The guest of honor was a late arrival to the party at McCarran International Airport’s international terminal Sunday night, but nobody cared.
British Airways’ daily nonstop flights between London and Las Vegas have begun and the first arrival, though a little over an hour late arriving, begins what tourism leaders are calling a great partnership that has been in the making for more than a decade.
British Airways Flight 275 touched down at McCarran at 8:30 p.m. with 217 passengers aboard. The plane passed through a water arch created by airport fire trucks, a traditional welcome for a maiden flight, and passengers were greeted by two showgirls after clearing U.S. Customs.
Among the passengers on the first flight were Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, who passed out lucky poker chips bearing his image while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and British Airways CEO Willie Walsh, who was making his first trip to Las Vegas.
Walsh, who became the airline’s top executive in October 2005, celebrated his birthday Sunday – possibly the longest one of his life, since he flew through eight time zones and experienced a 32-hour day.
Walsh is expected to announce today an aggressively discounted introductory fare from Las Vegas to London at a lunch with local businesspeople.
The airline will offer a $276 round-trip economy fare for flights between Nov. 2 and Dec. 20 and from Dec. 24 through March 28. The airline also will offer deeply discounted one-stop trips from Las Vegas to Paris, Milan, Rome, Madrid and Athens for $358 round trip. Tickets must be purchased by Thursday midnight and don’t include taxes and fees.
Goodman, who chairs the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors, was returning from a marketing mission with LVCVA president and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter and two other LVCVA executives.
“This is a great day for Las Vegas and a great day for London,” Goodman said in brief remarks at the airport.
The airline also was welcomed by Randall Walker, director of the Clark County Department of Aviation, who noted that British Airways’ flights on twin-engine Boeing 777 jets are the first regularly scheduled overseas flights that are starting as daily operations.
Other overseas flights have been kicked off with one, two or three flights a week. There are 170 nonstop international flights a week to Las Vegas. The United Kingdom is the top source of overseas travelers to Las Vegas with nearly 400,000 visitors in 2008.
British Airways is competing with Virgin Atlantic Airways, which has been flying daily nonstop flights from London to Las Vegas since 2006. But British Airways has the advantage of offering its service from London’s Heathrow International Airport, which is closer to central London than Gatwick International, from which Virgin flies to Las Vegas. Heathrow is the world’s busiest airport for international travel.
British Airways also has dozens of connecting flights to Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, meaning Las Vegas will be a one-stop plane trip from most of the world’s major cities. Although Virgin Atlantic connects with some of the same routes with code-share partners, its network isn’t nearly as extensive as British Airways.
British Airways’ Las Vegas flights are scheduled to arrive at McCarran at 7:25 p.m. after leaving Heathrow at 3:35 p.m. The aircraft has three compartments carrying 272 passengers. Routinely, British Airways’ London-Las Vegas flights will have 36 Club World (business class) seats, 24 World Traveler Plus (premium economy) seats and 212 World Traveler (economy) seats.
The return trip from Las Vegas, Flight 274, leaves McCarran daily at 9:20 p.m., arriving at 2:05 p.m. the next day London time.
British Airways spokesman John Lampl said the first flight used a special aircraft with four classes of service with 14 first-class seats, 48 Club World seats, 40 World Traveler Plus seats and 124 World Traveler seats.
The Club World section has seats that recline to flat beds and an on-demand entertainment system while the World Traveler Plus section has 38-inch-pitch seats and in-seat power for personal computers, and CD and DVD players.
Las Vegan Marty Paz, one of the first passengers off Sunday’s inaugural flight, said he liked the television screens on the British Airways plane more than the ones on Virgin’s aircraft.
He said the flight, which normally takes 10 hours and 50 minutes westbound but nine hours and 45 minutes eastbound, was a great experience with excellent service and that passengers “drank all the liquor onboard.”
The inaugural flight’s departure was delayed by more than an hour by what was described as a minor hydraulics problem that was quickly resolved. The plane made up some of the time in the air, arriving just over an hour late.
