Disco Volante

Absolutely right.

DFB_london

Fair enough, for some of your chosen list, but from the comments I suspect you have not flown some of these carriers in premium classes recently. Judging by BA's complacency, nor, I suspect have most of its product planners. So, who's missing and relevant?.... the 'grinning jumper', Singapore, Cathay, and Lufi, etc. These are all competent carriers who have seriously upped their game over the last five years. BTW dont underestimate US carriers - Conti and Alaska could (and maybe should???) teach BA et al. what premium service really means... and wait until you see the convertible premium seat (J to F and vv.) one of them is bringing out in May.

As ever, its the comparisons you choose. For the record, Virgin, even more reliant on US routes, survived as well. Maybe survival is more to do with a relatively protected bilateral position on Heathrow-US routes????

As for financial record: Over 5 years, BA's share price has done no better than Air France's - and at least AF investors got dividends as well as capital growth: Therein speaks the ultimate judgement of sophisticated institutional investors - on a total returns basis BA was far from stellar.

So as a shareholder, you'd have been better off putting your money in the bank, and as a passenger - well, thats down to individual experience and expectations.

clansey1973

I totally agree with this sentiment. Lord Eddington is the best CEO BA has had in the 15 years I have watched the brand. Interesting or at least unprecedented, that a six month Interim CEO is being appointed.

speedbird2018

I think he has done well, certainly a lot better than Bob. Gone are the glory days of Marshall and King, where the nature of the industry meant that BA could make money hand over fist.

He has steered BA through some difficult times, as mentioned before 9/11, SARS, retirement of Concorde (Airbus forced BA's hand, it was not BA's decision).

When I left BA back in 2002, I truely though it was a sinking ship...rumours of VS putting bids in if the share price fell blah blah. He has definately got things back on track.

My only grip <slips union goon hat on> is that staff relations are still pretty poor. Front line staff still get a bad deal, compared to the office staff. One quote from a friend on the LHR operation "it is ruled by fear".

Future size and shape did not really shed the amount of staff it promised, amongst the management community in BA, it seems to be a case of moving people around rather showing them the door.

2018

Globaliser

Ooh, do you know something we don't?

And thanks for the reminder, oyster - I'd forgotten that Rod's managed to halve BA's net debt despite the difficult trading circumstances out there.

clansey1973

Sadly I don't know something you don't. I firmly belive however that if the honours means anything Rod should be having a G&T with Liz before he gets on the BA9/15! Shall we start an on-line petition?!

Kovich

Every company has to balance the interests of its stakeholders (or which customers are one type) but ultimately shareholders come first (a company can make money without customers but customers can't have a service without shareholders). Therefore, in the final analysis if Eddington has done a good job (comparitively speaking) by his shareholders that is more important than having some upset customers and is worth remembering him for.

ajax

Excellent point not to be underestimated.

csd

Bob said too much.
Rod said too little
Bob said (planned)
Rod did (executed some of it)
what next??

Land-of-Miles

I firmly agree with your sentiments here, and I know as a fact that when I worked for BA this type of complacency was engendered by the fact that practically no-one flew anything other than BA. The staff firmly believe that their product is the best available and unfortunately are not given (or do not allow themselves) exposure to competitors often superior products. I would be very surprised if this situation has changed recently.

I think it is vital that those on the front line of a business know what the competition looks like. This is quite easy if you work for Tesco, you can pop into Sainsburys or Asda and get a feel for the differences. Clearly it is a much more difficult proposition say for a cabin crew member in First to understand how good ANA's product is, or CX's or SQ's etc etc.

IMHO BA should positively encourage staff to interline and perhaps pay for one or 2 trips on competitor carriers each year for selected staff, so that they could spread the word to their colleagues about the nature of the competition out there.

Globaliser

Absolutely agreed - although one should not underestimate the quality of BA's product either, because many individuals in the commercial market do regularly fly competitors' products (often because they are not as addicted or tied to FF schemes as FT'ers tend to be) and still prefer BA.