[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Rob

Yes, in 1996 and 2001 respectively.

In their day, fantastic innovations.

Where are the next innovations like these? They were step changes in the industry.

[robsmith100]

Then again what airline has innovated anything new to the industry since the introduction FFB’s. The only one airline if any would be EK with their onboard showers on the A380, however no other airline has followed this idea. BA at the begining of the summer ran a competition for the public to submit there ideas. If anything it has been the aircraft manufacturers and IFE suppliers such as Thales.

[VintageKrug]

You can’t simply negate decades of innovation by saying it happened in the past. All innovation, by its very nature, happens in the past. And BA has an almost unparalleled record of innovation throughout its history.

More recent examples:

2008 First UK airline to offer web check in 11 languages

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/business/article5056194.ece

2009 CWLCY; first STOL certified longhaul flight.

2011 Height Cuisine Programme starts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PzeuVCBzQc

2010 new http://www.ba.com/first launched, new World Traveller and new World Traveller Plus cabins also launched aboard the 777-300ER

2011 First carrier to roll out paperless iPad systems to cabin managers

I’m not certain every innovation is always visible to the flying customer; there’s a lot going on behind the scenes to improve things and reduce inefficiency – this all goes to improve available spend on customer experience.

There’s things like the JV to develop biofuels, for instance:

http://www.recycle.co.uk/news/1919000.html

There’s very little that can be done – even in the face of facts – to vary the positions taken against BA by some on here; even those who haven’t actually flown the airline recently.

The thread Why fly BA? Sets out neatly why people do fly BA, and remain loyal.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/why-fly-BA

Which does suggest some posters entrenched positions are taken not based on recent personal experience, but for some other motivation.

I’m sure there are many other airlines who are innovative in different ways.

But, getting back on topic, the Ad is does set out the long and proud heritage of innovation at BA, and in Britain – and as I have set out above tangible examples of that innovative spirit are easily referenceable today.

I’m certainly not a slave to BA – I have a Star Gold card (earned) and have recently dabbled with AF following a comped Plat card; despite considerable experience on both alliances, I still prefer BA/oneworld.

Couldn’t imagine anything worse The Stepford service and blinged up cabins seen in some of the airlines which have been lauded for alleged “innovation”.

And as BA is currently moving to begin a massive fleet renewal programme, I foresee considerable further improvement and innovation in the near future.

[LPPSKrisflyer]

Oh, for goodness sake very few of these are true innovations.

CWLCY is basically the service that LH and LX have operated in niche markets using Private Air for years, the fact that it’s STOL is coinincidental.

The new F product fails to meet today’s standards, an F cabin with 14 seats is far too big unless it is in suites which it isn’t. Instead of suites, it will be full of upgrades. Thing of it as Business Plus and you will not be too disappointed.

As for Height Cuisine well other airlines have had similar programmes with celebrity chefs for years, SIA and LH for at least ten and I’ve yet to be convinced of the results of it anyway, as you say yourself VK, to get a decent meal in F you have to choose what you eat carefully.

The other stuff like iPads for cabin managers makes no difference to the customer experience particularly if the IFE doesn’t work.

The ad is now getting tedious and it fails to convince me there is anything NEW at BA at all and as someone else said, they’ve spent a lot of money advertising that their best days are behind them.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“2009 CWLCY; first STOL certified longhaul flight.”

You’re kidding, I hope.

The Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms defines STOL as

“”STOL (Short Take Off and Landing). STOL performance of an aircraft is the ability of aircraft to take off and clear a 50-foot obstruction in a distance of 1,500 feet from beginning the takeoff run. It must also be able to stop within 1,500 feet after crossing a 50-foot obstacle on landing.”

The A318 would tend to demolish the obstruction at ground level.

This is a STOL aircraft in BA livery

http://www.airliners.net/photo/0579341/L/

CWLCY is a runway length limited operation, not a STOL operation.

Maybe BA could innovate by acquiring a pair of Skyvans with drop tanks and offering Headcorn to Teteboro in as little as 15 hours? Direct flight, so no timewasting connections, 2 mins from car to aircraft, enhanced sleeping experience due to vibration.

That would be innovative.

[robsmith100]

I think they were also the first airline to introduce apps for phones?

VK,

The height cusine programme is just that, a service improvment initiate to improve airline food onboard as they are playing catch up with other carriers. Its the same with upgrade new seating for FT, WTP & WT – all of which are great products! but its playing catch up an not introducing anything new to customers. Sounds like DoS and others want BA to introduce a new world beating innovation for airline travel. Apart from the BA brand what do they have that really give a sense of prestige about the airline that makes them stand out from any other airline?

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Rob

One innovation that comes to mind is the Air Asia X application of a low cost model to a long haul airline.

BTW, I’m not anti BA per se, just dn’t see the value at the moment. It would be good to have a strong BA keeping other airlines on their toes.

[Tete_de_cuvee]

BA tried LoCo in 1998, the first national to run the model – Go (aka Go Fly) under Barbra Cassani – BA couldn’t make it fit so sold it to 3i. Go was subsequently subsumed by EasyJet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Fly

Apparently the Iberia board has been studying the LoCo model for its own short haul operations for the past 2 years.
I don’t know where this will place Vueling or Air Nostrum (which is currently well rated)

As to Height Cuisine – BA is still paying catch-up. The Asian carriers have been taste tasting at altitude for years – basic common sense which BA lacked until Heston pointed it out. BA’s Cooking and prep facilities still lag the competition.

[continentalclub]

The BA ad is part of a strategic campaign, not a tactical one. It very much blends into a tradition of (particularly flag-carrying) airline adverts; a tradition which not only includes examples such as BA’s ‘The Face’ and Virgin’s ‘Red Hot’, but others including probably my favourite from the recent past – the second iteration of the Qantas ‘Australia Home’ commercial:

http://bit.ly/12wP9W

Hard and soft products hardly ever appear in such strategic campaigns. They’re designed to catalyse an emotional rather than a physical (ie immediate-purchase) response.

The latest Singapore Airlines commercial seeks to resonate in exactly the same way:

http://bit.ly/eN0ZFf

Though it is, of course, an arguably objectified re-interpretation of an identical creative storyboard to that behind the British Airways ‘Sydney’ advert, which ran some years before:

http://bit.ly/dKLEeM

One of the reasons that these kind of adverts do tend to conform to a set pattern, I suspect, is that a) they have to appeal to a global audience and to respect the cultural values and perceptions of many different markets and b) they’ve proven very succesful for all sorts of global brands – not just airlines.

In the case of a), this must be a huge minefield, as there are so many deeply-held convictions the world-over, relating to all sorts of sensitive subjects such as sex, race, religion, colour, appearance etc.

Then inter-culture reactions must also be taken into account, as well as identifying majority audiences.

Would a Western European airline get away with running an ‘*insert carrier name* Girl’ advert, for example?

Arguably not, but the Western European market still seems broadly to accept it from Singapore.

Funny old world.

[robsmith100]

TdC – “BA’s Cooking and prep facilities still lag the competition.” do you refer to the onboard facilities or the ground ops provided by Gate Gourmet or even both for that matter?

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