subject2load

Complex* stuff you know, selling all those sandwiches & wraps. Serious training involved

(*although .....perhaps not quite as complex as "Would you like fries with that?")

Oaxaca

About a year ago, a few LHR-MAD-LHR rotations were operated by 772s. I was on one of those flights and the crew was MF.

JAXBA

Quote:

Originally Posted by orbitmic

I think that BA management already sees employees as disposable, just like passengers. I would like to hope that no one - employee or passenger - would be naïve enough to think that if BA manages to cut more costs on one, they will spare the other. There is no win/lose game here.

Sadly, from experience, I can confirm that employees are seen only as costs rather than assets. The regular financial presentations would often show how employees costs were the largest after fuel. Cost = problem. BA has been applying austerity policies for many, many years; They do not value anything but the effing money. Not loyalty, not brilliant employees, and apparently not even their reputation. Just money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobias-UK

And BA have publicly stated that prices will not be lowered as a result of the introduction of BOB.

Of course not. The inevitable increase has simply been delayed until further notice.

World Traveller Fuss

I'm now nervous for my TLV WTP booking in April..

DME fares are absurdly high, especially for short <3 day trips. £1200+ ... and nothing to eat or drink.

orbitmic

That should be printed, framed, and posted at the entrance of BA's HQ.

flashware

Of course, you'd need an arts degree for that!

roussell

I find it strange that so many people care so deeply about a stale cheese and pickle sandwich and a small can of diet coke. BA free economy food has been poor and unnecessary for years.

When most people book their flights, it is via a travel portal like Google Flights or Skyscanner. The flight chosen is based on airport, departure time and price, rather than 'oh i want a bacon sarnie so i'll only search for Full Service operators'. BA know this and have amended their service accordingly.

I know from seeing similar market research provided to another airline that free food and drink ranks in the 3rd quartile of what is important to short haul customers. And so faced with I assume similar numbers, I am surprised BA went this long before removing it from their service.

The average Joe taking a LHR-AMS or LCY-DUB flight is not choosing BA for the free beer. On sub 90 min flights it's often hard to even get the full service done and cleared in time for landing. So improving margins seems the sensible move for a profit focused business.

I'm sure some customers will now decide to move their business, but I'd imagine the money saved will more than compensate, and allow BA to more effectively compete with LCC on the short-haul network.

I do however think they should provide food vouchers to all those who have been misled over previously purchased tickets. I'm sure there is scope here for compensation if not automatically provided by BA.

Going forward I'm looking forward to having better quality M&S food on board. The cost of a tasty chicken club baguette is not going to deter me from flying BA or making BOB purchases.

elitetraveler

Actually, both AA and DL reported the reverse from the research you site and in the last year have started to improve their food offerings, particularly in Y - and DL is planning more Y enhancements - adding back more free food on domestic routes.

According to DL and AA, while people say low fare is the most important thing, when they get bad food or no food, it negatively impacts their perception of the experience and likelihood to fly that airline again.

There's a good adage, "Not everything that can be measured is valuable while some things that can't be measure are extremely valuable."

florens

This is getting better day-to-day!

roussell

Interesting. Maybe it was the phrasing of the questions? The research I saw was specific to British travellers making short-haul flights in Europe (the bulk of BA short-haul travel) so I suppose they don't much care for the American AA/DL trans-continental passenger.

Aus_Mal

I doubt BA care for any passenger, unless your surname is Cruz.

I wait for their next announcement that they are leaving OW as it is too costly to remain a member!

orbitmic

Err... no. Connecting passengers + foreign passengers going to London make up significantly more than British short haul passengers on BA short haul flights overall. There are of course a few exceptions (e.g. 'holiday' routes and much of the LGW traffic) but basing one's entire short haul flights policy solely on what British short haul passengers want (even assuming a coherence in their preferences which is probably not there) would be quite myopic.

roussell

And in your opinion connecting passengers coming off long-haul flights choose BA for their connection why? Because it gets bundled by their travel agent? Or because they are flying a OneWorld long-haul into LHR? Or because they really want a free sandwich?

In the past I have always eaten before and pre-bought for BA short-haul in ET because I never knew if I would get a nice meal or a soulless, sorry excuse for a breakfast muffin. Now at least passengers will know to either buy in advance of buy good quality food BOB.

As it stands IAG made 2.5bn in profit in 2016 so I'm not sure the cost/benefit of this shift will impact their bottom line.

orbitmic

Well, to be honest both others and myself have answered those questions quite a few times upthread including on competition between BA, LH, and AF on the highly lucrative premium economy market and the question of why people should be willing to pay more to fly BA if there is no service differential with LCCs and a negative service differential over the whole trip proposition with their long haul competitors for the connecting market (and have of course no issue at all with your disagreeing).

I was simply commenting on the fact that you answered elitetraveler's point about studies showing that F&B does have an impact on people's perceptions of an airline quality and choice by saying that you've seen different ones about specific British short haul passengers, which you say make the bulk of BA's customers. I simply pointed out that while it is perfectly possible that as you say, British customers have different priority sets from customers in other countries (I have not seen the study that you refer to so cannot comment), it is simply not the case that they make the bulk of BA's customers on short haul flights.

South London Bon Viveur

I doubt British passengers are different from anyone else. The leisure market will be almost exclusively price driven. The business traveller less so, but BA is in a very strong position there anyway due to limited slots at LHR and London being a major financial centre etc. What I don't know is how many leisure travellers prefer BA to Easyjet/Ryanair and are willing to pay an extra £50 or so to fly BA because they are seen as "full service". Anecdotally, chatting to friends, colleagues etc. there are quite a few in this country who fall into that category. I imagine that BA will lose those customers, or rather, in the next few years those customers will no longer be willing to pay extra and their purchasing decisions will be based on price alone. Whether that has any adverse impact on BA in the bigger scheme of things I cannot say. But long term it is hard to see how BOB will not have an adverse impact on brand even if in the short to medium term the financial business case is sound ( which, annoyed as I am, I am sure it is).