View Poll Results: Should Alex Cruz (BA's Chief Executive and Chairman) step down or be replaced?
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Should Alex Cruz step down or be replaced? [FT poll]
May 30, 2017, 9:43 am
#242
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: IAH
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Posts: 253
I also saw that later in the weekend, AC was quoted by the BBC as describing the cause as a "power supply issue". That could cover a multitude of reasons, and not just an incoming surge from the National Grid, as his first comment implied. I also noted that the UK Electricity supply industry was quick to dismiss the notion of a power surge from the National Grid. A "power supply issue" which is not a power surge, would, to me, point to something internal within the affected BA site(s).
Hard to see how this can continue to be described as beyond BA's control - unless that phrase is being stretched to include such categories as: events caused by staff at outsourced subcontractors.
I am hoping the real reason for the failure will unravel more in the coming days, but, sadly, am not holding my breath.
Hard to see how this can continue to be described as beyond BA's control - unless that phrase is being stretched to include such categories as: events caused by staff at outsourced subcontractors.
I am hoping the real reason for the failure will unravel more in the coming days, but, sadly, am not holding my breath.
May 30, 2017, 10:05 am
#243
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,551
I also saw that later in the weekend, AC was quoted by the BBC as describing the cause as a "power supply issue". That could cover a multitude of reasons, and not just an incoming surge from the National Grid, as his first comment implied. I also noted that the UK Electricity supply industry was quick to dismiss the notion of a power surge from the National Grid. A "power supply issue" which is not a power surge, would, to me, point to something internal within the affected BA site(s).
Hard to see how this can continue to be described as beyond BA's control - unless that phrase is being stretched to include such categories as: events caused by staff at outsourced subcontractors.
I am hoping the real reason for the failure will unravel more in the coming days, but, sadly, am not holding my breath.
Hard to see how this can continue to be described as beyond BA's control - unless that phrase is being stretched to include such categories as: events caused by staff at outsourced subcontractors.
I am hoping the real reason for the failure will unravel more in the coming days, but, sadly, am not holding my breath.
Every IT department in many sectors practice DR tests each year why should BA be any different. Any company worth its salt as multiple datacentres in multiple locations, with multiple communication links with different vendors and with UPS and generators these sort of things shouldn't happen.
IMHO the real failure here is not what caused the failure but what caused the recovery to fail.
May 30, 2017, 10:34 am
#246
Join Date: May 2007
Location: London, Prague, Dubai
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Posts: 1,127
I read that BA had refused help from Amadeus, one of their suppliers. Lesson 1, never refuse help from a supplier unless you know what the problem is and that you can fix it PDQ. 3 days isn't PDQ
May 30, 2017, 11:49 am
#247
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
But can you point to a single airline which has adopted this strategy - i.e. only really focus on the higher yield end - and is making good money?
I really can't think of one. Pretty much all the 'premium' airlines are struggling financially.
Maybe Delta is your best example, but they are chasing the bottom end with new 'basic' economy just like the others are.
I really can't think of one. Pretty much all the 'premium' airlines are struggling financially.
Maybe Delta is your best example, but they are chasing the bottom end with new 'basic' economy just like the others are.
Other airlines, I can give you one perfect example: Japan Airlines. They are not the cheapest in the market, they offer superior economy product. They do not do BOB.
Singapore Airlines could be another one if they did not go for the Scoot routes and Tigerair route.
Cathay Pacific did do well if not for their gamble in oil price.
We could also look at Aegean, to a less extend even Air India. KLM as an individual airline is doing very well. I would nominate Emirates too. At least they are profitable although the profit is down. But they are not loosing money which is important.
Did I mention Southwest that offers free drink and snacks as well as one checked bag when big US3 all charge for things? Or JetBlue that might be LCC but superior in every aspects?
May 30, 2017, 11:54 am
#248
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
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May 30, 2017, 11:59 am
#249
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Leeds ,Yorks UK
Programs: KLM Flying Blue Platinum for Life.. BA Gold , oh and some other shiny bits of plastic ...
Posts: 4,238
May 30, 2017, 12:18 pm
#251
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,770
Basic economy is a god example. Airlines is likely to only sell up to 20 seats on each plane at those price and will adjust based on LCC competitions. This is what I said about segmentation. In US big 3, you will have Basic Economy, normal Economy, Economy premier and First. Covers all segments. What happens to BA at this moment in short haul is: expensive basic economy and even more expensive economy with business class service.
There's a valid argument that higher cost fares shouldn't be HBO but that's a different point to the one you were previously making, namely that airlines shouldn't go after the cheap end of the market.
May 30, 2017, 1:21 pm
#253
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Exclusive: BA boss given vote of confidence by Willie Walsh as full details of IT meltdown revealed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-full-details/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-full-details/
May 30, 2017, 1:27 pm
#254
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Exclusive: BA boss given vote of confidence by Willie Walsh as full details of IT meltdown revealed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-full-details/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/...-full-details/
In line with FT's policy in this area (bearing in mind that not all people can use the hyperlinks provided due to firewalls or device limitations), here is an extract.
Originally Posted by The Daily Telegraph
On Saturday morning, shortly after 8.30am, power to Boadicea House through its UPS was shut down - the reasons for which are not yet known.
Under normal circumstances, power would have been returned to the servers in Boadicea House slowly, allowing the airline’s other Heathrow data centre, at Comet House, to take up some of the slack. But, on Saturday morning, just minutes after the UPS went down, power was resumed in what one source described as “uncontrolled fashion.” “It should have been gradual,” the source went on.
This caused “catastrophic physical damage” to BA’s servers, which contain everything from customer and crew information to operational details and flight paths. No data is however understood to have been lost or compromised as a result of the incident. BA’s technology team spent the weekend rebuilding the servers, allowing the airline to return to normal operations as of today.
Sources close to the airline indicated that had the power been restored more gradually, BA would have been able to cope with the outage, and return services far more quickly than was the case.
Under normal circumstances, power would have been returned to the servers in Boadicea House slowly, allowing the airline’s other Heathrow data centre, at Comet House, to take up some of the slack. But, on Saturday morning, just minutes after the UPS went down, power was resumed in what one source described as “uncontrolled fashion.” “It should have been gradual,” the source went on.
This caused “catastrophic physical damage” to BA’s servers, which contain everything from customer and crew information to operational details and flight paths. No data is however understood to have been lost or compromised as a result of the incident. BA’s technology team spent the weekend rebuilding the servers, allowing the airline to return to normal operations as of today.
Sources close to the airline indicated that had the power been restored more gradually, BA would have been able to cope with the outage, and return services far more quickly than was the case.
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; May 30, 2017 at 1:33 pm
May 30, 2017, 1:40 pm
#255
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I happen to know that James Quinn has been shadowing Willie Walsh for over 10 years and must have his personal telephone number by now. The specific details of Boadicea House (BoHo) and Comet I rather suspect have come from the horse's mouth. Some details don't fully stack up, I suspect that neither Mr. Quinn nor his source are IT specialists.
In line with FT's policy in this area (bearing in mind that not all people can use the hyperlinks provided due to firewalls or device limitations), here is an extract.
In line with FT's policy in this area (bearing in mind that not all people can use the hyperlinks provided due to firewalls or device limitations), here is an extract.