Er.....seeing as slots are treated as assets, and traded between companies (e.g. BE/QF), that would be akin to Easyjet going up to Willie and saying "Gizzus one of yer 319s....go on, gizza...!"

Not a flier IMHO.

BA faces some of the stiffest competition of any airline worldwide....examples:

1. North Atlantic: Chapter 11 protected carriers such as UA who can dump transatlantic capacity and destroy yields in BA's most profitable market.
2. European: More low-cost carriers than you can shake a stick at.
3. Far East: Intense competition on the Kangaroo route from the Asian boys together with Emirates and their government support mopping up the rest.

Plus a well-run, service orientated competitor active at BA's home base that cherry picks the most profitable routes on which to compete.

So, go and learn a bit and then come back and talk to us about BA operating in a "closed market."

Perhaps if your chosen airline didn't give free F flights to any Tom, Dick or Harry who'd got AAdvantage miles from a soda can they might be in slightly better shape.

Why can't you accept that BA offers good service for a reasonable price, and is an efficient, well-run airline. Everything the US legacies are emphatically not!