But the attitude you describe, coupled with people letting it go or somehow justifying it, is precisely why they announce unexpected profits. In IAG's defence, all the time people are buying the tickets and the planes are going out full, there really is little incentive to change.

Unfortunately I think the disjoint between front line employees salaries and the salaries of those making the decisions has become so pronounced that it's part of the problem. It's hard to see why someone paid £25k a year, with no career prospects within that organisation and who is likely to have gone in 24 months anyway is really going to make much of an effort. The days of CSD's on good salaries, being paid because of the great experience they possessed, are long since gone and yet those people are precisely those who tended to ensure the service was good. This is coupled with an organisation that really just does not give a damn about the customer - you only have to look at their approach to 'service recovery' matters or people making legitimate claims under EU/UK261 legislation to see this.

I don't think there is a magic wand solution. Unfortunately I think BA needs people at the top with true vision who are willing to invest in the product and willing to invest in staff to give them a decent, respectable offering again. I doubt it will happen, the mantra of driving down costs is too entrenched now and is, frankly, too easy to do.