I know we have a thread on the event itself but there are outcomes from the event that are newsworthy to FTers. Therefore I trust it is justified starting a new thread.
First of all this is the first time I have attended such an event. Very very nice. I read that some FTers booked dinner at nearby restaurants for a post-event dinner. Absolutely unnecessary, there was plenty of quality food and very nice wines on offer - especially from the New World bar.
Keith Williams made a speech saying that BA have listened and that there was much more redemption availability; lounges refresh; and food improvements yadda yadda yadda. Anyway I managed to grab a few minutes with Keith Williams afterwards to get more detail on his "new news" (to be fair he made himself available and was very approachable - credit to him). As well as a couple of conversations with KW I also met with some other very impressive staff therethat seemed to be well informed, here is the summary:
- There is a new entree coming in CW initially on the longer LH routes but including NY. This will make 4 entrees in CW
- Lounges in JFK have been run-down as BA was considering moving to T8 to be with AA. That is now dead and there is going to be a considerable upgrade in T7 costing ten of millions (KW told me either 20m or 50m but I can't remember - yeah I know....). Work is starting at the end of this year.
- I asked KW about the YQ charge. He said that it was coming down and had been removed from CE flights already - for LH he anticipated this coming down and being removed eventually given where the price of fuel is today. He claimed that the totality of YQ income to BA has not yet and never will make up for the losses BA incurred from the increase in fuel charges over the past few years.
- KW also said that LHR lounges would be revamped. A conversation with someone else with knowledge on the project said that the new corridor from the First Check-In area would cost BA nothing bar the construction costs - they have proved to BAA (and BAA have accepted) that "Premium" customers don't do shopping in T5. They also stated that the lounge refurbishment in T5 would depend on signing a new lease with BAA after the current 7 year lease expires.
- New runway (LHR). It is evident that KW expects (or at least would like) someone else other than BAA to pay for third runway and the supporting infrastructure (my reading of this was that he expected the taxpayer to pay for all of this_. He said otherwise the costs would be passed on to the travelling public. I couldn't quite understand KW thinking on this as I said to him - BAA will pay for it and we will pay for it with the next 100 years of passenger departure fees (surely!).
- T5 FastTrack Security. KW was very interested in our various experiences in this area and asked me to email him directly with personal experiences. I will do so and point him at our little thread on the subject.
Think that was about it from me. Anyone else get any news?