O62

I grew up with BA being an iconic global airline: the Concorde, the ethnic tails, a sense of sophistication and high levels customer service. Now, when I browse the FT trending threads page, BA dominates the top 15 and not in a good way. Delayed flights everywhere, cancelled flights left and right, baggage missing, customer service recovery lacking or nonexistent, and so on. I know you are a very active group of posters, but even then it seems disproportionate.

It wasn't like this even two years ago, but this last year it seems like things are going off the rails at BA from the outside perspective. Are things really going that poorly and why is that? What needs to happen to right the ship?

Lioneye

Just when I thought I was out of popcorn......you pull me back in...

zaphod424

The sad truth is that BA no longer need to innovate or be an industry leader. Their biggest asset is Heathrow, people will fly on them because they connect London, a global trade and financial hub, with the world, as someone who lives in London it makes sense to fly BA, since if you choose to avoid BA, you have to choose either to be loyal to another airline (like KLM), which means having to connect on every flight (unless flying to the hub of your chosen carrier), or just fly the airline who goes to where you're going, Cathay to HKG, SQ to Singapore etc, but that means missing out on FF benefits, unless you fly enough to get top tier status on all 3 alliances, which very few people do. Sure there's Virgin, but their route network is so limited that unless you exclusively fly to and from the US (or the smattering of other destintaions they fly to), you'll be missing out on FF benefits (or have to connect) whenever you go anywhere which is not to a Skyteam hub.

BA doesn't have the 'problem' that the likes of Qatar or Emirates face, they have to convince you to pick their [mod edit: inconvenient airport] to connect through, which they do by offering crazy luxury products, BA don't need to convince anyone to come to (or live in) London, it markets itself. Really the only airlines that BA does need to compete with are the US carriers on its cash cow transatlantic routes, but even though it has slipped it is still far ahead of any of them, so they pose no real threat either.

The fact that it dominates LHR, which is so tightly slot controlled, means that no other airline can get enough of the London pie to really be a threat to BA. Now BA's new CEO has stated that he aims to get BA to be more 'premium', which is positive, and I suspect has a lot to do with the planned expansion of LHR, since a new runway means more slots, and therefore more competition (this is also why, counterintuitively, BA were quietly against Heathrow expansion, while Virgin, who are desperate for more slots, were so vocally in favour of it), so if that expansion is coming, then BA need to lay the groundwork now to become more premium if they are to be able to compete with that increased competition when it comes. I suppose time will tell how far they will go (and how much money they're willing to spend to achieve it).

mikeyfly

Punctuality appears to be a real issue right now, and the slightest weather / ATC problem results in large cancellations and delays. There’s clearly not an inch wriggle room and everything is cut to the minimum. It is however, not the only carrier in this situation.

EDDLEGLL

Firstly, I think places like this have a clear bias towards issues and problems. We see nowhere near enough posts of when things go well (which they clearly do most of the time).

Secondly, if you put it in perspective to the European competition, overall, I feel that BA does a good job, so much that myself and colleagues often chose them above other carriers.

Some food for thought:
-Hand luggage allowances of all other major carriers are much more restrictive than BA
-If you think BA�s lounges at LHR are busy, try the Lufthansa equivalents any day of the week�
-Try Schiphol airport on a bad day
-Try to connect through CDG
-Try to find champagne in short haul business class
-Try to find the option to book an economy ticket with free �same day change� option for a very modest price uplift elsewhere in Europe
-Try to go to smaller US cities through other European airlines and their partners

and you�ll find that, on balance, BA is not so bad

OuterBanks

Simple really, a bit like BT, BA are relying solely on their monopoly-esque status.

They are milking the nuts off "flag carrier" status, but not really delivering on quality.

They are resting on their laurels because of the Heathrow slots. They can afford to not give a toss, they can afford not to invest, because they know if you and I walk with our feet, a dozen other unsuspecting lemmings will take our seats at Heathrow.

BA cabin crew are largely not what they were. The old-guard are fast retiring and being replaced by mixed-fleet kids being given de-minimis training and who are clearly more interested in gossiping in the galley and enjoying "free" holidays en-route.

I've certainly moved the majority of my long haul business to other carriers long ago, you get much more bang for your buck, and in many instances much better punctuality too.

I suspect your definition of 'premium' is different to that of the CEO of a bean-counting organisation such as BA.

I suspect our friendly CEO would almost certainly regard the post-Cruz re-introduction of free water and a packet of nuts to short-haul economy as 'premium'.

OuterBanks

And that's a policy that's increasingly biting them in the bum.
I refer you to the god-knows-how-many-pages "If we care, we cannot carry on with this carry-on madness" discussion.
Realistically I see BA reigning in on hand luggage.
I tend to find Schipol's advantages outweigh any temporary negatives.
Hard to take you seriously on this one. Most sensible people don't throw money down the pan on short-haul business flights unless ex-EU cheapos.
If your employer pays for it then good job if you can get it, most of our employers don't !
If you are an independent charging your customers through the nose so you can travel short-haul business then remind me not to contract you !
Niche. Most people don't need this.
Assuming you go to the US, and assuming you even want to go to the smaller US cities.

KARFA

Out of interest, who have you moved them to and what have you found is better with your new choice?

How about short haul, do you fly much and if so with BA or others?

EDDLEGLL

1.) I was responding to the OPs comment regarding �a sense of sophistication�; Champagne (however bad they may be, and of course there are many good sparkling wines from elsewhere) for many people exudes sophistication.

2.) Not to worry, you can hire me - all my Club Europe travel is strictly personal! Even some long haul work travel is WT/WTP�

HIDDY

They just need more time to get over the effects the Covid pandemic has had on them. It couldn't have come at a worse time just as the restructuring of the airline was taking place. Quie a few other major airlines are going through the same.

Chris_G

Giving up on serving the Far East and particularly BKK is a bit naff...Chris

rjburns

BA still can�t figure out how to credit Alaska flights without pax doing backflips. If you have a flight disruption, good luck!

they do not care because they don�t have to care. What a great business!

ermis177

The covid excuse needs to end. Not sure why you keep using it. From the ridiculous bag in F during covid (for your safety) to the 'enchanced cleaning during covid' while it was obvious that they did not even pick up the trash from the previous flight most of these excuses are now gone.
Secondly, no other major airline has systemic problems like BA such as the I.T issue. It has become a bad joke, every few months the system is 'down'.

Again i do not want to get personal but i doubt you will understand. It is very hard for someone who does not fly for decades to explain to them how things have changed. Especially the ones that have a rather nostalgic identity for something that is long gone

KARFA

Well it is a good point you raise. Based on your dislike of the airline (for justifiable reasons), how much do you fly on them these days?

ermis177

I never said i dislike BA. Once again i am not sure why i have to justify if i like or dislike BA. It seems to me thay if BA is not my first choice i need to justify the reason on this forum which is weird.

I have mentioned to you and some other members that i fly with lots of airlines depending the price, timing, product and so on. I do not dislike or like an airline but i do find some better than others in general.

I hope you understand i would rather if you stop making assumptions about if i like or dislike BA or any other airline. Thanks