Originally Posted by
bocastephen
The do the sign boards but there are too many contractors from what seems like different companies and with different job roles who don’t communicate and are often giving out incorrect information. LAX is a major focus city for EVA, but given their cost cutting, they refuse to staff sufficient employees at the foreign stations and the result is disorderly chaos until a few minutes before boarding.
Now I will need to add, since I was made aware of this information, although it was through a third party who works at EVA, that since the ouster of the ex CEO and the family squabble, new management is laser focused on cost cutting and getting costs as low as possible. My source is a family friend whose patient is a pilot and who discussed their own concerns over the cost cutting which is also affecting aircraft maintenance and safety.
Inflight catering is still pretty much top notch, just the portion sizes have been sized for a non hungry child - although United is no slouch in that department either.
It’s becoming clear that the best course for EVA is the removal of the current CEO and possibly the board.
One more anecdote to add to the list, I boarded a BR flight at LAX last month and was in the first boarding group. They were using the TBIT / Terminal B's new "biometric boarding gates" and it worked well. I don't know how chaotic things were afterwards when the rest of the pax boarded.
As for the cost-cutting, I hope it stops and the concern over effects on safety is most worrying. Better safety record is the bedrock on which BR's reputation was built. I have been concerned ever since the Dec 2016 BR15 near-miss at LAX due to ATC errors. It should also be noted that BR did not preemptively avoid Ukrainian airspace before MH17 was shot down, and BR88 and an SQ flight were nearby.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-airspace-mh17
Many of the world's best-known airlines – including British Airways, Qantas and Cathay Pacific – had been avoiding Ukrainian airspace due to safety fears for months before the downing of flight MH17.
As air traffic control authorities banned all aircraft from flying through eastern Ukrainian airspace – which is likely to increase flight costs and journey times – it has emerged that several airlines had already chosen to avoid the area.
A spokesman for Qantas said the Australian flag carrier had not used the route for months. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific said it had been taking a detour for "quite some time". British Airways, Korean Air Lines, Air Berlin, Asiana Airlines and Taiwan's China Airlines had also been avoiding the east
Ukraine route - which is the most commonly used between Europe and Asia - for months.
I hope BR continues to focus on striving for market-leading status. Perhaps the new competition from JX will keep them on their toes. Nevertheless, returning to the OP topic, I still favor BR over UA at any opportunity.