British Airways

[Sun Chariot]

What version of 777 does BA typically use on the LHR to JFK route? My wife and I are flying out next Saturday. It's been 15 years since I last rode a 777 to the US (that was with United).

 

[Class15]

What version of 777 does BA typically use on the LHR to JFK route? My wife and I are flying out next Saturday. It's been 15 years since I last rode a 777 to the US (that was with United).

Usually a 777-200 but can be either.

 

[Class15]

What version of 777 does BA typically use on the LHR to JFK route? My wife and I are flying out next Saturday. It's been 15 years since I last rode a 777 to the US (that was with United).

You can use the FlightRadar24 app to find out what plane generally operates a particular flight, as it has RTT-style info, so you might find that useful.

 

[Ted633]

What version of 777 does BA typically use on the LHR to JFK route? My wife and I are flying out next Saturday. It's been 15 years since I last rode a 777 to the US (that was with United).

About 50/50 777-300ER's and 4 class GE90 powered -200s

Earlier and later LHR departures tend to be the 200s, middle departures the -300

 

[Sun Chariot]

About 50/50 777-300ER's and 4 class GE90 powered -200s

Many thanks

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Nov 2024 ==

Usually a 777-200 but can be either.

Ah of course - thanks My wife often has a look when the police / coastguard / air ambulance fly low over our house.
WeI'll see what tomorrow's BA flight data yields

 

[Mojo]

What version of 777 does BA typically use on the LHR to JFK route? My wife and I are flying out next Saturday. It's been 15 years since I last rode a 777 to the US (that was with United).

You can find out by going into select your seat on their website / app and clicking “View flight details” for each flight.

This will tell you the code for what plane is allocated. If it’s says 777 it’s a 777-200ER, if it says 77W it’s a 777-300ER.

See attached screenshot for example.

 

[Sun Chariot]

Thanks @Mojo When we looked via that way - it only showed "777" rather than which 777 variant

 

[Mojo]

Thanks @Mojo When we looked via that way - it only showed "777" rather than which 777 variant

777 means 777-200ER if it was a -300ER the code for that is 77W.

 

[najaB]

If the pandemic hadn't hit they would probably still be flying now. Scheduled withdrawal before the world went mad was 2024...

The last would have left the fleet by 2024, but the drawdown had already started.

But the pandemic did hit, and IAG had to save money like every other airline group. Putting the 747s into multi-year storage only makes sense with the benefit of hindsight.

 

[Ted633]

The last would have left the fleet by 2024, but the drawdown had already started.

But the pandemic did hit, and IAG had to save money like every other airline group. Putting the 747s into multi-year storage only makes sense with the benefit of hindsight.

Absolutely agree that retiring the 747 early was the only option at the time. Even with hindsight I don't think you'd put them in storage and bring them back. Seeing how the A380's have faired since their term in storage, I dread to think how the 747's would've been after a long period of storage!

The point I was making was that the final withdrawal would more than likely have been pushed back due to 777x delays IF everything carried on as it was.

 

[Class15]

Absolutely agree that retiring the 747 early was the only option at the time. Even with hindsight I don't think you'd put them in storage and bring them back. Seeing how the A380's have faired since their term in storage, I dread to think how the 747's would've been after a long period of storage!

What exactly is wrong with the A380s? I haven’t noticed anything particularly odd lately?

 

[Class15]

Absolutely agree that retiring the 747 early was the only option at the time. Even with hindsight I don't think you'd put them in storage and bring them back. Seeing how the A380's have faired since their term in storage, I dread to think how the 747's would've been after a long period of storage!

The best way to test this is to look at other airlines with 747s. Did Lufthansa store theirs? If they did they seem to have done okay as they are very much back now. If not then maybe that’s what BA should have done?

 

[YorkRailFan]

What exactly is wrong with the A380s? I haven’t noticed anything particularly odd lately?

Issues with their Trent 900 engines and wing spar cracking.

 

[Bald Rick]

Issues with their Trent 900 engines

Including them stopping working mid flight!

 

[Class15]

Including them stopping working mid flight!

Dear oh dear, I hadn’t heard that! Is that a problem for all A380s or just the BA ones?

 

[najaB]

The best way to test this is to look at other airlines with 747s. Did Lufthansa store theirs? If they did they seem to have done okay as they are very much back now. If not then maybe that’s what BA should have done?

