BA – an organisation in decline ?
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at 14:04 by JohnHarper.
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EasternPedlarParticipantAre other travellers on this forum also noticing the steady decline in BA product quality ?
Each time I fly with BA I notice cutbacks – options going off the menus, a poorer film selection, accessories such as slippers, pyjamas and shawls not being offered automatically but having to be asked for, and an increasing disinterest on the part of the crew.
What made this really apparent was a recent bout of non-BA flying! I took two transatlantic flights on AA, one medium haul flight on AA to Latin America, and one long haul flight on LAN, all in Business. The last flight of the journey was with BA in F, which really emphasised the difference.
The AA flights were eye openers. A far superior hard product on the transatlantic sectors as well as excellent service – friendly, attentive and willing. The contrast with the grudging service on BA couldn’t be more apparent, and I’d say that the new AA hard business product is almost as good as BA First. The flight-long wifi connection and an excellent selection of films with better screen resolution was a big bonus. I can’t see myself flying again on BA metal when there is an AA option!
A last minute equipment change on the Miami-Lima sector meant that we got an old configuration aircraft, which wasn’t a great product, but even here the inflight service was superb.
While I wasn’t over-impressed with the service on LAN, their hard product again put BA’s to shame. The business seats on the LAN Dreamliner were far more spacious and comfortable than in any BA cabin!
Looking at AA, one sees an organisation in the ascent – a great product and a well motivated workforce. BA, on the other hand, comes across as an organisation on the way down, one that is badly in need of a major shake-up. They’ve managed to stay afloat by jettisoning everything in sight, but the time is coming when they will have to reinvent themselves to stay relevant.
Is that even possible, given BA’s legacy issues ? Will Brexit be the trigger ?
24 Sep 2016
at 22:09
seasonedtravellerParticipantAre other travellers on this forum also noticing the steady decline in BA product quality ?
I take it that you haven’t read this forum recently?
25 Sep 2016
at 10:04
canuckladParticipant@FDOS …..Cheers, off to my bowling club with a smile on my face.
@EasternPedlar … loved the phrase and more specifically the word jettison. Maybe not necessarily to stay afloat, probably more to keep their IAG shareholders at bayIt says something when airlines that have been traditionally known as representing the best of mediocrity are now seen as a credible option over the once world’s favourite airline.
25 Sep 2016
at 10:59
bluemoonerParticipantI find it interesting that there is repeated knocking of BA. This seems to be on the basis that I assume many readers are British and that they feel BA is part of the “family” though in most views a very distant relative!
BA is a commercial business not something human.
If BA management want to make their services better or take cost cutting measures – then so be it.
As a passenger who will have flown about 20 different single legs this year and similar in previous years -if BA is too expensive inconvenient or the quality is lacking – then it is simple – I take my business elsewhere.
In actual fact I have not flown on BA for 20 years.
Why1 Their prices are usually at least 20% greater than competitors every time I look
2 I live in Cheshire and they offer an inconvenient service because all flights go via London LHR whereas other airlines fly direct from Manchester
3 Flying via LHR can mean change of terminals which adds enormously to total journey length.
4 Changes of planes means more chance of delays.
5 Other competitor airlines appear to offer a good product.When BA stop being London Airways and restart giving a service to the regions, then I would happily reconsider.
Even the prospect of the Northern Powerhouse has to date had no effect.
25 Sep 2016
at 12:38
FDOS_UKParticipant1 -Their prices are usually at least 20% greater than competitors every time I look
It costs more money to be a full service airline
2 I live in Cheshire and they offer an inconvenient service because all flights go via London LHR whereas other airlines fly direct from Manchester
BA cannot be held responsible for your choiec of abode – is Cheshire located in the UK? (or Wales, BA doesn’t fly pax from Wales)
3 Flying via LHR can mean change of terminals which adds enormously to total journey length.
The exercise does you good, BA cares about your health
4 Changes of planes means more chance of delays.
Operating from a huge hub is challenging, BA is not Ryanair, who get priority over the local flying club
5 Other competitor airlines appear to offer a good product.
But they aren’t BA, are they? Nothing quite compares with seeing that Union Jack tail or from the shiny gold card that let’s you get to the front of the boarding queue – you can buy that on RyanJet, not on BA – it’s good for the ego and you deserve it. Plus you can look down on Ryanair passengers, as Wellington said ‘I don’t know if they frighten the enemy, but they frighten me’.
