Fully agree with your other comments.

On this issue, I do tend to think BA is making a mistake by not exploiting its USP - it offers a very good business class product.

Previously it was seriously pitching at the premium leisure market and encouraging upselling - AUPs were first really pushed at LGW.

For a once-a-year leisure traveller who does not have FF status through work, BA should be able to offer an excellent business-class package offering great hard and soft products. It must have some appeal - every time I have flown CW from LGW the cabin has been full.

However, lack of a lounge (which cannot just be bought as an add on to any ticket) is a poor start. [Who knows if proper lounge provision will be made in the South Terminal.] This, coupled with a lackluster attitude to premium pax in general, is not the way ahead. It was not long ago that LGW inflight catering for CE was far better than LHR. Where is it now? CW hardly leads the way ex-LGW.

If you pitch at the Y market, where is your USP or competitive advantage? On price BA are never going to bet charter and travel agent owned carriers at the Y end of the spectrum. So how can they compete effectively in this market?

To me this approach seems counter-intuitive. All of the recent BAEC changes reflect an airline going back to its original business model where its valued customers were frequent premium cabin flyers. At LGW we have the reverse - set about upsetting your GCHs first with changes to F lounge, then go after every other sort of premium flyer, be they business or leisure, with an inferior product.