Based on PlaneSpotters.net, Lufthansa had a fleet of 12 747-400s in early 2020, four of which were immediately retired and eight retained. If memory serves correctly, they weren't all parked for the whole 2-ish years of Covid, they were used for repatriation flights and also as pfreighters. They also had their 748-800 fleet of 18 aircraft which were on average at least a decade younger than the -400s.

Using the same source, BA's 747-400 fleet was 24 aircraft when the pandemic hit, with the aircraft all having been delivered in the 1990s.

So, it's not really a fair comparison. The 747s future at BA was already limited and they had the replacement aircraft on order. In comparison, Lufthansa knew that they'd be operating the 747 (in some variant) for another decade or more, so it made sense for them to can their smaller A380 fleet and concentrate on the 747s. Worth nothing that they've also been hit by the 777X delays, but their order was smaller (eight frames) and they were able to bring some of their A380s back from storage.

 

[RailWonderer]

So, it's not really a fair comparison. The 747s future at BA was already limited and they had the replacement aircraft on order. In comparison, Lufthansa knew that they'd be operating the 747 (in some variant) for another decade or more, so it made sense for them to can their smaller A380 fleet and concentrate on the 747s. Worth nothing that they've also been hit by the 777X delays, but their order was smaller (eight frames) and they were able to bring some of their A380s back from storage.

Makes me wonder why BA didn't order more A350s. They're terrific aircraft.

 

[Ted633]

Makes me wonder why BA didn't order more A350s. They're terrific aircraft.

I was surprised they ordered them at all, seeing as they are very similar in capability to the 777-300ER. Just gives more fleet complexity. As you say though, they are very good aircraft and something is going to have to replace the 777-200's soon. 787-10 and 350-900 would be the obvious candidates. My money would be on the 350 as the -10 range isn't quite as good as what it would replace.

 

[JCO1406]

Makes me wonder why BA didn't order more A350s. They're terrific aircraft.

Its not the A350s thats stopping them, its Rolls Royce. They’re pricing their engines too expensive and cant get a good enough deal. Which is why theyre switching to GE engines on the 787-10s.

 

[Ted633]

Its not the A350s thats stopping them, its Rolls Royce. They’re pricing their engines too expensive and cant get a good enough deal. Which is why theyre switching to GE engines on the 787-10s.

More to do with the current parts availability issues (currently grounding 5 of the fleet) and that the GenX can stay 'on wing' for more hours than the Rolls. I did have the figures to hand but can't locate them at the moment, but from memory the GE could stay on wing for close to twice as many hours as the RR

 

[Bald Rick]

Dear oh dear, I hadn’t heard that! Is that a problem for all A380s or just the BA ones?

G-XLEC on Wednesday. Back in service Thursday though.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Dear oh dear, I hadn’t heard that! Is that a problem for all A380s or just the BA ones?

Only for A380s powered by the Trent 900.

 

[route101]

The 777 - 200 is one subtype I have yet to fly. Need to fly longhaul to get one.

 

[JCO1406]

The 777 - 200 is one subtype I have yet to fly. Need to fly longhaul to get one.

Fly from Gatwick, you'll defo be on one

 

[Smckent]

Hi, can anyone please advise what the issue was with G-GATH working BA2591 Verona to LGW on Thursday 7/11?

A friend was onboard and they aborted landing at the last minute and went around due to a "technical issue" . Landed OK a while later but with fire engines in attendance...

It worked back out of LGW early the next morning so presumably nothing a alt ctrl del couldnt fix

Thanks in hope, Simon

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Well, I can't see the reason but it seems to have aborted some distance back from the runway, then done a long orbit... I suspect they might have failed to get a "gear locked down" indication which could simply have been the sensors failing rather than the gear itself.

 

[Smckent]

Hi Peter, yes I found the track on FR24, and watched the playback. Id expect a normal go around to go straight on and then turn rather than doing a sharp right, but expect anything is normal

Yeh a gear issue or false positive is the most obvious answer but nerdy me is intrigued and expect someone out there knows #hopes

Cheers, Simon

 

[gabrielhj07]

Id expect a normal go around to go straight on and then turn rather than doing a sharp right

On a busy mixed use runway such as Gatwick's, this turn would likely be made to avoid conflict with departing traffic.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

On a busy mixed use runway such as Gatwick's, this turn would likely be made to avoid conflict with departing traffic.

That wouldn't explain them saying it was a technical issue, though?

 

[najaB]

That wouldn't explain them saying it was a technical issue, though?

The assumption is that the technical issue was landing gear related, and the turn after overshooting was for traffic spacing.