Originally Posted by
Dave_C
It's an interesting point the OP raises, something that I've sort of been feeling a bit recently too. I've been posting for a while, and after a time the same questions come round again and again. But that's not quite it I don't think. Those repetitous questions can, and usually do, go OT, and can be quite entertaining.
However I think the point that Cheetah_SA makes about us being ground down is very close to the truth.
Flying through Heathrow and Gatwick as someone who starts and ends my journey there is dreadful; goodness knows what it's like if you have to go through the FCC.
Willie Walsh is cutting everything. My last flight in CE, they had two little mini bottles of port on the aircraft and that's it. Added to all the cutbacks that have been discussed passim, coupled with appaling punctuality, even worse security, and I can certainly understand why people are feeling grumpy.
Added to that, the increasing uncertainty of BA's future at LGW, something that I personally think won't last till the end of the decade, and for a lot of people, things aren't great.
The crew used to be the one thing you could always rely upon to be brilliant. For me, I can spend an hour queueing to check-in, another hour in security, 10 minutes drinking warm water, standing in an over-crowded lounge, but when you step on board, you know you're in good hands. But even that isn't what it was, especially from LGW. Club Europe for me runs at 50% great crew, and 50% who just go through the motions. That's an amazing change from what you could almost guarantee would be a great experience.
Looking on the more positive side, I think that T5 will make a difference, although how much is up for debate. Next Generation Club will help too, but not too much. New aircraft will make it interesting.
British Airways has always stood for quality. I don't think it does any more. In fact, I'm not sure what they stand for.
Maybe that's the problem, BA has changed and the experience isn't as consistently good any more. Perhaps that's why people here are more grumpy/tetchy because they are mirroring the way the airline is headed?
I agree! long before I knew of FT and before I absconded to the dark side
( now now behave, QF is the bright side !! ) many years ago BA was a premium product but while M&S have captured a market share from every class it can to survive, BA has tried to aswell ( and failed ) - but BA is now at Tesco level & I can see we are heading to Kwik Save, do not pass ASDA and under no circumstances collect 200 miles, go straight to EuroTraveller
Lets face facts here - Willy is doing a Ryanair with BA, you just need to look across the glorious ditch to Cunnilingus ( well he did make a fanny of it ), cheap fares and no 1W/alliance benefits, all the trappings of a transatlantic airline in the making Willy!
" me sir, pissed sir, no sir, gay sir ? as bent as a Ryanair litigation brief sir ! "
Worse thing is I may have gone to the brighter side, but for how long ? the QF takeover is going to do to QF what Willy is doing to BA, and then me and all the other pax will be switching our alliance's.
Imagine the whole of 1W in 5 years....it wont be far off from Easy joining, im not joking - the power of 1W is BA & when they go budget 1W goes budget, Terraces Lounges will become Terrible Lounges £3.50 a sandwich £1.50 can of juice, spirits will become the same price as your local disco establishment on a Sat night, with frequent fliers getting 20% off lounge purchases and anyone non status wishing to pay £20 per head will be sitting next to you in the lounge, while if your so unlucky that rattling chav next to you in the lounge will be sat next to you in J having paid 2 grand less than you but BA couldnt miss the change of missing out on extra revenue while a few J seats sat empty, no they'll make that extra £100 out of that J seat and sell on the £100 upgrades Y seats at the price Mr & Mrs Chav originally paid if not more on stand-by
and why would it ever happen I hear you say?
well pax paying for previously free items/empty seats = revenue = happy shareholders, from a financial point of view it all makes perfect sence, I mean the quality is gone anyway, just need to downgrade a little more, Bobs yer uncle, Sue's yer aunt, Willy's yer man.
BA ultimatly lost it when they they grounded thier 1 unmatched Premium product - CONCORDE and now the rest of the house is coming in line with that decision, its sad, very very sad - " As an elite member of BA perhaps some extra clubcard points will cheer you up "
" Brit Air - the cheapos favourite airline, the future's bright the future's Chav "
And then we will truely live in a classless society like all the qango's state we do now
