It is indeed highly risky. However, running an airline is a highly risky enterprise. Most so with those passing by a green and not entirely unpleasant Isle. But the UK is part and parcel of Europe, an "ever-closer" Europe, one (viz. France/Sarkozy) drifting ever more towards the UK social model. Okay all that's a big statement but let's work from that perspective for the moment.

KLM starts spitting poison. So I can fly on a non-flat seat to Minneapolis and connect on Northwest Airlines to SFO, four hours later. Jolly fine. I can fly to let's say JFK on KLM -- and I Do! -- but either, still on a wedgy seat or a old school-ironically more comfortable setup. At the end of the day it's just a seat on a hollowed-out aluminium tube. I need to get from A to B but I need to be productive along the way. So okay -- if something goes wrong with your special BA longhaul narrowbody ER aeroplane, we can most likely get you from the continent to LHR and onward from there.

KLM starts spitting poison and BA starts wearing a bib??

anyway I'm out for the nite but will look in tomorrow