rossmacd

There is a trend developing on this board that BA should, quite frankly, be very worried about.

It seems that many here are quickly becoming disenchanted with BA, mostly in part to the rise of some exceptional competition coupled with the constant penny-pinching and constant 'enhancements' we are seeing from BA. I have read (and participated in) a number of threads on BAFT where the resounding response was to fly another carrier, not BA. Is this just not a sad indictment of the current situation at BA?

Sure, many of us have converted to superior carriers in the OW alliance (including myself) - QR, CX, MH, JL, even AA! Five years ago I would very likely have been found in a BA seat, but having such better experiences elsewhere, how can I justify spend my or my employer's money on often higher fares on BA, but for poorer hard and soft products?

BA's cabins may be 'fuller than ever' but is this sustainable in the long-term with no clear improvement strategy, to compete at the more premium end of the market? Yes, BA have very aggressive corporate deals that force many to stick with BA, and of course the stranglehold on LHR driving some of this. Will more and more people see the opportunity to fly better than BA, often with better fares?

It seems BA has lost its spark in recent years. Is it a case of being left behind, or BA management deciding they want to be a very middle of the road carrier? IAG results are very good in the industry, granted, but when I am choosing a carrier to fly, I could not really care less about the shareholder return that I am adding to - I will be selecting based on route convenience, fare, hard and soft product offered.

I was a very strong believer of the drive to fly my national flag carrier, and would have recommended BA over many other carriers, but no longer is this case. I would really like to see BA to return to the glory days when it was market leading in many areas (heck, I would even be satisfied with parity to the competition at the minute!).

Come on BA - make yourself great again!

percysmith

CX green is indeed greener grass http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/catha...-pressure.html

wb1969

Sad fact is that BA simply don't care about their customers any more. I cannot think of a single change in policy over the last few years that has been to the benefit of passengers. Everything is about cutting costs, and each enhancement alienates the company that little bit further.

Management are either blind or so bloody arrogant they convince themselves passengers will just accept the constant chipping away at the service and benefits.

Enough is enough.

edi-traveller

After 20 odd years as Silver I dropped to bronze at the start of the year.

Ironically my domestic travel pattern has increased again - but I realised that for many years the silver card has given me an excuse to travel BA. Often paying higher prices than I needed to just for lounge access and a hot breakfast if the time was right.

I continued to put up with frequent delays, cancellations, and the thimble of coffee and the individually wrapped crisp.

Without the silver card I've been using Easy Jet. I flew 20 sectors on Easy Jet in a row which were either on time or early. I can buy a bacon baguette and a Illy coffee (in a big cup not a thimble) for a £5.

I returned to BA for a flight on a day Easy Jet was fully booked and that BA flight was 90 minutes late and the boarding process at LHR was a shambles.

For domestic travel - I cannot think of any reason to fly BA.

I also have 2 Amex vouchers to burn but have almost given up trying to find availability to anywhere.

paul4040

BA are the best airline about at my price point. I can't complain too much, though i agree it is irritating to watch the product get continuously "enhanced". It is however part of a general trend with airlines. Either cater to the super-affluent in premium cabins (Etihad), be a budget carrier (Norwegian), or try to appeal to the everyman (BA).

Swibbz

This board represents a tiny fraction of BA's customer base. They are not going to change one single thing until their wider base starts speaking with their wallets.

Until then, you can expect things to continue as is

Flexible preferences

Yet another thread lamenting the state of BA today and looking at the past in rose tinted glasses.

The curious thing is BA continues to invest in new aircraft and new products and remain profitable.

A P Yu

This isn't new though. Its been like this for a good few years.

moral_low_ground

Money runs everything. Rich get richer etc, banks get to steal our cash for doing next to nothing and then we pay them when they f up. There is a glimmer of hope in the guise of the US elections......and in the scriptures....you have to break it all and start again before anything will change......it's not whether now but when

Ldnn1

Lolz.

Worcester

The problem is with this analysis (not get me wrong I agree with much of what you say) is that IAG is do many times better that it's competitors (AFKLM & Luthansa Group) so from a shareholder point of view they are running their business in the correct way.

This will only change once BA/IAGs performance slips. So if you are finding better offerings elsewhere that may be the way to go.

Swiss Tony

So long as you subscribe to the ethos that they have no duty to customers or staff (in other words society), just to the shareholders, then yes you're correct.

The post by moral_low_ground may have looked a bit 'quirky' but things are changing from the model that powered us through the last century. Maintaining the current trajectory is unsustainable. Change is starting to happen.

halftheworldaway

Adam Smith's invisible hand in theory - at least - suggests that acting commercially should provide the best outcome for society. The BA near monopoly at LHR slightly ruins that though.

Others will be better demand/revenue forecasters than me but there seems to be a split in the market:

- SH pile it high (and cheap)

- LH as ever all the money comes from the front. The BA number crunchers have clearly worked out the lowest 'acceptable' standard for these cabins and are getting as much as they can for it.

Why make it much nicer if you can't make a return on refurbs etc? And I'd wager that new aircraft is as much about cost (fuel, reliability, etc) as it is improving customer experience.

It's difficult to reconcile a premium product when the masses - largely not present here - just want a cheap Y flight a couple of times a year.

Swiss Tony

Yep, I think VW did a good job of showing us how that doesn't really work either...

Raffles

BA has an older average aircraft age than most of its EU competitors (over 12 years) and of course the ME3 are massively ahead of that.

However, there is a Plan B which says BA is right, perhaps accidentally. There is no proof that J spending will ever return to pre 2008 levels. I doubt if I went back into the City I would still get an 'all J, everywhere' airline policy and a £300 per night hotel budget.

If J yields keep compressing then the BA high density model may prove to have some logic.

Plan C is that BA is Tesco circa 2010, merrily legging over everyone because it believes it operates on a different basis to everyone else, only to find out one day that the whole house of cards starts to collapse around it.