BA to cut up to 12,000 jobs in "restructuring and redundancy programme"
#76
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 3,438
I think every route will be scrutinised and then they’ll decide if it comes back, while every cost will also have to be justified. They won’t cut all investment though as they need to remain competitive and secure premium customers.
I guess there will be some similar responses that were used for 9/11 and 2008 financial crisis.
As for the drop in business travellers, yes it could happen but even if it does it’s not the end for BA. There will still be leisure passengers, VFR, high business deals and cargo. So maybe we will just see less premium heavy aircraft.
I guess there will be some similar responses that were used for 9/11 and 2008 financial crisis.
As for the drop in business travellers, yes it could happen but even if it does it’s not the end for BA. There will still be leisure passengers, VFR, high business deals and cargo. So maybe we will just see less premium heavy aircraft.
#77
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: Executive Club
Posts: 1,115
I think the days of cheap flying will be over in any case. Far fewer flights will operate, and those that do will charge much higher fares, that's my prediction. At least Greta will be happy.
#78
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: Executive Club
Posts: 1,115
I find it amazing that it has all worked so well, even though everyone is using it all the time. That would definitely not have been the case a few years ago. Skype in particular has come on leaps and bounds in terms of reliability from its earlier days. And yes I agree, people will have adapted to new working patterns and I am sure that many companies will travel a lot less post Covid.
#79
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: Executive Club
Posts: 1,115
The issue is that a lot of the holiday routes are transporting people to all-inclusive hotels in hot countries and there is a whole question-mark over whether you can do all-inclusive and socially distance. Buffets are lethal for virus spread for example, so all food would have to be served and trying to keep everyone 2M away from each other would be a big issue. I know there are flights planned to Cancun and Barbados at the end of May but I suspect this may prove a lot more of a problem than is currently imagined.
#81
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: London, Babylon-on-Thames
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#82
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
Programs: Mucci Des Oeufs Brouilles et des Canards
Posts: 3,671
I find it amazing that it has all worked so well, even though everyone is using it all the time. That would definitely not have been the case a few years ago. Skype in particular has come on leaps and bounds in terms of reliability from its earlier days. And yes I agree, people will have adapted to new working patterns and I am sure that many companies will travel a lot less post Covid.
However there will still be a need for me to travel to visit these countries because I'll be able to do in a day or two what would take longer over the phone/Teams etc. With such a dramatic reduction in staff and therefore flights, prices are likely to rise so we're going to end up in a circle of it's too expensive to fly to a meeting so lets to it all remotely etc. I'm hoping BA aren't looking at that 12000 as the worse case scenario figure and opting to reduce headcount by that, especially if it doesn't give them any room to grow if and hopefully when conditions improve.
#83
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: BAEC Blue, Flying Blue Silver, Hilton Gold, Marriot Gold
Posts: 817
i agree with you. I know it’s hard but I don’t like the speculating at times like this for the sake of the staff.
#84
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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I find it amazing that it has all worked so well, even though everyone is using it all the time. That would definitely not have been the case a few years ago. Skype in particular has come on leaps and bounds in terms of reliability from its earlier days. And yes I agree, people will have adapted to new working patterns and I am sure that many companies will travel a lot less post Covid.
#85
Join Date: Sep 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, EK Skywards (enhanced Blue !), Oman Air Sindbad Gold
Posts: 6,394
Some (many ?) businesses may very well find themselves - perhaps reluctantly - adopting a different view. For sure, they will be anxious to recoup as much as feasible of any revenues / profits lost during the pandemic. But there will, equally, be a greater focus on all discretionary spend ; and of course international travel is often one of the first costs to be cut in difficult times - even when that might be seen as counter-productive.
#86
Join Date: May 2008
Programs: GGL
Posts: 269
I don’t for a moment doubt what you say orbitmic.
Some (many ?) businesses may very well find themselves - perhaps reluctantly - adopting a different view. For sure, they will be anxious to recoup as much as feasible of any revenues / profits lost during the pandemic. But there will, equally, be a greater focus on all discretionary spend ; and of course international travel is often one of the first costs to be cut in difficult times - even when that might be seen as counter-productive.
Some (many ?) businesses may very well find themselves - perhaps reluctantly - adopting a different view. For sure, they will be anxious to recoup as much as feasible of any revenues / profits lost during the pandemic. But there will, equally, be a greater focus on all discretionary spend ; and of course international travel is often one of the first costs to be cut in difficult times - even when that might be seen as counter-productive.
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
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I don’t for a moment doubt what you say orbitmic.
Some (many ?) businesses may very well find themselves - perhaps reluctantly - adopting a different view. For sure, they will be anxious to recoup as much as feasible of any revenues / profits lost during the pandemic. But there will, equally, be a greater focus on all discretionary spend ; and of course international travel is often one of the first costs to be cut in difficult times - even when that might be seen as counter-productive.
Some (many ?) businesses may very well find themselves - perhaps reluctantly - adopting a different view. For sure, they will be anxious to recoup as much as feasible of any revenues / profits lost during the pandemic. But there will, equally, be a greater focus on all discretionary spend ; and of course international travel is often one of the first costs to be cut in difficult times - even when that might be seen as counter-productive.
So like you, I have no doubt that many companies will look at the immediate savings that can be achieved from doing more virtual and less travel (and disguise it as a green initiative for good measure). My hunch, however, is that this will have an impact on quality/productivity of such meetings, and that quite possibly, within 5 or 7 years, the few outliers which will resist that tendency might well be gaining an advantage in terms of quality and reputation for care and rigour over the virtual mainstream and get some of the high value contracts. That is only my guess and may well be wrong, but by that time, I expect a lot of people to use some variation of the words: "well, nothing really replaces meeting clients/partners/teams face to face".
#90
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: UK
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I agree with the staff being a real asset to BA's business but, sadly, I don't think this is realistic. What with the recent mass job-losses across airlines (Thomas Cook, FlyBe etc.) even before this crisis really got going, and in particular with the difficulties facing the legacy/premium airlines that might really value the type of experienced staff available (e.g. Lufthansa) I think the market for employment for this type of hospitality/travel sector work will be depressed for a long period.