APUBleed

simons1

Paying the Skytrax wedge?

capin

Mike Street retired in 2005, Rod Eddington left the airline and Wee Willie took over.

I remember Rod's retirement presentation in Waterside, The place was packed, He was an extremely popular and charismatic leader.

Willie, He's pretty much universally despised within the airline.

Globaliser

How the world has changed.

HIDDY

Countries prepared to fund their loss making airlines?

fransknorge

Which airlines of the top 10 2017 are funded by their countries, HIDDY ?
For memory, the top 10 is QR SQ NH EK CX BR LH EY HU

Dover2Golf

SQ certainly aren't and haven't been for 10+ years. LH are subject to the same EU rules as every other EU airline and therefore receive no state funding.

Does anyone though take Skytrax ratings seriously?

Few would argue that SQ are at the top in terms of service but LH in the sane category? I think not. LH offer a dependable and solid product but it's nothing like SQ, ever.

frandrake

Skytrax is frankly a joke.

EVA AIR top 10? LH top 10? Hainan airlines top 10?

come on...

icegirl

What was so special about Rod that made him so popular other than being charismatic and what did he do for the airline during his tenure that made him so special?

UKtravelbear

Not since the ASA ruling. And not since two friends had reviews rejected (because they weren't independent!) and another had theirs edited to make it less positive.

This organisation seems to have airlines, passengers and journalists in its thrall for some reason. Any airline or journalist who uses it to pray in aid is less credible in my opinion.

Sixth Freedom

I started flying BA as an adult in 2006 - in all honesty I don't think they are materially any better or worse than they were back then.

simons1

Of course they haven't really changed since then, for example despite some tweaks CW is pretty much the same as in 2006.

The difference is that what was market leading 10 years ago has now been overtaken by other operators now looks a bit dated.

Betteronacamel

In 2006 BA pretty much had a common product across the whole long haul fleet - a flat bed. Most of its peers (think most of the larger airlines) had sloped seats or some form of horrible coffin with no window view. BA also had good lounges whereas many competitors were not so good. BA also pretty much had a lead with Premium Economy - I think only VS had meaningful competition there. In the back I think BA was OK - I mean I can remember going into Y on Lufthansa and they were watching films on screens dropped down from the ceiling.

Since then the ME3 have really come storming along but just look at what AA have/are doing as an example. In 2006 wild horses wouldn't have got me on AA TATL but now they are arguably better than BA and getting better lounges too. BA have only just woken up on the soft product, but their winning hard product of 2006 is now back of the field. I think the hammer, some of it justified, that BA have got in the press have turned people off BA - general perception used to be that people might pay a bit more to fly BA, but with all the talk of cost cutting, dated and dirty aircraft, densification, IT meltdowns, BOB, I think people shrug their shoulders and fly Norwegian or anyone else to save a few quid.

I hate to say this, but I don't think introducing MF really helps the perception either. Time and again in surveys, one of BA's strengths was its crews. Yet they went about sabotaging this strength - and please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the individuals. It's not their fault, but it does rather come across as another example of a cheapening of the overall product.

Just my 2 cents (and yes, I do get that BA is profitable)

simons1

This is the nub of it really. In 2006 I was doing JNB every month and BA was the 'must have' seat. Even getting from JNB to Cairo I would route via a long layover at LHR T4.

These days when LH premium cabins are involved I just cross BA off the list of options from our travel people.

WorldLux

It's interesting that Skytrax is still taken seriously. The justification to give LH five stars (i.e. "They'll introduce a great business product X years from now) should suffice to discredit Skytrax altogether.