British Airways Cuts Flights To Australia

[Ryan N]

From: http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/b...-1226119444510

BRITISH Airways is cutting direct flights to Australia from two a day to just one after axing its service from London to Sydney via Bangkok. From March, BA will operate one London to Sydney daily flight, stopping at Singapore on the way. After decades of flying the London-Bangkok-Sydney route, BA said it will stop at the Thai hub. Passengers wishing to fly on to Australia will be transferred to Qantas. Under the agreement, the Australian carrier will also stop in Bangkok and move passengers for London onto BA flights. A similar route via Hong Kong has already suffered the same fate, with the Oneworld alliance partners swapping passengers at the Asian hub. It leaves London-Singapore-Sydney as the last remaining direct daily flight to Australia. BA will swap the current Boeing 777 plane used on the route for a larger 747 to squeeze more passengers on board.

The move conforms with the aim to strengthen the airlines' Singapore hub and provide better connections and service for passengers on flights between London and Australia. The company denied this was the beginning of the end for the airline's historic links with Australia. "We are absolutely committed to Australia," it said. The revised joint service agreement between the carriers will allow BA to lease two precious pairs of landing slots at Heathrow from Qantas. It has not yet decided what it will do with them.