ba_cityflyer

Had the print and paper quality of BA’s ‘Business Life’ magazine gone downhill?

I was reading the December issue and it is most noticeable.

It it is akin to those free magazines you get on the tube.

Feels very cheap.

No doubt some BA manager has met their KPI by saving 200g of weight per flight by switching to such cheap-quality paper.

secretplantofightinflation

Well, it is a free magazine on public transport, after all.

LTN Phobia

Do BA even pay for it?

icegirl

They have there own app which is free and you can download each copy to read even when not flying BA

TravellerFrequently

No complaints from me.

SteveF

Recycled paper? More environmentally friendly?

LordBuckethead

It's owned and managed by a wholly external company (Cedar Communications) and therefore if this is true, it's not something influenced by any BA manager, bonus-ridden or not.

LTN Phobia

I had a feel of it today since reading this thread and I couldn't tell any difference from the November one I felt a few days ago (on 30 November to be precise).

I'm sure the print and paper has been like that for quite some time, maybe about 12 months? I think it used to be glossier before that.

Pilot37

Did exactly the same tonight and couldn’t note any difference from my previous read!

Pilot37

ba_cityflyer

Eh?

While it may be outsourced, the suggestion that BA have no influence over its cost or quality or weight seems to be a rather punchy assumption.

HIDDY

And there speaks the forum expert on the subject of paper quality.
LTN Phobia has dazzled us with her posts regarding the varying standard of F toilet paper over the years.

Raffles

It has definitely got worse but it was like that all summer at least.

It is still very good though, potentially the most premium thing in CE :-)

Prospero

The Business Life and Highlife magazines are printed on PEFC Certified sustainable paper. I am puzzled why anyone would find the paper cheap - the print quality is certainly sharp and colour rich. So what exactly is the gripe? Maybe you don't like the content - who knows as this wasn't something you commented on.

Now, admittedly BA has spent a great deal of time and effort during the past 18-24 months cheapening all manners of its product but TBH, if this is intended as a complaint, frankly it is beyond trivial IMHO.

LTN Phobia

Did the paper test again (note, no loo paper was involves - just the Business Life). Still cannot discern any difference from how I remember the last month's edition felt.

I recall the feel of the paper changed quite a few months ago (7-12 months ago??) but it doesn't feel particularly bad to me.

Not that I am fussed since I am not blowing my nose or wiping anything sensitive with it - I merely read it. And despite my failing eyesight I can still read the print totally fine and it looks crisp enough to me (I am rather fussy with fuzziness in print and on screen so I'd have thought I'd notice if it were bad.)

I'll remember to examine the prints with a jeweller's loupe next time. I was a little distracted by my desire to sleep to do that today.

Oh, and IMO the F loo paper (and any other BA loo paper) still has some ways to go before it passes the fussy-git test by me. But not failing to the extent that I'd do BYO loo paper!

LordBuckethead

I highly doubt GSM will be part of any contract, though admittedly I don't know for sure. Like any B2B relationship, there will be toing-and-froing when one side decides to reduce costs and see if anyone notices... before putting it back if and only if they do.