25 Sep 2016
at 12:52
FlightlevelParticipantFDOS we understand your allegiance to BA & its understandable British people wish to improve (even by critical comments) their ‘own’ airline, now owned by shareholders, however don’t be a critic of Wales they make almost all the wings on Airbuses & mostly for comfortable flights.
25 Sep 2016
at 15:51
FDOS_UKParticipant[quote quote=760807]FDOS we understand your allegiance to BA & its understandable British people wish to improve (even by critical comments) their ‘own’ airline, now owned by shareholders, however don’t be a critic of Wales they make almost all the wings on Airbuses & mostly for comfortable flights.
[/quote]
How am I criticisng Wales? BA doesn’t operate flights from there, it’s a fact.
Obviously, BA doesn’t think it can make a profit out of the Welsh routes and I am sure that should not be equated to suggesting that Welsh people are a bunch of sad, low income losers who are not fit to do business with – it’s just market dynamics.
25 Sep 2016
at 16:31
SimonS1ParticipantI suppose you could see this one of three ways.
1. A general long term decline with general slippage in standards.
2. A deliberate strategy of moving to become a low cost carrier.
3. Business in a short term mess due to Brexit and a need to cut costs urgently to bolster profits and share price.
The boys on FT would tell you its all a cunning plan and BA will emerge stronger than ever, to fly to serve and all that, just that they will be flying low cost and serving M&S snacks.
25 Sep 2016
at 22:35
stevescootsParticipantCareful, you will all upset the boys over at flyer talk with such BA blasphemy 🙂
26 Sep 2016
at 01:24
bluemoonerParticipant1 -Their prices are usually at least 20% greater than competitors every time I look
It costs more money to be a full service airline
***I was not comparing with locost carriers but with European Nationals e.g. Air France KLM Lufthansa etc ***
2 I live in Cheshire and they offer an inconvenient service because all flights go via London LHR whereas other airlines fly direct from Manchester
BA cannot be held responsible for your choiec of abode – is Cheshire located in the UK? (or Wales, BA doesn’t fly pax from Wales)
*** Yes they can – they used to be BA not London Airways. For example if Emirates can offer 3 A380s a day to Dubai, if Several US airlines can offer flights to USA surely BA could offer something from Manchester. Clearly there is a business market ***
3 Flying via LHR can mean change of terminals which adds enormously to total journey length.
The exercise does you good, BA cares about your health
*** Why waste my time, perhaps you have time to kill ***
4 Changes of planes means more chance of delays.
Operating from a huge hub is challenging, BA is not Ryanair, who get priority over the local flying club
*** BA should have more than one hub – other airlines do ***
5 Other competitor airlines appear to offer a good product.
But they aren’t BA, are they? Nothing quite compares with seeing that Union Jack tail or from the shiny gold card that let’s you get to the front of the boarding queue – you can buy that on RyanJet, not on BA – it’s good for the ego and you deserve it. Plus you can look down on Ryanair passengers, as Wellington said ‘I don’t know if they frighten the enemy, but they frighten me’.
*** As I said I am not comparing with locost carriers. Who cares what the outside of the plane looks like. When BA offer a full service to those outside London as the main British carrier should, then I will vote with my wallet ***
26 Sep 2016
at 05:20
SimonS1Participant[quote quote=760847]
2 I live in Cheshire and they offer an inconvenient service because all flights go via London LHR whereas other airlines fly direct from ManchesterBA cannot be held responsible for your choiec of abode – is Cheshire located in the UK? (or Wales, BA doesn’t fly pax from Wales)
*** Yes they can – they used to be BA not London Airways. For example if Emirates can offer 3 A380s a day to Dubai, if Several US airlines can offer flights to USA surely BA could offer something from Manchester. Clearly there is a business market ***
[/quote]Well FDOS has reeled you in quite well there.
However in all seriousness you should research how hub and spoke business works. EK flies people into a Dubai hub where 65% of people or more connect to somewhere else. BA doesn’t fly connections from Dubai so it isn’t the same model.
Instead BA flies people into it’s own hub which is in….London. I’m sure you get the drift.
26 Sep 2016
at 08:18 -
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