian have a loyalty programme.

    • Lady London says:

      15 Apr15 April 12:46

      @Tom are you treating that credit as some very skilled people on here do…..spend it sooner than later in case of upcoming changes?

• Maxine Chivers says:

  12 Apr12 April 21:29

  We flew on Norwegian from Singapore to London Gatwick. I love low cost airlines to have long haul flights like that. I am very worried about this news discussed here because I am going on a trip in April 2019 and I am just about to buy three flights on Norwegian Air. I need London Gatwick to Oslo, Oslo to Bangkok and Oakland to London Gatwick. I have already bought three flights on Air Asia.

• flyforfun says:

  12 Apr12 April 23:19

  We flew Norwegian Gatwick to Bergen, Kirkness to Oslo and then BA Oslo to Heathrow a few months ago.

  Norwegian was really relaxed and pleasant flights. BA had a very stressful start with boarding being a manic rush of Club, then status holders leaving only about a dozen of us waiting to board. Luckily we had a spare seat next to us down the back end of the plane (tactical choice!). Probably not helped that it was the last flight of the day on a Thursday when a lot of workers would be going back. The Norwegian flight that left 30 mins before seemed equally packed but with less business people on board.

  The Wifi on Norwegian was a big plus and I dare say the service from the crew seemed a bit friendlier too. I’d be sad to see them merged into BA and lose their identity.

• sam wardill says:

  13 Apr13 April 05:38

  If the competition authorities allow this they are not doing their job!

  • Paul says:

    13 Apr13 April 09:38

    Here here. ……but they don’t seem to have been doing their jobs for some time!

    • grex9101 says:

      13 Apr13 April 13:09

      Where where?

  • vlcnc says:

    13 Apr13 April 14:12

    Exactly

• Rivo says:

  13 Apr13 April 08:21

  BA is not IAG it’s the other way round.

  Plus Norwegian have been operating on a similar basis to the ME airlines. Run a loss leader to gain market share. Once that’s achieved prices will start to rise. All those North Sea oil revenues have created one of the largest sovereign wealth funds on the planet. Those shiney planes and WiFi are funding that but it won’t last forever.

  Wasn’t is Branson who said if you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.

  • Will says:

    13 Apr13 April 08:43

    I’m pretty sure it wasn’t Branson but someone like Lauda possibly? Branson hasn’t really learned that message has he?

    If the sovereign wealth point applies to Norwegian then of course the same logic will apply to Qatar? And the other ME airlines. As we’re already seeing.

  • Tony says:

    13 Apr13 April 10:01

    It is how all the LC airlines operate.
    Look no further than Ryanair. Once market captured and competition destroyed prices go sky high.

    • Aeronaut says:

      13 Apr13 April 10:14

      Er sorry but Ryanair prices are not sky high! They continue to offer oodles of very cheap fares.

      • Lady London says:

        15 Apr15 April 12:55

        Hah! Ryanair and Easyjet both have some routes that seem to be priced skyhigh big chunks of the time. These seem to be business direct routes where competition is not providing flights needed. I’ve even booked Lufthansa on a couple of these as miles lounges and hopefully better rerouting options in case of irregular ops on the day, seemed better than the LCC for same kind of price.

    • Doug M says:

      14 Apr14 April 00:32

      This being the Internet we don’t let the facts get in the way.

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