British Airways, American, Iberia Create Transatlantic Shuttle Service
British Airways, American, Iberia Create Transatlantic Shuttle Service
British Airways (BA), American Airlines and Iberia said they will deliver more benefits to customers as schedules are coordinated across the North Atlantic and more destinations are launched in summer 2011. Effective March 27, American and BA created a transatlantic shuttle service between the top U.S.-U.K. routes by aligning the timing on their schedules.
The biggest change is on the Heathrow-New York route. Previously, five of the 11 daily flights to New York left Heathrow at almost exactly the same time, leaving gaps of up to three hours between services. Now flights will depart every hour, on the hour between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Heathrow. There also will be only an hour and a half between morning departures at the most.
Chicago flights inbound to London previously had four flights departing at similar times around 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Now the flights will be evenly spaced, departing at around 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The 9 a.m. and 9.45 p.m. slots will remain as they were. Two of the three flights to Miami from London clashed around 10 a.m., and these have now been split to leave at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. The 1.30 p.m. flight has been moved to 1.35 p.m.
The joint scheduling will give customers the chance to fly direct between New York (JFK) and Budapest starting from April 5, and between Chicago and Helsinki, both seven times a week on American from May 1. BA will launch daily flights to San Diego from June 1, marking the airline's return to the route after eight years. The British carrier also has increased its flights from Gatwick to Cancun from two to three a week starting March 27, offering even more choice to customers wishing to take their holidays in Cancun.
Meanwhile, Iberia on March 28 started the only direct flight between Spain and California, flying between Madrid and Los Angeles three times a week, with an additional flight between July and September. Iberia also will launch new flights between Barcelona and Miami three times a week starting March 29.