Willie protests that British Airways is Fighting for Survival and his Cabin crew must take pay cuts when at the same time awarding himself huge Bonuses and share options. I'm sure it's BA's money he'll be throwing in the slot machines while in Las Vegas and claiming it back as Expenses. All the staff at British Airways have No Confidence in Willie Walsh as a CEO. He's the worst ever at BA. Support BASSA and vote Yes to put a Stop to Willie's plans for New Fleet which will see us out of a Job in a few years.
Just looked at my 11/12-11/18 trip with them 884 round trip from Rome. Looked at US airways and costs 499 round trip. Booked with US Airways of course....try again British.
Just looked at my 11/12-11/18 trip with them 884 Euro round trip from Rome. Looked at US airways and costs 499 Euro round trip. Booked with US Airways of course....try again British.
All British Airways cabin crew be at Sandown race course for the Unite Union meeting on 2nd November 11am. Stand United together against these Bullies we call our Managment.
Never fly to the US from UK go via Europe to avoid UK transatlantic taxes. I always fly DFW to Amsterdam then to UK.
Oh great! now we got all these Brits posting negative complaints here, as if there isn't already enough from Las Vegas citizens. Hey how 'bout those Yankees!!
The $276 roundtrip price is great, but the $387 in "Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges" really sucks. A trip for two totals $1,326. Not really a great deal at all.
This is great news. The more that Vegas becomes an international hub, the more that business will view this as the place to be centered for any business that requires travel. Vegas always has cheap flight deals and now to just about anyhwere in the world. Add in the bullet train from LA and you have a pretty good thing going. Only one suggestion with regards to the bullet train. Run it from airport to airport then it will actually serve a purpose. If they follow the Las Vegas Monorail model and start it "nowhere" and end it "nowhere" it will be a total flop. Each airport could make revenue from the parking.
Great to see the waste of water in the desert. Then again, it gives the airport firemen something to do. If there's a long boring lucrative day, it's being an airport fireman.
Whaddya' know. He's not holdin' a martini glass.
(see pic, but you knew that)
The monorail actually got "started"..?
This was Henderson's-boy Gibson "put your pals in dough" boondogle from the start. Mr. Smooth Class Act has an "in" with his developer buddies, and they have a big one with him.
I remember reading stories of parts falling off this mono-thing and hitting the street below during try-outs for its approval.
First word that comes to mind: Well connected Lame-O. Very Lame-O.
Not sure where they are getting the 276 round trip number from?... The cheapest I found is 249 one way...
I've been able to see a little more than 276 each way BEFORE taxes. And taxes are very high flying into London. As someone else stated, if your destination is somewhere else in Europe, you're better off connecting through New York or Paris. If you don't mind a connection, you can even save to London by connecting in Europe.
So Las Vegas it's Willie's birthday today and 14,000 of employees would like to tell him that a ballot has been called for industrial action near Xmas. You have your new service but don't bank on getting to where you want to go to in the next few months.The CEO ever to set foot within this company Sandown Racecourse 2nd November Willie the gamble has not paid off.
I meant to say the worst CEO ever to be employed by our once great company. BASSA we are and United we stand 14,000 cabin crew want the little man out.
what this "sale" does not tell you is that the $279 RT Las to London fare, does not include taxes and other fees, which results in a "sale" price of $636.00 -- this press release is misleading, false advertising...bait and switch, they get you to call about the fare, then they tell you yes the fare is $279.00, but with taxes and all its really double that price! No good!
Bassa Bassa Bassa the way forward bye bye Willie
Make sure Paul Revere is alert when the British arrive.
info4you2ssee
The Brits LOVE Vegas - I say "Welcome" - that's if they can afford to visit!!
From a historical perspective, I was only joking.....
It is good news. Welcome all of England and Europe as well. They should visit.......yes!.....if they can afford it.
I am visiting Las Vegas every year from the Netherlands and this new connection is perfect for us. Before we had to connect on several US airports wich was not very pleasant due to many delays and missed flights. Most of the delays was caussed by the severe security/customs activities on US airports.
Not impressed by the $276 offer.
Quite misleading. If you add taxes and other fees, you end up at a mean economy price for a roundtrip US destination with most airliners.
Only pluspoint is the direct flight, that's it!