I think you are showing your lack of understanding of the realities of the European market, and the hub and spoke model of airlines by saying this. LH, AF/KLM are BA's direct competitors for European traffic. No, they don't have a critical mass at LHR - they don't need it, for them LHR is a spoke, not a hub. They aren't looking for direct traffic from LHR, they are looking to fly people in from LHR into their own very well developed hubs. You seem to be fixated on direct traffic only, which is strange, as most frequent fliers are very well aware of the concept of hubbing through other airports, to get the flight they want at the price they want. Certainly for me, although UK based, so apparently a natural BA market, KLM is actually my most convenient airline to fly with. The fact that BA is the predominant airline at LHR actually strikes me as natural, just as KLM is at AMS and LH at FRA - it's the largest UK airline, of course it will be the dominant airline at it's home base! But as a result, to claim that BA operates in a "closed market" is laughable - when I'm doing longhaul, I have the choice of at least half a dozen good, reputable airlines flying east, and probably a dozen flying west (although I'm being charitable and including the awful 767 AA service out of MAN ).

Perhaps then you should lose your fixation about flying direct out of LHR? it appears to be you that is operating in a closed market - the choices are there, you just aren't prepared to recognise them. If you were based in AMS, then I'd agree, you could complain about KLM and the closed market...