Qatar leasing A320 to BA to cover disruption

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Viewing 15 posts - 76 through 90 (of 102 total)

  • andrew.gill
    Participant

    You can imagine the handback conversation

    So, Mr BA, just a couple of things I need to make you aware of before I let you go

    There’s a scuff to this alloy wheel, so we’ll need to charge you for a full set

    I think someone has been smoking in the vehicle, so we’ll need to charge you for a full valet

    You did do a full walk around when we delivered the rental car to you, didn’t you


    canucklad
    Participant

    Yes indeed SimonS1, a catch 22 situation, yet and mixing metaphors here, I can’t help but think that the management at both IAG and BA have by both accident and design managed to manoeuvre themselves into that most awkward of places…..stuck between the rock and the hard place.

    The introduction of their HBO fares, being a classic example of follow, follow without clearly understanding the Impact its implementation will have on your unique position in the market. As a result, they’ve alienated HBO passengers who now have their bag taken off, and their premium passengers flabbergasted at being relegated down the pecking order due to the now regular carry at the gate.

    And I’ve not even got to talking about peanuts!.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=817187]

    An interesting rally of points between FDOS and GrahamC and not sure who’s serving the best volleys so will simply stay on the side-lines on the main points made.

    What I would say, when it comes to BA, I’m now one of a growing group of people who associate the company with two words………Rip Off!!

    When a company starts from a low reputation point and gets better, people forgive them and see value for money based on price point expectation.
    When a company starts from a high reputation point and continually strips back service levels, people very quickly lose faith until eventually they find alternatives that restore their value for money based on price point expectation. .

    Indeed it’s the catch 22 really.

    The LOCOs started from a zero base and could build their cost base from the bottom up.

    BA started from a legacy base and if they want to compete head on they can only do it by trying to reduce costs down from legacy levels. Of course every cut to lounges, staff wages, seat densification, cleaning, flowers in the F loos etc just looks petty and mean spirited.

    Of course BA will never get to a like for like scenario with the LOCOs, particularly with LHR overheads, so the only way is to match off the costs it cannot cut with petty savings in other areas such as trying to deny customers legitimate EC261 claims and similar.

    At the other end of the scale they can’t compete with ME3 on proposition either as those airlines are light years ahead.

    So basically BA ends up in a sort of no mans land, an average airline charging average prices for average service. The classic 5/10 mediocrity model. WW has done a job in recent years by acquiring other airlines and taking out costs but that won’t go on for ever.

    I took a BA flight last week to US, the first one in over a year. After travelling almost exclusively with the ME3 and a few gap fills it was like a step back in time. Minimal food, IFE screen about 6″ x 4″ with limited content (ironically it did have an episode of ‘Are You Being Served’ – presumably the rights are cheap?), knackered old 777 in grubby condition. Positives were a good crew who were trying hard to polish the proverbial, and 9 across seating in economy.

    I wish BA well but I can’t see much light at the end of the tunnel.

    [/quote]

    Or they could have started their own low cost company before the market matured, with the right fleet/cost base/locations and attacked the other locos in their segments and built obstacles to growth, as well as taking a nice share of an emerging market.

    Of course BA would never have been able to do that……. oh wait a minute…………….


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=817190]You can imagine the handback conversation

    So, Mr BA, just a couple of things I need to make you aware of before I let you go

    There’s a scuff to this alloy wheel, so we’ll need to charge you for a full set

    I think someone has been smoking in the vehicle, so we’ll need to charge you for a full valet

    You did do a full walk around when we delivered the rental car to you, didn’t you

    [/quote]

    Funny 🙂


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    I wish BA well but I can’t see much light at the end of the tunnel.

    Here is the standard Flyertalk response to your comment

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtnmEBiLqx8


    SimonS1
    Participant

    [quote quote=817195]
    Or they could have started their own low cost company before the market matured, with the right fleet/cost base/locations and attacked the other locos in their segments and built obstacles to growth, as well as taking a nice share of an emerging market.

    Of course BA would never have been able to do that……. oh wait a minute…………….

    [/quote]

    Indeed, then sell it to management for £100m only for them to flip it on for £374m just 11 months later.

    Creating value the BA way they call it.


