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100 years old next year?!
As exciting as new uniforms are [and I do think they are] the real bit of news snuck into this HFP piece was that BA is apparently 100 years old next year!! I read this forum semi regularly and like to think I'm a little more informed about the airline than most laypeople. How did this nugget escape me? And what pray tell celebrations do you think are in store? Apologies if this has already been covered, I did say semi-regularly on the reading front.
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To be fair it's been mentioned in quite a few comments within threads... but it's not had it's own thread. So this could be the start ! Although it's dubious that "British Airways" is 100 years old !
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Originally Posted by NoTiersForMe
(Post 30256129)
How did this nugget escape me?
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1919231-time-ba-flypast.html https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/about-ba/history-and-heritage/explore-our-past/1910-1919 (I'm not sure what we were doing sending grouse to Paris, but that's another matter). |
One Hundred Years ... of assorted British airlines post-WW1 that morphed and merged over the decades to eventually become BA.
BA was created in 1974 after a British Airways Board was established by the British government to manage the two nationalised airline corporations, British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways, and two regional airlines, Cambrian Airways from Cardiff, and Northeast Airlines from Newcastle upon Tyne. On 31 March 1974, all four companies were merged to form British Airways. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways |
Originally Posted by mikeyfly
(Post 30256136)
To be fair it's been mentioned in quite a few comments within threads... but it's not had it's own thread. So this could be the start ! Although it's dubious that "British Airways" is 100 years old !
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Originally Posted by NoTiersForMe
(Post 30256401)
.................Will be interesting how origins are glossed in any marketing in order to comply with advertising standards!
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Well they just 'celebrated' 80 years in Hong Kong by axing a load of staff and closing the cabin crew base there.
So, might be interesting times ahead.... |
I call “Fake News” ;)
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Certainly not BA as such. How many of us remember flying on BOAC and BEA before it became BA in 1974?
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Hopefully they’ll celebrate by getting a new J product on the market (as has been promised several times already). |
I'm a believer: I had a hundred year old meal in coach a couple of weeks ago. And, my luggage followed by biplane.
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As far as the airline is concerned, it is celebrating its centenary next year and has been exploring "novel" ways to celebrate this milestone for months. I have no idea where they are in the process now but if the powers that be stay true to form I imagine that they will take the cheapest option as opposed to the one that may engender the most good will (e.g. genuinely cheap flights at a promotional price).
Bob |
Sorry for the misunderstanding - upon initial reading of the title I thought this thread was going to be about (FT handle withheld on legal advice) one of our regular posters. ;) |
Originally Posted by dwugson
(Post 30258570)
Certainly not BA as such. How many of us remember flying on BOAC and BEA before it became BA in 1974?
I used to go to check in, get my boarding pass and wander to the gate, no checked baggage, no olci and no security. Walk across the apron and up the steps. As a youngster I always remember the BEA crew fussing over me. Now I'm old and knackered the BA crew do the same^ |
I think the practice of saying your company is as old as the oldest part that makes today’s entity is pretty well established and therefore OK to say BA is 100 next year. Now, how about celebrating with some £100 CE return fares and maybe some £100 WT as well? |
'Sadly' never flew BOAC or BEA. My flight records go back to 1963, but my first BA wasn't until 1988, in CW on BA9, BKK-SYD. Next was in 1995, LHR-IAD ... got a bit busier on BA after that.
Missed out on Imperial Airways as well :( |
Originally Posted by T8191
(Post 30259703)
'Sadly' never flew BOAC or BEA. My flight records go back to 1963, but my first BA wasn't until 1988 ......................................
.................... My second-ever longhaul flight was down the back of a BOAC VC10, which took me from JFK to MAN in 1972. I remember feeling proudly British on climbing the steps to board an aircraft, designed & built by British engineers, in that (understated-though-impressive) BOAC livery. The VC10’s were remarkably fast for their day. In fact I was once told by a retired Captain that (in terms of commercial /passenger aircraft) only Concorde has crossed the Atlantic in less time than a VC10. |
Originally Posted by subject2load
(Post 30259728)
It’s a pity (and a little surprising .... ?) that you somehow managed to garner no experience at all of BOAC or BEA in those 25 years of flying.
* KS = The defunct Saturn Airways, 1963, DC-6, on a 6-sector hop from IDL to LWS. :cool: https://ba97.com/diary.asp |
Originally Posted by T8191
(Post 30259703)
'Sadly' never flew BOAC or BEA. My flight records go back to 1963, but my first BA wasn't until 1988, in CW on BA9, BKK-SYD. Next was in 1995, LHR-IAD ... got a bit busier on BA after that.
