BA drops Tel Aviv to short haul (A320) with reduced tier points – and will fly via Larnaca

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• Bob says:

  8 Feb8 February 13:25

  Good decision by BA as valuable resources can be used more effectively where they’ll make more profit. Also, does bring Israel into line with Egypt, it’s next door neighbour.

  • letsfly says:

    8 Feb8 February 14:43

    I seem to remember seeing somewhere that Tel Aviv and specifically it’s feeder traffic to the USA was a massive profit line for BA – hence why they had upto three (I believe) long haul jets on this a day at it’s peak compared to Jordan/Egypt/Cyprus etc…

    So not sure whether this in reality a temporary due to lower loads. They moved to short haul flights a number of years back and ended up changing back to long haul so…

    Also, Amman and Cairo don’t have competition from Easyjet, Wizz, ElAl and Virgin.

    • CheapCharlie says:

      9 Feb9 February 11:14

      Yep

• Dee says:

  8 Feb8 February 14:38

  Terrible move by BA. As someone who does that route regularly, with small children, this actually might be the push to switch over to Virgin. Especially now with the status match offer in play. The flight is long enough can’t imagine having that extra stop in larnaca with two smallies. BA’s service is terrible anyway and has been for a long time it’s really probably the final nail in the coffin.

• Dan says:

  8 Feb8 February 14:57

  I have a booking for June in club world that now shows as club europe. Will I be refunded Avios for the booking (booked on Avios)?

  • Rob says:

    8 Feb8 February 15:05

    Not unless BA reduces the Avios cost on the route – and even then you may need to amend your booking somehow to trigger a reprice.

• SR says:

  8 Feb8 February 15:17

  From 1 June BA is showing no stopover in LCA and from middle of June its going to 2x daily 7 days a week

  • Rob says:

    8 Feb8 February 15:19

    That’s clearly finger in the air though.

• Chesneyhawkes says:

  8 Feb8 February 15:24

  Been on 320 plane to Egypt. So uncomfortable. Won’t do it again. Really hated it. Staff up at crack of dawn, work all day, 1 hour turn around and another 5.5 6 hours work. Then travel home. Sounds hell for them. So I’ll pick something else.

  • Jonathan says:

    8 Feb8 February 17:06

    This is why BA need to take a good hard look at themselves and what they offer here. It’s not impossible to install a proper business class seat on a narrow body aircraft, JetBlue already do it and fly across the Atlantic, so why can’t BA be bothered ?!?

    It’s things like this that make people want to use other carriers

    • LittleNick says:

      9 Feb9 February 07:18

      I mean Qatar have lie flat beds on some of their A320s which was very comfortable albeit without Direct aisle access for window seats but perhaps BA really should have a handful of A320s with something similar for the likes of Egypt/Tel Aviv routes etc

    • GM says:

      9 Feb9 February 09:22

      Even Aer Lingus have multiple narrow bodies with proper business class. Would happily do the TLV in one, whereas economy with a free middle seat is just…economy.

    • Thegasman says:

      9 Feb9 February 14:33

      BA had the mid haul A321’s with lie flat business class & binned them about 5 years ago. It’s inefficient to have sub fleets like that as you can’t just swap airframes around last minute if one goes tech/is delayed.

• SG says:

  8 Feb8 February 15:25

  This is an awful and baffling decision. I use this route very often and the 789 currently used is always packed. It makes flying BA on this route close to pointless when their competitors fly proper long haul planes to TLV. BA will lose hordes of customers to Virgin and El Al. And bad for Executive Club members as this was a sweet spot route for TP earning. So it’s bad for everyone.

  • PeteM says:

    8 Feb8 February 16:20

    Except if you’re a shareholder or executive who’s bonus depends on making more money!

  • JDB says:

    8 Feb8 February 16:27

    Packed doesn’t necessarily mean profitable and the profitability will undoubtedly be affected once BA resumes flying. The BA commercial people who make these decisions aren’t stupid and they obviously don’t think they are giving up some Dreamliner golden route. BA will be confident the aircraft can be reallocated to a more certain and more lucrative route. Will Virgin necessarily even continue the route?

    • Rich says:

      8 Feb8 February 17:31

      Agree with everything you’ve said JDB but re your last point, security and operational considerations aside, BA’s decision has to make it more likely that Virgin will.

• Bernie100 says:

  8 Feb8 February 15:28

  Booked for April with BA. As it is Club Europe now, they are offering 40% of the cash fare as compensation. Club Europe is no better than economy and I assume various avios incentives will be offered. Told to claim post flight. Poor seat, no inflight entertainment. Congested cabin.
  Trying to interline over to ELAL and BA are looking into this. They do have an informal commercial arrangement.
  BA are taking on Wizz head on.

  • JDB says:

    8 Feb8 February 16:29

    If you really think Wizz is equivalent to BA, it’s quite open to you to cancel and go with them. The fact however, is that the whole operation is totally different.

    • Jonathan says:

      8 Feb8 February 17:09

      In Economy it’s near enough exactly the same assuming you don’t bother with BOB or pre order, and you don’t get stung by your hand baggage being a few centimetres out

  • Londonsteve says:

    9 Feb9 February 18:37

    Err, I think Wizz are flying direct! The BA offer is therefore for a longer flight on a near identical aircraft. Not appetising.

• victair says:

  8 Feb8 February 16:34

  I think this was sadly inevitable even pre-war. Iberia switched from a 330/50 service to an Iberia Express, probably to compete with the Low Cost Carriers. The benefit from the TLV-LHR low APD were largely lost when it switched to reward flight saver. Given that you can fly with EZY or Wizz for as little as £35, I think BA’s change was a matter of time. I wonder if fares will reflect this.

  Interesting at Air France are maintaining a 330 service and for 30k Virgin Points you can fly from TLV to UK regional airports wiht a flat bed to CDG. That may be my new routing of choice.

  • JDB says:

    8 Feb8 February 17:53

    BA is with the majority! In the summer schedule, LH, SN, OS, IB, LO and KL all operate narrow bodies. Oddly UX operates a Dreamliner from MAD.

    Yes, for those travelling to TLV it would be nicer to have a long haul aircraft/seat it really isn’t such a long trip and to say BA is bonkers it quite strange!

    • Daniel says:

      8 Feb8 February 18:35

      JDB, just curious, I noticed you are all over the comments defending BA’s decision. Why is that? Objectively, if other airlines give you a better product at the same price point, it would make no sense to choose BA. Are you saying you would?

      • JDB says:

        8 Feb8 February 19:29

        Yes, I would have no issue. I wouldn’t consider LY and I don’t really like Virgin much. The CE seat is fine for Cairo and I really don’t need or care about having a bed for TLV.

        However, the point I have been making is that BA has obviously made this decision advisedly and will understand all the issues whereas far too many people are criticising the whole decision because it doesn’t suit them personally rather than considering the facts behind the decision. Some posts seem virtually to say BA doesn’t realise LY and VS have long haul aircraft/seats on the route when they will be fully aware of the ramifications. They are happy just to keep a notional service on the route and they probably won’t be short of passengers despite all this criticism, just like the similar criticism re the Istanbul route where BA does well.

    • Lev441 says:

      8 Feb8 February 18:56

      It’s more about BA competing with Virgin and El Al who both use 787s with full service in economy and flat beds in business and who fly into Heathrow. Who in their right mind would choose BA over Virgin and El Al. Also with connecting traffic too which in my experience is a large proportion of the plane.

      • LittleNick says:

        9 Feb9 February 08:53

        Well if you’re in Economy then you go on price, If BA happens to be cheaper than the others I suspect people will go with them. Business cabin it’s different of course

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