Your BA predictions for 2018
Jan 6, 2018, 6:04 am
#33
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- BA will announce substantial improvements in First, in order to widen the differentiation from Club on the limited number routes which in present circumstances make a true first class product commercially viable.
- FT will be full of whinges about the reduction in the number of routes on which First will in future be available.
Jan 6, 2018, 6:25 am
#34
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,235
Now that BA is leading the race to the bottom it's more a question of what features other airlines will copy in 2018
- North Korean Airlines will declare that it is at all times a sunny afternoon in their country and therefore on all their flights the meal will always be afternoon tea
- Spirit Airlines will charge a $50.00 seat-select fee for business-class seating
- Ryanair will position a busybody at security who will bar your way if your scheduled departure is within 35 minutes (even if your flight is obviously late and you can see there is no aircraft at the gate)
- Dnepropetrovsk airport will require all passengers to walk at least one lap around an extended circular walkway (passing a lot of worthless overpriced shops) before anyone is allowed to head for their flights or the lounge
- Aiming for more spending in the shops in the confusion, Rangoon airport will conceal all gate-numbers of flights until 5 minutes before departure
- North Korean Airlines will declare that it is at all times a sunny afternoon in their country and therefore on all their flights the meal will always be afternoon tea
- Spirit Airlines will charge a $50.00 seat-select fee for business-class seating
- Ryanair will position a busybody at security who will bar your way if your scheduled departure is within 35 minutes (even if your flight is obviously late and you can see there is no aircraft at the gate)
- Dnepropetrovsk airport will require all passengers to walk at least one lap around an extended circular walkway (passing a lot of worthless overpriced shops) before anyone is allowed to head for their flights or the lounge
- Aiming for more spending in the shops in the confusion, Rangoon airport will conceal all gate-numbers of flights until 5 minutes before departure
Jan 6, 2018, 6:46 am
#35
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I fear the turkeys are already wrapped in Tesco's packaging and sitting on the shelves with a big "Special Offer" tag stuck on their BAEC cards. Whether they discuss roasting recipes or not, their fate is very much sealed, whether they be sold for a lot of money in the prime of the season or at the last minute with a fishy smell and a reduced to clear discount attached.
Jan 6, 2018, 6:56 am
#36
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver Seigneur des Horaires des Mucci.
Posts: 2,047
Here is an optimistic set
improved CE catering on shorter routes
wifi roll out accelerated to include all short haul
BOB scrapped but Y can pre book and pay for hot meals
improved CE catering on shorter routes
wifi roll out accelerated to include all short haul
BOB scrapped but Y can pre book and pay for hot meals
Otherwise free soft drinks and light snacks offered
cash Bar
avios redemptions always available but charged at huge premium after intial Availibilty gone
flyertalk sorts out its banner ads which are stopping me write this post
priority boarding finally sorted in line with American Airlines
charge for carry on luggage larger than small day sack
out station lounges to be of a certain standard and guaranteed where business flights flown
Proper meal style lounge food offered where passengers have pre selected to dine pre flight rather than on board
limo service available in F
full 2nd meal on all flights over 5 hrs
3 meals over 10 hrs
all aspects of meal pre bookable
CE to return to 32 pitch
new CW aka CX style
walsh / cruz team changed with a new dynamic
cash Bar
avios redemptions always available but charged at huge premium after intial Availibilty gone
flyertalk sorts out its banner ads which are stopping me write this post
priority boarding finally sorted in line with American Airlines
charge for carry on luggage larger than small day sack
out station lounges to be of a certain standard and guaranteed where business flights flown
Proper meal style lounge food offered where passengers have pre selected to dine pre flight rather than on board
limo service available in F
full 2nd meal on all flights over 5 hrs
3 meals over 10 hrs
all aspects of meal pre bookable
CE to return to 32 pitch
new CW aka CX style
walsh / cruz team changed with a new dynamic
Last edited by allturnleft; Jan 6, 2018 at 7:05 am
Jan 6, 2018, 7:10 am
#37
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It obviously doesn't bother me what changes they make to the BAEC however it does make sense to reward those who actually spend money flying with BA the most so I welcome any changes in that direction.