Missed out on Imperial Airways as well :( |
Originally Posted by rapidex
(Post 30259741)
I'm surprised. I thought you lived next door to Pontious in the old days:D
But I used to collect airframe registrations from the roof of Queen's Building at LHR in the late 50s ... loads of BEA Viscounts there, of course. |
I've no idea how many BEA/BA branded flights I've had over the years but I have the feeling I've flown more with the former.
At least they're still around. ^ |
Originally Posted by T8191
(Post 30259745)
No, Alan Whicker actually!!
But I used to collect airframe registrations from the roof of Queen's Building at LHR in the late 50s ... loads of BEA Viscounts there, of course. |
The history is interesting.The original airlines merged in 1924 to form Imperial Airways which merged with the original British Airways to form BOAC in 1940.
BEA was split off from BOAC in 1946 and then merged again in 1974. In the early years of BOAC,management from British Airways seemed to be in charge and aircraft had British Airways titles for a while. Then with a change at the top BOAC appeared again. The wartime history when BOAC was operating from bases as far apart as Montreal,Baltimore,Durban and Cairo is not widely known. |
Not forgetting the WW2 BOAC Mosquitos operating to Sweden ...
Between 1943 and the end of the war, Mosquitos were used as transport aircraft on a regular route over the North Sea between Leuchars in Scotland and Stockholm, in neutral Sweden. Earlier, Lockheed Hudsons and Lodestars were used but these slower aircraft could only fly this route at night or in bad weather to avoid the risk of being shot down. During the long daylight hours of the Northern summer, the Mosquito was the safer alternative. To ensure that the flights did not violate Sweden's neutrality, the aircraft carried civilian markings and were operated by crews who were nominally "civilian employees" of British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). They carried small, high value cargoes such as precision ball bearings and machine-tool steel, as well as Diplomatic Bags. Important passengers were also carried in an improvised "cabin" in the bomb bay. |
Originally Posted by Trident 3B
(Post 30260113)
I have fond memories of doing the same thing allbeit a few years later in the late 60's
I flew BOAC numerous times, but never BEA. First BOAC flight was in September 1969 LHR JFK NAS (VC10), with numerous LHR BDA NAS and vv flights (boarding school trips) in early/mid 70s (707s). |
Originally Posted by corporate-wage-slave
(Post 30256184)
I'm afraid I can only prescribe a course of further Flyertalk. Here is another thread, and my reckoning on how the date was established. I can only agree with mikeyfly that it is a bit tenuous, however at least the inaugural flight did take off not too far from 27L.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1919231-time-ba-flypast.html https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/about-ba/history-and-heritage/explore-our-past/1910-1919 (I'm not sure what we were doing sending grouse to Paris, but that's another matter). |
Originally Posted by RobDBA
(Post 30259702)
I think the practice of saying your company is as old as the oldest part that makes today’s entity is pretty well established and therefore OK to say BA is 100 next year. Now, how about celebrating with some £100 CE return fares and maybe some £100 WT as well? |
The first commercial air flight was in 1914, St Petersburg-Tampa airboat line in the US. BOAC was founded in 1939 and commenced operations in 1940. Please correct me if I am wrong, thank you. |
Originally Posted by RobDBA
(Post 30259702)
I think the practice of saying your company is as old as the oldest part that makes today’s entity is pretty well established and therefore OK to say BA is 100 next year. Now, how about celebrating with some £100 CE return fares and maybe some £100 WT as well? |
Originally Posted by Mutu
(Post 30261575)
And this makes sense to me BUT if it's not correct then I assume my wife on marrying me and changing her name to.mine started at year 0 again making her 17 now. hmmm might catch on
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Originally Posted by rossmacd
(Post 30258679)
Hopefully they’ll celebrate by getting a new J product on the market (as has been promised several times already). |
Originally Posted by binman
(Post 30262652)
to be fair they probably will have next year. It’s just that it’ll take another 100 years to fully roll out meanwhile Qatar will be Q spa capsules or some other wonder product. Even AA will have moved on https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/brit...rld-guide.html |
Originally Posted by dwugson
(Post 30258570)
Certainly not BA as such. How many of us remember flying on BOAC and BEA before it became BA in 1974?
BEA was the airline to avoid at all costs due to the awful service, something to do with jobs for life I think (remember those ?). The FF rule in the winter was any other airline out, BEA back for the ILS introduced on the Trident. |
How many other TATLs here in a gasoline burning propellor aircraft.
If you want uncomfortable, try flying at lower altitudes (slowly) and subject to the vagaries of weather. 2,000miles of that, in military seating in a DC-6, puts the modern stuff in perspective! |
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