Originally Posted by
Andriyko
Then, what is the debate about? BA is giving the passengers exactly what they want. Or do you think that other airlines would give people something extra even though they did not have to because their competitive strength lied in being able to provide frequent direct services? Any business would only invest as much as it takes to attract the maximum amount of business. BA knows where its strength lies, and there is no need to invest millions to attract the ten people who want the 'experience.' Those ten people can fly with airlines which need to offer more than flying from A to B to convince people to waste time to connect. BA knows it does not have to offer caviar, while other airlines think they do to lure people in. OK, the ten people who want both the direct service and the caviar are unhappy - so what?
Some companies invest the bare minimum that they believe they have to while others take a more generous approach, believing that doing more than the minimum generates long term loyalty and future profits. I think BA management are clearly about maximizing short term, perhaps with the view that beyond Avios future business is more and more likely to be price driven with amenities you are willing to pay additionally for.