Re: Monday 7th July: Panorama on Heathrow

On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 15:50:46 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
> In message <slrng6****c.4pc.pete@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, at 14:34:18 on Thu, 3 Jul 
> 2008, Peter Lynch <pete@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> remarked:

>>If transit passengers were sent elsewhere, to an air****t with more 
>>capacity,
>
> But that's exactly backwards. Transit passengers need an air****t with a 
> good choice of onward flights. Have them all arriving at (say) 
> Birmingham, and that choice is vastly reduced. So they'll transit in a 
> different country.

Yes, have them use a different country. I forget the numbers, but doesn't
Schipol have 4 or 5 runways, and CDG a similar number. How about having
people
from southern europe transiting via. Madrid? Makes more sense than having
them come through London for their final (international) destinations..

>
> What you actually need to do is persuade as many as possible of the 
> *non* transit passengers to use whichever other air****t might serve 
> their required destination.
>
>> then the slots freed up would bring in people who spent more money 
>>either as tourists or on business.
>
> Why do they spend money - they are trying to leave the place as quickly 
> as possible.

Eh? A person flying from (say) Istanbul to New York, via London will buy
a burger and chips while waiting for their onward flight. If that
passenger
capacity was available to a tourist (or business person) instead, they'd
spend money on a hotel, meals out, sightseeing etc.
>
>>They'd still need the same number of low-paid ancillary staff (for the 
>>same number of passengers - natch) but by catering to people who 
>>actually want to come to Britain, rather than merely pass through it, 
>>the whole economy - at least in the S.E. would benefit.
>
> A lot of those transit passengers are actually heading for domestic 
> locations! (For example 75% of the people on BA's Manchester flights).

Doesn't matter. If you're going from Birmingham to (e.g.) Cape Town, or
vice-versa
it makes no difference to you if you change planes at LHR or CDG. I.e.
Birmingham
to London to Cape Town, rather than Birmingham to Paris to Cape Town.
However
if you change at Heathrow, you're using up capacity that denies a visitor
(not a transit passsenger) a flight into London.

-- 
.. Pete Lynch          I have learned from my mistakes and
.. Marlow          ... I am sure I can repeat them exactly
.. www.pete-lynch.com               --- Peter Cooke.