contrails7

Just want to respectfully point out that Fever-Tree have 38% of the UK off trade market as per their last trading update, having come from 0% only a few years ago and all despite being materially more expensive than the regular Schweppes brand. Taste is of course subjective, you can argue about the dastardly power of marketing but this is hardly a niche brand that Joe Public is either unaware of and more importantly considers interchangeable. If they did then Fever Tree wouldn't have the market share that they do. Two additional thoughts:
1. As a previous poster pointed out, Fever Tree are a great British success story. In the same way that BA is now pushing British bubbly / craft beer, BA should be playing up its association with other leading British brands. Fever Tree is one of those. This should be an easy win win for both sides
2. Yes. In and of itself the cut is unlikely to change the purchasing behaviour of the majority of its customers. But as has so often been discussed there are tipping points and I think it's just one more example of death by a thousand cuts. It's the bean counter attitude of, what's the fuss, it's just a tonic. It's just a champagne. That's fine but then good luck defending premium pricing with that attitude. By serving Schweppes BA are effectively saying they are Schweppes and have no chance of being a Fever Tree. They are giving up on chasing a price premium and repositioning as the cheap and cheerful alternative. To those of us who remember the glory days of the "world's favourite airline" when BA still had aspirations to lead the industry with an appropriate price premium I guess it's that change in status, with the constant reduction in the quality of the soft product, which is so jarring. Most will welcome the lower prices of getting A to B. I mean at the end of the day we're just talking about tonic. Or are we?

aristoph

Maybe Fever Tree didn't want to be associated with the shoddy BA brand?

TTmex

Thanks a lot for the post. Interesting points and thanks for sharing the research. Indeed Fever Tree have gone well and I salute them for that, but the corporate world is driven by profit and value. The tonic thing could tenuiously be associated with other cuts, but I think it's like comparing apples and pears in this case. BA is a commercial business and providing a tonic for which they have been offered a much better price, which is still a household brand, is not exactly the same as shovelling 10 across in the 777 instead of 9 (which seems to have worked out fine for them as well).

As for the glory days, well, I'm not sure what exactly they were. I look back at photos of airline seats in those days and thank god I fly now, not then. Smoke filled cabins, cradle seats at best. I'd take my travel today over anything I experienced 20 something years ago (except for WT on the 787). For me, the "world's favorite airline" was merely a slogan.

On a very personal level, I've become personally adverse to pining for the past. I keep getting told by politicians in every country I find myself in that things were better in the good old days. That's not a criticism of the point you made, just a difference of view I have when it comes to comparing things now to things 20-30 years ago.

Anyway, I'm off for a G&T. No choice but Schweppes here in Mexico.

Have a great evening.
BW

plunet

Speaking to someone who knows someone working in BA and apparently HQ have already been surprised by the volume of feedback received about this change and it's apparently definitely on management radar. More feedback could be helpful if you wish to see Fever Tree back on board.

aristoph

How on earth can BRITISH Airways management have been unaware that middle-class Britain has a love affair with G&T and that Fever Tree is now the tipple of choice? I was recently in a bar and asked which tonic I wanted; I replied Fever Tree and the barman looked at me disdainfully and said "They're ALL Fever Tree" LOL.

Hannibal Lecter

Iberia has also changed tonic, at least in the lounges, now they have Coca Cola's Royal Bliss https://www.cocacola.es/royalbliss/es/home/

TTmex

Just found this today in the shop. Will report back

darthlemsip

It’s a shame - not just that it’s Fever Tree disappearing - but there are better, cheaper options out there than Schweppes

Look at Nordic for your tonic.

I’m a whisky man at heart, but Fever Tree were completely correct with their advert about having the best when two thirds of your drink is tonic.

HIDDY

I've only seen Schweppes here and pretty expensive it is too. However a bottle of Gordons Gin was selling for £4 last week in the supermarket. G&T tends to give me heartburn so I avoid it nowadays.

TTmex

You won't ever find it that cheap in the UK.

I was gobsmacked at the quality of wine in Argentina when I was there 12 months ago. I know they export a lot of Malbec, but also found bonarda and some other treats for only a few quid a bottle. First time I've had BBQ chicken for Xmas

mlafqtv

I'm with the barman It's Schweppes Tonic Water or no G&T for me. But then again it depends from whence the Schweppes hails. Just like other popular fizzy drinks the flavour is adjusted to suit certain markets. So, from my selfish point of view BA have come up trumps with the goods, especially as Campari appears to be M.I.A. (but then that's another thread)!!!

R.O.

I find Tanqueray works best with Thomas Henry, which is a relatively strong and sugary tonic. That's because Tanqueray is relatively alcoholic (the London Dry I get here has 47.3%; but I am aware they sell it with 43.1% ABV in the UK home market). It also doesn't have strong botanicals. So that's why I like TH as a mixer.

I actually find Fever Tree to be less dominant in taste than the regular Schweppes. But obv, it varies by Tonic. For instance, Schweppes Dry Tonic is much more unobtrusive in taste than the regular Schweppes so I sometimes combine it with more flavorful gins.

Is it? Fentiman's has some very fine tonics as well. But it seems Fever Tree has pushed much more strongly on the marketing front for several years now.

contrails7

Thanks BW. I couldn't agree more with you that in the hierarchy of cuts Fever Tree is definitely on the milder end of the scale and is as nothing compared to, say, densification in WT. I guess what irks me is that it is still a cut. Basically BA want to nickel and dime me [10p?] on a can of tonic. Translate that to a full CE cabin and we are talking a few pounds a flight. Now I know that pennies and pounds add up. But this cannot be a massive saving in the scheme of things. And yet one which is highly visible and annoying to those of us who like Fever Tree. Being an "affordable everyday luxury" Fever Tree is a relatively low cost way for BA to keep an element of 'premium' in its premium cabins. So the marketing department [or whatever is] should be fighting the beancounters tooth and nail on a change like this. The fact they are not or maybe did and lost smacks of a management that is prioritising cost cutting too much over passenger experience. And only an airline run by cost cutters could express surprise that passengers might be displeased at the change. How about engaging with them to find out?

And I hear you re. the old days. The old airline industry for better and worse no longer exists. I guess I was alluding more to an ethos in BA in the late 80s, 90s and early 2000s when it felt like they were trying to lead the conversation / industry innovation with things like the first flat beds in FIRST and CW. The wine and bubbly were top notch. I remember when T5 opened there was Bollinger La Grande on free pour in Galleries First. I agree with you that time doesn't stand still. And obviously lower airfares and safer aircraft are not unwelcome. It just feels like the competition has caught up in so many areas and sometimes BA (and I humbly submit this change is an example) can be their own worst enemy

Mutu

Anecdotally schweppes seems to be the choice of many more pubs across London again now with Fevertree available (last night the fevertree was £5.75 in marylebone so a G&T came to a cool £12.50 with a cheap gin)
Schweppes are clearly aggressively fighting back

skiaplg

I saw Fever Tree at La Europea in QRO about two years ago, not sure if they still stock it.

Definitely disappointing that BA is switching to Schweppes 1783. I find especially their Light tonic to be far too strong on the Grapefruit. I know a lot of people who specify Fever Tree when they want a G&T as it is so widely available now, so it'll definitely be a negative. In the grand scheme of things, not the worst enhancement there has been though.