used.to.love BA

So it goes on......oh for the days when BA was a really great airline....even first class is now poor by comparison to so many others.

corporate-wage-slave

Let me welcome you to Flyertalk used.to.love BA, and indeed to the BA board, it's great to see you here, even if the context is somewhat dismal from your perspective. I hope you will continue to participate here, as you can see you are part of quite a big choir now.

orbitmic

I think that "know what they are doing" is, by definition, an overstatement in the field. Like you, I believe that they have considered this for years, and precisely, if the decision was an obvious one it would have been taken years ago. I think that management have made the decision that they believe will be best, but they can only do that with a lot of unknown.

I think people should remember that there is actually no precedent of a European profit making legacy carrier going BoB. All those which did only took such a steps at a time they were in a situation of either virtual bankruptcy or near bankruptcy, and at a time that they ceased to be global airlines, closing a lot of long haul routes to refocus on the short haul P2P sector. Even the largest of them, IB did that at a time it massively cut its long haul network even though it ended up reopening some of its routes since (and even then, frankly, it has a limited long haul network besides Latin America). In that sense, despite the parallels used by others, BA is in fact in a situation that no other airline has exactly been in before.

That said, again, I agree with you that it has been long matured and not taken lightly. Incidentally, in exactly the same way, I think that while there are a number of people on this forum who have said they will never fly BA again whose statements I am taking with a pinch of salt, there are many other who, are equally reaching a conclusion to break their loyalty with BA as a result of a long matured decision that did not merely start with this week's announcement. I think that they too are making a choice which must be difficult, but in a sense, they "know what they are doing" rather more than BA in the sense that the existing alternatives are relatively clear and known to them.

orbitmic

And I'll add my welcome too, hoping that your lost love for the airline will be fully compatible with a continuous passion for discussing it!

HIDDY

Who cares about the brand? Obviously not the millions who fled to Easyjet and Ryanair.

headingwest

And no doubt a lot more now!

psollitt

Not on cost grounds ... on 'does not punish Exec club members enough ' grounds ..

Flyingturkey

Calm down everyone, this is an incredibly clever strategy to get Gatwick to have a second runway.

Make BA so rubbish that heathrow gets emptier and pushes people to the other airport.
Second runway gets commissioned
Dumps heathrow slots
Buys Gatwick cheap slots
Becomes true LCC

Clever people that Cruz and Walsh

HIDDY

No doubt but that's the general public for you...no doubt BA will be able to attract some back as well.

What put me off the Ryanair brand wasn't the ''we'll take more money from you'' but the now you see it now you don't chopping and changing of schedules and routes from PIK. BA still has that advantage.

PETER01

I've been following this thread with interest as many have on here.

It really is a poor show for BA not to even offer tea, coffee and water but taking the emotion out of the BoB issue will I choose another carrier? Realistically, probably not for longhaul. Will I buy anything onboard EDI-LHR or doing the odd ex-EU? Definitely not.

I say that as a purely leisure traveller and going longhaul I am EDI-LHR-XXX so the connecting is very convenient.

Shorthaul I wouldn't generally go BA now but this was my view before the changes came in and after I took a direct EDI-FAO with Ryanair as I was back in 2 hours 20 mins or so.

I'd probably take a far more critical view if I were a real FF'r and hopping around Europe or domestically regulalry.

psollitt

no, they make both airports LCC bases ..

ringingup

I've received the 1,000 Avios per person per booking via the Social Media team.

By the way, they addressed their email with the reply to the second passenger, rather than me, even mentioning his Silver status... despite the email being sent to my address!

HIDDY

Just confirms my suspicions that all Edinburgers are tight fisted.

I don't recall buying anything on any BoB flight I've been on with the exception of a SAS GLA-ARN return. It was a cup of coffee with a Danish pastry deal. Typical Scandinavian price right enough....around £75.

PETER01

Correct! I remember I dropped 50 pence once and it hit me on the back of the head!

Crampedin13A

AC has had BOB in domestic Y for quite awhile now and quite frankly I can exist in their Y on 4.5->5.5 hour YYZ-YYC or YVR domestic short haul flights just by eating before I get to or by buying something in the airport. I don't mind buying a beer on the plane on a trip that length. If this BOB is a cost saving move it might work but if BA thinks it's going to be a money spinner i think they are going to be mistaken on the relatively short European flights.