BA decided to spend some of its brand premium to enhance profitability. The premium had been built up over years and represented an irreplaceable asset: so it was a risky move.

Hardly surprising that reviews have drifted lower.

I'm guessing strategists in BA were banking on the robustness of its brand, but the scale and scope of the sell-off has been reckless. Short-term, the benefits are obvious: but erosion of market share and/or average revenues looks likely.

The current crew will be long gone before those birds come home to roost