BRITISH Airways flies to over 200 destinations in more than 65 countries – but with so many places to choose from across the globe how does it decide on where to fly to?
Well, we thought the same so, of course, we asked the airline the question.
Rachel Riley, British Airways’ director of Route Network Development and her team are responsible for launching new routes and looking at future opportunities for the airline.
Ultimately, they then create a schedule and new flights to destinations across the globe that allow the airline to continue to thrive in the aviation industry.
Rachel told Sun Travel: “Planning our network is a fine balancing act, like completing a complex puzzle.
“It’s not only about selecting destinations that we think our customers love and want to visit throughout the year – we also think about things like aircraft availability, cabin crewing requirements, and the specific commercial and operational dynamics that influence a particular route or destination.”
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Rachel added how the process actually begins 18 months before a route launches.
“It’s certainly a marathon and not a sprint when it comes to branching out our network,” she said.
When coming up with ideas for a new route, the airline makes sure to always watch out for trends, but this isn’t the only factor that goes into deciding a new route.
Rachel explained: “Route planning is a bit like solving a giant puzzle.
“Like how my namesake Rachel Riley uses her maths skills to solve games on Countdown, my love for maths has taken me in the direction of solving route network puzzles.
“Our teams do a lot of mathematical modelling and analysis to determine the best overall network, incorporating any new destinations we want to operate.
“From market size and customer demand to competitor activity and connecting traffic, we consider many variables to ensure each new route makes sense for both our network and our customers.”
And it isn’t as simple as getting rid of one route and adding another.
When the moment does come though, when a new route is created, the team will work closely with the British Airways scheduling team to turn it into an operable route and flight schedule.
Rachel also shared: “There’s no hiding from the fact that we are impacted by external factors beyond our control [as well].”
These factors include things like geopolitical issues and engine delivery delays.
But it isn’t just about creating brand new routes, exciting routes and connections to destinations can be improved through airline codeshare partners.
For example, British Airways recently expanded its codeshare agreement with Cathay Pacific to 12 destinations in Southeast Asia and Australasia.
For the first time, the airline is also connecting Heathrow and Manila in the Philippines through this partnership as well.
Perhaps, the most exciting job though is for the person who tries the new destinations.
Rachel explained: “When we introduce a new route, visiting the destination plays a crucial role in the planning process.
“It allows us to check that the location aligns with our expectations.
“These visits enable us to evaluate a wide range of factors in person, including assessing the progress of any construction that’s underway (if it’s a new airport, for example) through to experiencing the
end-to-end customer journey.
“This is to ensure we’re confident that everything is in place and ready to go.”
As a part of this, the airline will work closely with tourism boards, as well as airport authorities and ground partners.
“We of course also engage our operational teams to assess the airport and to ensure everything from catering to cleaning is set up in preparation,” Rachel continued.
And while new routes can be introduced at any point throughout the year, the airline will usually make any exciting announcements before flights go on sale for our winter and summer schedules.
This is usually around the end of October for winter and end of March for summer.
For example, last year the airline launched a winter route to Tromsø, and this winter, it is expanding its seasonal offering with two new BA Euroflyer routes – Rabat in Morocco and Graz in Austria, both starting this month.
Rachel added: “Ultimately, our goal is to fly where our customers want to go, and to do so with the world-class service they expect from British Airways.
“Last year alone, we welcomed 13 new aircraft into the fleet, including the Airbus A350-1000, four Boeing 787-10s, and several A320neo and A321neo aircraft.
“This continued investment opens exciting possibilities for our future network, and our teams are constantly evaluating new opportunities – so watch this space.”
British Airways crew also recently told Sun Travel their top European spots – from uncrowded Spanish cities to hidden gem neighbourhoods.
Plus, the insane training regime BA First Class flight attendants have to go through – with strict teapot and pillow rules.