Originally Posted by
Secretsquirrel.return
There is another factor. IS BOB HAVING AN IMPACT ON CE? Well it's to do with what we call our matrix, this is our crewing level. It's also a sore subject and may now be coming back to truly effect service. We all know about the previous dispute (I don't want to start a discussion on that BUT) BA changed our matrix by removing a cc on our short haul flights (and long haul). So now we have a situation where you can have 130 customers at the rear of an airbus 319 with only 3 cc, and the ICCM left to serve CE alone.
Thanks for your information, from someone in the thick of it.
This does echo what an Easyjet cc said over the weekend. If you don't have enough cc you have already lost the battle before it has started. So, is BA going to roster above the legal 50 pax per cc? How does that fit their cost model (savings) of cutting out full service to pay for an extra cc? And if they did, are there enough cc to do it (in light of the MF strike and high turnover of MF staff that the current projected growth of personnel in their investor presentation looks like pie in the sky thinking)? How many cc will decide selling BoB isn't what they signed up to, and it is the last straw that makes them walk?
It sounds like BA is being too smart for their own good, they cut costs, a partner takes on the risk. The paying with Avios was a master stroke, since a frequent/business traveler will see it as free, since they already have the points/points were earned on the company tab, and BA Management can then say it has been a raging success - from what FTers have reported of using their points on board, I suspect this is what is going to happen. Most of the customers don't support BoB, but if it doesn't directly cost them money they don't see it as a real problem.
But instead it appears BA has skimped on the POS equipment, not followed the model of other LCC's of having enough cc, and the biggest screw up, not tested it in the field before rolling it out.
I was working for a supplier to BA, providing an airside service in the UK, which we were charging a stupidly low price for. BA asked for us to submit a tender take over this service for the rest of the world, along with looking the same for Iberia, which at this present time was being done by a mix of 3rd parties, and in house. It landed on my plate to looking at it at a technical level, cost it and the feasibility of doing so. I can understand why BA wanted this, one company to take on the risk, one company to manage, one company to beat up, it was projected it would save IAG money, and finally a few more back office employees that can be made redundant. The company turn the tender down, as the risk wasn't worth it, and the hassle wasn't worth it.