As for this forum.....let's hope the mood lightens over the coming year.
As for this forum.....let's hope the mood lightens over the coming year.
Jan 6, 2018, 7:11 am
#38
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
The turkeys are in fact ...
... already wrapped in Tesco's packaging and sitting on the shelves with a big "Special Offer" tag stuck on their BAEC cards. Whether they discuss roasting recipes or not, their fate is very much sealed, whether they be sold for a lot of money in the prime of the season or at the last minute with a fishy smell and a reduced to clear discount attached.
If BA has finally embraced all the elements of a LCC, then what? Why should this turkey fly BA if FR/U2 will be more comfortable while being cheaper than BA?
Jan 6, 2018, 7:18 am
#39
Join Date: Jan 2015
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I would imagine, hope, this is a hold-steady year and they focus on reviewing and refining the existing changes. There is a lot of general global uncertainty as well as the idiosyncratic risk from Brexit. BoB is definitely here to stay but perhaps a new supplier or technology is at least being negotiated. That is an absolute sine qua non before they would even contemplate status based offerings. Quite frankly, with all the negative press (see how the group boarding was reported in the press) they may not want to present special treatment for elite flyers, who are still in the public mind bankers on expenses rather than the diversity we have here. We got a lot of interesting North American routes already and I think that will continue to be the focus for LH expansion: out east there is too much competition that people like better. I know AA's star has risen here in the J cabin but for many flyers you are still flying from Heathrow on a 77W in 3-4-3 with flight attendants who are certainly no better than BA and I would contend generally worse on average.
I think having a mainline/LCC branding split is inevitable in the long run but not this year. The BA name is in the mud, not just here or the press
For BAEC my guess is that revenue based earnings are 2019 at the earliest. They clearly see it as one of their strengths because the main reward for the IT meltdown was a two year extension. My guess is they leave it mostly alone until at least BoB is working.
I think having a mainline/LCC branding split is inevitable in the long run but not this year. The BA name is in the mud, not just here or the press
For BAEC my guess is that revenue based earnings are 2019 at the earliest. They clearly see it as one of their strengths because the main reward for the IT meltdown was a two year extension. My guess is they leave it mostly alone until at least BoB is working.
Jan 6, 2018, 7:35 am
#40
Join Date: Dec 2016
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I think it'll be a hold-steady year too, for what it's worth, but from my perspective the BAEC is relatively generous and you can see that being something that will be looked at. I was actually surprised to find that as a silver I could choose seats on a HBO fare, for example, it seems incongruous. The thrust of the strategy if there is LCC and premium in the same flight should be to maximise the benefit of the higher pricing, whereas on a Ł55 return to Bordeaux and a tenner for a bacon roll and coffee, and an exit row seat I'll have an experience comparable or better than someone in row 2 paying Ł200 or more. That's not really sustainable.
In some respects, having a relatively easy qualification for status is good for BA because it does keep the turkeys onboard. That said, the cost to BA is really going to be in terms of lounge access, and we can see they're already looking at that in terms of removing direct overhead from the process (as in Toronto) so it becomes a per-passenger-visit charge to a third party provider in many cases. That means that they are positioning themselves to be able to reduce either the number of passengers or the charge per passenger or both. My money is on a more difficult process for qualifying for status, which is one of my reasons for going for GGL now. I don't think it'll be possible in a couple of years.
In some respects, having a relatively easy qualification for status is good for BA because it does keep the turkeys onboard. That said, the cost to BA is really going to be in terms of lounge access, and we can see they're already looking at that in terms of removing direct overhead from the process (as in Toronto) so it becomes a per-passenger-visit charge to a third party provider in many cases. That means that they are positioning themselves to be able to reduce either the number of passengers or the charge per passenger or both. My money is on a more difficult process for qualifying for status, which is one of my reasons for going for GGL now. I don't think it'll be possible in a couple of years.
Last edited by bisonrav; Jan 6, 2018 at 7:40 am
Jan 6, 2018, 7:52 am
#41
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Full BoB on all LH economy flights.
