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Is British Airways about to launch flights to Kansas City?

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British Airways has let it slip that it is about to announce a new route to the United States.

Because, let’s be honest, the existing 26 routes to the United States aren’t nearly enough ….

Who wouldn’t prefer the 27th most important US city instead of, say, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Seoul, Osaka, Kuala Lumpur, Muscat or other dropped routes? Realistically, of course, many of these routes are difficult until the restrictions on Russian airspace are lifted.

BA British Airways flights to Kansas City

The big question is where?

I’m not a routes expert, but the good people over at Flyertalk have proposed a short list which includes:

  • Providence
  • Hartford (soon to gain Aer Lingus flights)
  • Raleigh-Durham (taking over from American Airlines)
  • Indianapolis (past rumours of BA being interested)
  • Minneapolis-St Paul (a Delta route)
  • Louisville
  • Detroit
  • Cincinnati
  • Cleveland
  • Columbus
  • Salt Lake City
  • Fort Myers
  • Jacksonville
British Airways Kansas City

Why is Kansas City looking possible?

The smart money, however, seems to be pointing at Kansas City, Missouri.

There is a very high chance that British Airways is being offered a big wad of cash to open the route. There are a lot of US cities without any direct flights to Europe, and this is a big issue when it comes to attracting inward investment.

Aer Lingus is a past master at this. Routes Online reported that Aer Lingus will receive $3 million over a three-year period for operating its new Cleveland service. Divide $3 million over three years by four flights per week and that’s a handy $5,000 per return trip.

This local TV news report suggests that Kansas City officials met with British Airways in Bergen in May, at the annual Routes conference, to pitch for flights. Missouri’s state budget includes $5 million allocated for a ‘transatlantic flight loan guarantee incentive’.

There are, apparently, already 400 people per day who are taking transatlantic flights from Kansas City. At the moment all 400 have to change aircraft on the way.

Other points in favour of Kansas City are its role as a host city for the 2026 World Cup and the upcoming opening of a new terminal at Kansas City International Airport.

More news as we get it ….

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Category

British Airways and Avios

Comments (105)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • PeterK says:
    10 Nov10 November 07:43

    My son is currently on his business trip to Kansas, he says the place is buzzing 👍

  • Indy500 says:
    10 Nov10 November 07:45

    My vote would obviously be for Indianapolis, especially for the Month of May!
    Indy

  • Track says:
    10 Nov10 November 07:58

    Been on an inbound flight to London from one of European capitals.

    Flight is 1/4th free but BA charged 400-600 quid to flight on that day.

    This is in line with hot ski holiday destinations and plain price gouging. I think, Rob, the thesis that airlines are price takers and try to fill the marginal seat does not hold up to reality.

    As soon as BA gets enough passengers to pay for the fuel/cost of flight, they are happy to start charging 400++ for a 2 hour one-way and they don’t care if seat is sold or not. Its cheaper to fly 1×400 passenger than 5×80.

    • lumma says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:31

      And there’s no LCC alternative?

      If there’s empty seats on a plane BA usually makes them available for avios the day before in my experience. Perhaps it was full but there was a ton of no shows?

  • Anna says:
    10 Nov10 November 07:59

    26 US routes but exactly 0 from MAN or anywhere else outside London!

    • PeteM says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:14

      Why bother complicating your operation, if London makes you enough money? Similarly, why bother with Asia where there is more (higher quality) competition and Russian airspace issues?

    • JDB says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:28

      If there were a good commercial case to launch MAN routes, BA would be doing it.

      It’s no different in other countries – Air France doesn’t offer a whole lot of long haul flights from the regions. LH has two full hubs, but that’s it. Political insistence on flights from Geneva and Rome were major reasons for the bankruptcies of Swissair and Alitalia. LCCs deal with the absence of flag carriers on short haul routes and, amongst others, the ME3 create fantastic routes to ME/Asia/Australia from UK regions and EI is building routes west.

    • dougzz99 says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:54

      Manchester, LOL and then some. Such a lovely airport experience too.

      • Rob says:
        10 Nov10 November 09:25

        Once PremiAir reopens it will return to being lovely. £90 for a private VIP terminal and a car ride to your aircraft, what more could you want?

      • Ruralite says:
        10 Nov10 November 18:41

        I went through Manchester yesterday to catch the 0740 Etihad flight & I have to say it was ok. I was checked in, through security and in the lounge within the space of 20 minutes – bus. class, fast track security & admittedly at 5am but they seemed to have more staff & more pleasant staff from the last time I left from there in August.

    • Andrew. says:
      10 Nov10 November 09:07

      Does it matter which branding is on the aircraft? IAG fly direct to Orlando & New York from MAN.

      Perhaps if Manchester Airport didn’t have such a toxic reputation for customer servce more airlines would be prepared to launch direct transatlantic flights from there?

      • Brian says:
        10 Nov10 November 14:34

        I struggle to see how this is legal in the UK.
        An EU airline operating a flight between two non-EU countries… hmmm.

        • PeteM says:
          10 Nov10 November 14:42

          Flights from Manchester to the United States and Barbados are operated by Aer Lingus (U.K.) Limited

  • Mutley says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:00

    My vote is for the motor city, great airport

  • M001 says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:04

    I really hope Louisville is digging deep to pay BA

    • dougzz99 says:
      10 Nov10 November 08:58

      Like Cincinnati mentioned on the previous page a huge freight hub, UPS and DHL. Would they try that hard for one additional passenger service. I’ve no idea.

  • Brian says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:04

    Indianapolis, what does “a Delta route” – mean? does it mean its a delta hub? there are no delta flights from there to the UK from what I can see.

    our preference is cinci, indy, louisville or columbus.. we’re in a real dead spot visiting family and I hate O’Hare.

    • dougzz99 says:
      10 Nov10 November 09:02

      I think Delta used to fly direct to Paris from there, but at the moment no direct flights to Europe I believe. I think the biggest airlines there are domestics like Southwest.

    • jjoohhnn says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:19

      “A delta route” is next to Minneapolis SP, Which is a Delta Hub. Delta have a daily flight from LHR.

      • Rob says:
        10 Nov10 November 11:17

        It was next to IND but I removed it. I thought there was a direct Delta flight but clearly confused.

      • Mikeact says:
        10 Nov10 November 14:33

        We will be on the KL, AMS/MSP direct in a few weeks time, before heading North by road for a spot of ice fishing. Great area, miniature town on ice complete with traffic signs etc.

    • John T says:
      10 Nov10 November 10:23

      It means Delta hub, Delta already flying from London with plenty of onwards connections available. Difficult for BA to come in and take market share.

  • Ant says:
    10 Nov10 November 08:27

    My vote is Detroit – though I think its unlikely as its already a Delta hub with direct flights from London. BA used to fly to Detroit directly from London but that route was cancelled a long time ago. Now if I want to fly BA directly to that area I need to go either O’Hare or Toronto.

    • Dave Barron says:
      10 Nov10 November 19:56

      I’d be thrilled if it was Detroit as my wife is from there originally and we fly over annually. Using Avios we need to fly to Toronto or Chicago. I don’t think it’s likely sadly but you never know!

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