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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:03 am
  #331  
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Originally Posted by Dan72
People choose on price, reliability and timetabling. There is no business incentive to BA to provide more for SH Y passengers.
Some people do, no doubt; others are happy to pay for a bit more as they find the U2/FR experience unpleasant, but not so much that they would pay for J.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:16 am
  #332  
 
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Originally Posted by Calchas
Some people do, no doubt; others are happy to pay for a bit more as they find the U2/FR experience unpleasant, but not so much that they would pay for J.
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.

More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:16 am
  #333  
 
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Originally Posted by Dan72
How do you know BA will be more expensive? The changes being made are so that BA can compete with Easyjet. Let's not get too precious about air travel, most passengers don't and just see it as another form of public transport. People choose on price, reliability and timetabling. There is no business incentive to BA to provide more for SH Y passengers.
So BA will have shed their massive pension deficit, their legacy costs, their ageing fleet, their high staff costs etc? Does anyone think that BA will get near to EasyJet in terms of costs? If so then carry on.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:20 am
  #334  
 
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Originally Posted by srbrenna
So BA will have shed their massive pension deficit, their legacy costs, their ageing fleet, their high staff costs etc? Does anyone think that BA will get near to EasyJet in terms of costs? If so then carry on.
So are you saying they should keep their costs high?
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:22 am
  #335  
 
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Originally Posted by Dan72
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.

More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
But as this is the BA board the question is being asked - Does BA have enough pax willing to pay more for a few frills and to travel from LHR/LGW. The consensus (on here at least) is that it does. With that in mind why are they stripping out these frills? It isn't to lower ticket prices (and therefore appeal to these price conscious people).

Last edited by srbrenna; Jul 27, 2017 at 3:49 pm
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:23 am
  #336  
 
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Originally Posted by Dan72
So are you saying they should keep their costs high?
No - that they won't come close to competing with EasyJet or Ryanair on costs so they will have to leverage their premium brand to attract pax. Er, wait....

Last edited by srbrenna; Jul 29, 2017 at 1:38 am
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:30 am
  #337  
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Originally Posted by Dan72
So are you saying they should keep their costs high?
It's not a matter of should—it's that some of those costs cannot be easily removed.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:33 am
  #338  
 
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Originally Posted by srbrenna
But as this is the BA board the question is being asked - Does BA have enough pax willing to pay more for a few frills and to travel from LHR/LGW. The consensus (on here at least) is that it does. With that in mind why are they stripping out these frills? It isn't to lower ticket prices (and therefore appeal to these price conscious people.
But this is a very different group, that are far from representative of regular BA pasengers and my guess a group not large enough to justify BA swimming against the direction the airline market is going, particularly in the economy sector.

You have people on these boards travelling more than twice the distance (LHR-CAI via DOH), people flying to TLL/HNL several times to get Gold, taking pictutes of menus, spending time speculating on events on their flights that few others would notice. I get that people do that because they enjoy it, but there is little evidence that the majority of travellers get worked up on these details or the provision of a free drink.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:43 am
  #339  
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Originally Posted by Dan72
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.

More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
How is it? I'm genuinely interested. Discounting status because most people don't have it and this discussion is about what purchase decisions of the great masses.

As far as I can tell there is no discernible difference, except BA on average cost more. (note I said on average, that is true, of course there will be many anecdotal experiences when they don't.). Easyjet or Ryanair also offer a wider choice of BOB, which is by all accounts delivered more smoothly. They fly to more destinations from more airports in the UK. BA offer no more legroom and people seem to find easyjet more roomy due to the slimmer seats (which BA has ordered).

Which part of a regular SH Y experience is better that justifies paying more for BA?
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:47 am
  #340  
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Originally Posted by Dan72
Of course, it's not binary. But it's clear from the shape of the industry, that the vast majority of people don't choose on inflight service and instead choose on price. I expect that more people would prioritise wifi availability over inflight refreshments and it will be interesting to see what happens when BA roll out its wifi.

More generally, SH Y is still better than U2/FR, particularly if you have status with BA.
I'd also ask, if your first point is true, why do BAs legacy competitors all continue to offer free drinks/snacks/meals on SH and better quality/quantity of meals on LH?

I think once people have experienced arriving dead hungry off a trans-atlantic with BAs now frankly embarrassing second meal service, and then rush to connect to another flight with nothing offered, for these flights many will pay a bit extra. Logistically its not easy to carry meals in your rucksack that you'll still be able to safely eat in 14 hours.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 11:58 am
  #341  
 
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Looks like Virgin Atlantic have been reading this thread , or maybe #ABBA has already been trending and I'm coming late to the party ?

50 quid off a Virgin Atlantic flight anyone ?

http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/07/27/virgin-atlantics-anyone-but-british-airways-discount/
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 12:14 pm
  #342  
 
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Originally Posted by nallison
I'd also ask, if your first point is true, why do BAs legacy competitors all continue to offer free drinks/snacks/meals on SH and better quality/quantity of meals on LH?

I think once people have experienced arriving dead hungry off a trans-atlantic with BAs now frankly embarrassing second meal service, and then rush to connect to another flight with nothing offered, for these flights many will pay a bit extra. Logistically its not easy to carry meals in your rucksack that you'll still be able to safely eat in 14 hours.
Many of its legacy competitors offer little on SH: FI, SK, LO and the oher IAG carriers IB and EI. But you're right LH and AF still do, although LH did hand a lot of its business to its no frills EW subsidiary.

My guess is that either it will have limited impact on BA in which case AF and LH will follow BA's lead or the move will see a loss of passengers and BA will reinstate something.

On longhaul, with increasingly aggressive competition (Norwegian etc), I don't see that this cost reducing behaviour to end.
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 12:32 pm
  #343  
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Originally Posted by srbrenna
But as this is the BA board the question is being asked - Does BA have enough pax willing to pay more for a few frills and to travel from LHR/LGW. The consensus (on here at least) is that it does. With that in mind why are they stripping out these frills? It isn't to lower ticket prices (and therefore appeal to these price conscious people.
Perhaps I'm stupid some of the time. I'm sure I'm not alone
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 12:39 pm
  #344  
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Originally Posted by Ancient Observer
...You need a different brand. Why not launch one. I believe the brand "Go" is available....
It isn't. Operates in India www.GoAir.in
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Old Jul 27, 2017, 1:04 pm
  #345  
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Originally Posted by stevie

Also this Sunday Times article is making waves, three people have mentioned it to me that hardly fly!
And Virgin's ads are bringing the debate to a wider audience....

IAG results tomorrow - will be interesting to see what management - and shareholders - make of it....
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