Cruz offered the pearl-handled revolver and a glass of whisky after yet another PR disaster and a nosedive in the NPS.
BAEC to go to revenue-based earning.
Skytrax rating cut to 3*.
V10 will not be taking a BA flight.
Cruz offered the pearl-handled revolver and a glass of whisky after yet another PR disaster and a nosedive in the NPS.
BAEC to go to revenue-based earning.
Skytrax rating cut to 3*.
V10 will not be taking a BA flight.
Jan 6, 2018, 8:35 am
#42
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 4,477
1, OAK flight cut as BA can not compete with DY;
2, Yet FLL flight will be kept as BA found the new market up beating. However, one of the MIA flight will be cut to make it 9-10 weekly A380 destination while FLL move to daily or more.
3, BA will exit DUB-LHR market and let EI takes over and firm on LCY-DUB market
4, IAG make a bid for Finnair together with Qatar and JAL;
5, BA may pick some former CX B777-300ER comes out off lease from March;
6, More codeshare with China Southern;
7, BA pilots strike for a better pay deal;
8, BKK, Seoul and KUL will be downgraded to B787-8 while TYO flights will be B787-9;
9, PVG flight will be cut back to daily;
10, Sun Air may cut ties with BA;
11, Alex Cruz to leave BA and new CEO takes over with plan to introduce a truly amazing CW seats and a proper business class seating in Club Europe (yes this is a fantasy. But if it does happen do remember I told you first)...
2, Yet FLL flight will be kept as BA found the new market up beating. However, one of the MIA flight will be cut to make it 9-10 weekly A380 destination while FLL move to daily or more.
3, BA will exit DUB-LHR market and let EI takes over and firm on LCY-DUB market
4, IAG make a bid for Finnair together with Qatar and JAL;
5, BA may pick some former CX B777-300ER comes out off lease from March;
6, More codeshare with China Southern;
7, BA pilots strike for a better pay deal;
8, BKK, Seoul and KUL will be downgraded to B787-8 while TYO flights will be B787-9;
9, PVG flight will be cut back to daily;
10, Sun Air may cut ties with BA;
11, Alex Cruz to leave BA and new CEO takes over with plan to introduce a truly amazing CW seats and a proper business class seating in Club Europe (yes this is a fantasy. But if it does happen do remember I told you first)...
Jan 6, 2018, 8:41 am
#44
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Jan 6, 2018, 8:44 am
#45
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1. Level routes announced from LGW, probably initially through taking over existing lower yielding BA routes such as LGW-OAK and LGW-JFK; on the plus side, BoB is not yet extended to BA long-haul as a result
2. BAEC undergoes an effective devaluation through the guise of 'dynamic pricing'
3. LHR 777 fleet begins densification
4. New CW is revealed to be an underwhelming existing product with some suitably vague comments about refitting dates for the existing fleet (which probably ultimately doesn't happen)
5. BA CW new catering further roll-out is delayed, then scaled back from the original LHR-JFK format
6. Further closures of pre-flight dining facilities in the US and continued outsourcing of remaining BA staff outside of UK
7. Continued PR initiatives to try to improve BA's customer perception (more free Avios giveaways and ideas like the extra LHR family lounge guesting over Christmas)
2. BAEC undergoes an effective devaluation through the guise of 'dynamic pricing'
3. LHR 777 fleet begins densification
4. New CW is revealed to be an underwhelming existing product with some suitably vague comments about refitting dates for the existing fleet (which probably ultimately doesn't happen)
5. BA CW new catering further roll-out is delayed, then scaled back from the original LHR-JFK format
6. Further closures of pre-flight dining facilities in the US and continued outsourcing of remaining BA staff outside of UK
7. Continued PR initiatives to try to improve BA's customer perception (more free Avios giveaways and ideas like the extra LHR family lounge guesting over Christmas)
My main addition to the above would be a gradual contraction of the total number of routes on which F cabins are offered, and possibly concurrent with an overhaul of the F product where it is retained.
Whilst the thread refers to 2018, I think that a fair number of the predictions covered in various posts could very likely come to pass but over a longer period of time.