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"The only airline that understand is BA"

Rewatching Peep Show recently and was reminded of this exchange from Season 3, Episode 4:

Big Suze: It's just my sister's just come off a moped in Zakynthos, and she might have to have a pin in her leg. And she flew budget, so it'll be a nightmare coming through security. The only airline that really understands is BA.
Mark: Oh, yeah. I know. They're great, aren't they?

It's a funny exchange, but (forgive me as an American), what's the joke here? Is it just pure irony, like me (obviously lying) stating that AA is so wonderful? Or are they saying that Brits are so endeared to BA that they're blind to BA's foibles? Or something else I'm missing? :)

Stating that AA is wonderful would not be ironic , though might be sarcastic

It's just a tv show - it means whatever the writers wanted it to mean

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Noble (Post 31887448)

Stating that AA is wonderful would not be ironic , though might be sarcastic

It's just a tv show - it means whatever the writers wanted it to mean

And do you have any insight as to what that might be as it seems that the OP (and I) aren’t really sure?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Noble (Post 31887448)

Stating that AA is wonderful would not be ironic , though might be sarcastic

It's just a tv show - it means whatever the writers wanted it to mean

Irony is when the contextual definition is opposite the literal definition. There's a lot of overlap between the two. Because I'm stating an objective fact, and not deriding an individual, I call it irony.

How I read it; Thr character ‘Suzie’ is portrayed (not that well in my opinion) as a snob, so the initial comment about her sister flying budget but in BA understands is her being a snob whereas Mark/‘ reply is actually just him trying to agree with her as he wants sex and I suspect if she had said - I never fly BA as QR gives me Dine on Demand which 100% of customers
like, he would have agreed with that too 😂

It’s probably the doctor who’ll have the intelligence to provide a letter for security at the airport, not any airline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardwft (Post 31887525)

It’s probably the doctor who’ll have the intelligence to provide a letter for security at the airport, not any airline.

what? now i'm really confused.

Quote:

Originally Posted by richardwft (Post 31887525)

It’s probably the doctor who’ll have the intelligence to provide a letter for security at the airport, not any airline.

While that may be technically correct, it doesn't really explain the joke. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhDoctor (Post 31887969)

While that may be technically correct, it doesn't really explain the joke. :)

Assuming there was a joke ...

When I hear things like that on television I just assume it's advertising

That episode is probably over 10 years old. It's more of a dig at LCC. Before BA became a LCC.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DYKWIA (Post 31888100)

That episode is probably over 10 years old. It's more of a dig at LCC. Before BA became a LCC.

It certainly is - 2005 I think. As you say, the aviation world was very different at that point, for both legacy and LCC airlines.

FR’s reputation at the time was pretty much in the gutter. BA was still handing out Avios for service issues with near reckless abandon.

To fit the line now would probably involve something like “Only BA flying into London City with decent legroom and free catering”. Not quite as snappy or impactful.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWIFlyer (Post 31888173)

Whilst I have no doubt that BA was different 14 years ago, this was well into the time when BA was trying to compete against LCC, they had already launched GO and had it brought out by U2 3 years earlier. Wizz air has been launched the year before and FR reputation was in the gutter (where it remains in my opinion) but complaints against the airline were down a 5th (a realisation that non-existent customer service that it had offered in the late 90s and even boasted about on BBC Watchdog had to change), whilst the number of cancelled flights by LCC was being highlighted (before EC261/04 came into force).

Yes of course it was pre-BOB, but catering had already started to be slashed ok short-haul in. a bid to start competing against the LCCs. On LH, BA introduced sleeper services from North America and the Middle East. BA also opened a champagne bar in the F lounge at LHR T1 and increased functionality on BA.com to allow pax to check in for flights and perform simple changes to their bookings.

BA pax numbers has grown by 3.5%, BA celebrated 65 years of operating from Birmingham and it had sold its stake in QF, had won best airline, best first class, best business class, best economy class, best longhaul airline, best shorthaul airline and best frequent flyer programme at the business traveller awards where OW alliance won the best airline alliance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by navylad (Post 31888333)

Whilst I have no doubt that BA was different 14 years ago, this was well into the time when BA was trying to compete against LCC, they had already launched GO and had it brought out by U2 3 years earlier. Wizz air has been launched the year before and FR reputation was in the gutter (where it remains in my opinion) but complaints against the airline were down a 5th (a realisation that non-existent customer service that it had offered in the late 90s and evening boasted about on BBC Watchdog had to change), whilst the number of cancelled flights by LCC was being highlighted (before EC261/04 came into force).

Yes of course it was pre-BOB, but catering had already started to be slashed ok short-haul in. a bid to start competing against the LCCs. On LH, BA introduced sleeper services from North America and the Middle East. BA also opened a champagne bar in the F lounge at LHR T1 and increased functionality on BA.com to allow pax to check in for flights and perform simple changes to their bookings.

BA pax numbers has grown by 3.5%, BA celebrated 65 years of operating from Birmingham and it had sold its stake in QF, had won best airline, best first class, best business class, best economy class, best longhaul airline, best shorthaul airline and best frequent flyer programme at the business traveller awards where OW alliance won the best airline alliance.

Now THAT is an explanation -- thank you! I lost track of how old this show was, and that episode in particular. I think this nails it pretty well!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NWIFlyer (Post 31888173)

FR’s reputation at the time was pretty much in the gutter. BA was still handing out Avios for service issues with near reckless abandon.

Wouldn’t say those days are dead i recently had 15k avios for a dirty seat on a LH flight.

I have no doubt somewhere someone has saved £xxx per plane from Cleaner cuts and will get a pat on the back but I wonder how much consideration is given to the Avios handed out as compensation and what that’s worth. Being a large corporation like it is I doubt the dots have been connected.