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    Striking cabin crew in Qatar HQ protest as Unite launches ‘wet lease’ legal action

    What: Protest outside Qatar Airways HQ by British Airways mixed fleet cabin crew

    When: 11:00 -12:30 Wednesday 5 July 2017

    Where: 1 Cluny Mews, Warwick Rd, Kensington, London SW5 9EG

    Striking members of British Airways’ mixed fleet cabin crew are set to protest outside the headquarters of Qatar Airways tomorrow (Wednesday 5 July) as Britain’s largest union, Unite announced it had launched legal action over the ‘wet leasing’ of Qatar Airways aircraft by British Airways.

    Unite is challenging the government’s decision to give the go-ahead to the ‘wet lease’ of nine Airbus aircraft by British Airways to cover a 16-day cabin crew strike, claiming it breaches European regulations. The legal action comes amid strong support for the strike over pay and the sanctioning of striking workers which runs until 23:59 on Sunday 16 July.

    The use of Qatar Airways’ aircraft and cabin crew has also led to Unite accusing British Airways of being in breach of its own corporate social responsibility policy and it not being ‘worth the paper it’s written on’.

    Qatar Airways has been found in the past to be guilty of systemic workplace sex discrimination, which included female cabin crew being automatically sacked when becoming pregnant, as well as prohibiting women from being dropped off or picked up from work by a man other than their husband, father or brother.

    Commenting Unite national officer Oliver Richardson said: “Unite is challenging the government’s decision to approve British Airways use of Qatar Airways aircraft. The ‘wet leasing’ of Qatar Airways’ aircraft should not have been approved by the government or been sought by British Airways.

    “We believe it is not only in breach of European regulations and non-compliant with civil aviation safety, but has also driven a coach and horses through British Airways’ own corporate social responsibility policy, which is not worth the paper it’s written on.

    “British Airways customers will be alarmed at Qatar Airways’ record on sex discrimination and the lengths British Airways is going to try an undermine lawful strike action.

    “The time and money British Airways has spent on wet leasing aircraft and bullying striking cabin crew are resources which could have easily settled this dispute.

    “The world is watching an airline that once prided itself as the world’s favourite, becoming associated with inequality, bullying and downright vindictiveness.

    “It’s high time British Airways stopped spending millions defending low pay and its bullying approach by negotiating a settlement to this long running dispute.”


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Mixed Fleet crew say working for BA is like working for an airline in North Korea, reports The Independent.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/british-airways-strike-cabin-crew-mixed-fleet-unite-heathrow-north-korean-airlines-a7824801.html


    capetonianm
    Participant

    Mixed Fleet crew say working for BA is like working for an airline in North Korea

    I do have some sympathy for them but making stupid statements like that does them no favours, for a start I wonder how many of them have worked for ‘an airline in North Korea’ or could even name one, or point to North Korea on a map.
    I know several people who work on mixed fleet and they do feel that the conditions are unfair when compared with legacy, but most of them like their jobs, until they start making comparisons.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Breaking: BA Mixed Fleet crew to continue the strike for another 14 days after July 19.

    https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/07/05/business/05reuters-iag-britishairways-strike.html


    openfly
    Participant

    The extension is no problem for BA as the Qatar aircraft have a 2 month licence from the UK government.


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    Not so sure, Openfly. That’s what they asked for, but AFAIK they got til the end of the strike.

    Popcorn time.

    I wonder if wise voices may tell both sides it’s time to get around a table and sort it out?


    esselle
    Participant

    And of course QR have a few aircraft spare currently as they are not flying shorthaul out of DOH.


    AlanOrton1
    Participant

    [quote quote=817500]I do have some sympathy for them but making stupid statements like that does them no favours, for a start I wonder how many of them have worked for ‘an airline in North Korea’ or could even name one, or point to North Korea on a map.
    I know several people who work on mixed fleet and they do feel that the conditions are unfair when compared with legacy, but most of them like their jobs, until they start making comparisons.[/quote]

    The thing is, MF were never offered or going to be offered anywhere near the same T&C’s as the Legacy Crew. A key reason for there being MF is BA wanted (I’m sure they would argue, needed) a lower cost based crew, similar to the levels VS etc pay. So while I suspect there is a degree of sympathy for claiming poverty pay / reinstatement of perks, if Unite think BA are going to make wholesale changes to the MF T&C’s, I’d have thought hell would freeze over first.

    While not wishing to be political, it’s almost as if the Bearded One, having fallen 60 seats short of winning the GE, has given Unite an extra spring in their step in their demand making.

Viewing 15 posts - 76 through 90 (of 102 total)
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