Different cultures, different norms. Its not very 'British' (I speak as one), and certainly some Brits would not like it (others would) so no surprise that BA don't do it.

Other airlines from elsewhere take a different view - see Picture 8 at this link from an Emirates A380 of a guy on his birthday who was brought up from Y to the J bar for some free champers etc where the flight attendants all sang him Happy Birthday! And look how happy he is about it! http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct...SzZscuP3CmVItQ

But then one man's meat is also another man's poison. Personally I would have been as happy as this guy was, and generally think it lovely if crew ever wished me happy b-day on a plane - I find travelling so impersonal most of the time, and so any personal touch is appreciated. I would not want the whole plane signing me happy birthday or anything OTT like that, but a discreet mention of it from one of the team would be great. My brother though would hate all it, totally not his kind of thing, like Globaliser he would find it embarrassing. Each to their own.

By the same token I love the super-attentive service you get on many Asian airlines, and all too often find BA and QF service cold and perfunctory. Yet I know from many posts on FT over the years that some find the service of the Asian airlines too much and feel like they are never being left alone, and find the service of the likes of BA and QF to be appropriately understated and efficient.

Cultural and personal norms again result in us all taking very different views on such things, and when an international airline chooses to do or not do a certain thing they thus risk offending people either way.

I do agree though that I would be slightly concerned how the crew knew it was my birthday! But maybe airlines that do such things specifically tell crew when someone on the plane is celebrating a B-Day so they can help them celebrate it.