I'm going to Glasgow for a weekend next month, flying on BA. It's not the cheapest deal but I get frequent flyer points and lounge access.
What surprises me was that easily the cheapest flights are from London City - and that, on a
Sunday afternoon, there are three departures of BA flights from Glasgow to London City in less than an hour. Why? - James Williams
It's largely a result of the season - and strange rules at the Docklands airport. For most of the 25 years since London City began, BA more or less ignored the airport. But recently the airline has launched a business-class only link to New York JFK, and invested in a fresh new fleet of Embraer jets for short-haul services.
Competition with CityJet - Air France's Irish subsidiary - is intense, particularly on routes to and from Scotland. However, BA currently has the route to Glasgow to itself. So why the low fares?
Basically because business travel dwindles in August.
The Sunday afternoon "surge" in services is a result of the curfew that is designed to give the residents of east London some respite from aircraft noise. For 24 hours starting at 12.30pm each Saturday, the airport closes. BA keeps a number of its aircraft in Glasgow, then sends them back on Sunday afternoon. These are "positioning" flights, but the airline shrewdly sells seats on them.
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