[Alasdair]

Why is everyone getting excited? Same planes as have been in the air for a couple of years now and the same seating configuration and design as BA themselves have had on board for too long now. What’s the big deal?

[Shearer]

Because it’s fun?

[BA744fan]

Alasdair – BA work their planes longer than many airlines, meaning a lot of them are tired and worn out. For those loyal to BA it is a rare chance to fly on a gleaming new model.

Also, as NIRscot said, it’s fun.

[openfly]

I made a couple of feedback suggestions to BA Global a couple of weeks ago. Hey bingo….as part of the reply I have been given a visit pass to the 787/A380 viewings on the 4th July. Excellent customer service. Hope others get invites. Could be fun.

[Guest_Poster]

BA744fan – 11/06/2013 07:34 GMT

FYI, BA’s average fleet age is 13.4 years, whilst Lufthansa’s is 12.6 years.

Both airlines have ‘mature’ fleets, but Lufthansa chooses to invest more in maintaining the interiors and thus it is difficult to deduce the age from the condition of the cabin.

e.g.

LH has 39 x B737, average age 22.1 years

BA has 19 x B737, average age 20.7 years

In B737 fleet mean age ranking, BA is #93 and LH is #125.

Which fleet do you think has interiors in the best condition?

It is an investment decision, not a fleet age factor. I would assume that BA and LH aircraft are maintained to a very similar condition in any area that is safety related.

[BA744fan]

Guest_Poster – 11/06/2013 08:28 GMT

I hear what you say, but the long haul deliveries over the next 12 months are to replace ageing 747s and 767s, both of which are coming to the end of their lives as passenger aircraft.

The most common complaint on reviews of flights, aside from inconsistant customer service, is the shabbiness of the interiors. Business and first class passengers who are paying a huge premium to fly in comfort expect a standard comparable to the competition, so when new planes start to arrive it is a time to be positive and enthusiastic.

[Guest_Poster]

BA744fan – 11/06/2013 08:35 GMT

By all means be happy and enthusiastic, my point is only that the shabby interiors are the result of a management decision to let them get into that condition.

[VintageKrug]

I see very few shabby interiors; the 747 I came over on last week was notably fresh inside, with a brand new First cabin (despite being a low-J variant).

I would actually suggest that management has worked hard to return BA to profitability and justify a massive fleet investment programme; it has succeeded in that endeavour. Some things were let slip, notably catering in the early part of the recession.

There are some aircraft which should have been retired by now, and for which BA had plans to retire, but this was scuppered not by BA’s Management taking a conscious and proactive decision to reduce investment in cabin interiors (which seems to Disgust the “new” poster above, possibly because of his former connections) but by Boeing and airbus not being able to meet the planned delivery schedule for the new fleet.

However, in stark economic times and against the woes caused directly by an unco-operative Union which impacted BA’s ability to invest in its product, choices have to be made.

If that compromise was between having six spanking new 777-300ERs in the fleet, or tolerating a small amount of slightly ageing insulation (as this is the only sort of scandalous shabbiness I have ever seen) then I’m quite happy to put up with that.

The new A320s, 787s and A380s will ensure an exciting rejuvenated fleet and sit well alongside the existing new 777-300ERs, A320s and embraers which have been delivered in recent years.

Some people do seem obsessed with highlighting negativity; one really has to question this obsessive behaviour and its motivation.

I prefer to focus on the positive, and wholly welcome BA’s new fleet, which will be with us imminently. I doubt we’ll hear any praise for their introduction from the Usual Suspects.

[JohnHarper]

Maintenance is everything. I’ve traveled on the LH 733s and 735s a few times recently. You would never know on boarding how old they are. The interiors are as smart as a recently delivered A321 I was on a few weeks ago. Clearly maintenance standards at LH are higher than some other airlines and I believe they close their engine cowlings too!

[esselle]

The new BA metal may be new and shiny, but what you seem incapable of doing VK, which I think a lot of folk on this thread are doing, is making a comparison between the product to be found on board with that being offered by the competition. New and shiny or not.

It would be interesting to have opinions from you on the product that BA’ s competitors offer, so that we can retain a degree of objectivity.

[Bucksnet]

JohnHarper – 11/06/2013 09:31 GMT

That’s a bit below the belt, to be fair.

[Guest_Poster]

VintageKrug – 11/06/2013 09:29 GMT

Once again, you post compost on this forum. If an airlines chooses to maintain it’s aircraft interiors, they can leave service looking virtually new. BA has proved this in the past, the 1-11 fleet was a case in point. The refurbished 767s also look new.

So if the A380/B787 are delayed, which I agree is not BA’s fault, then they could have decided to freshen up the fleets and the costs of this would have been offset by the sweating of written down assets over a longer period of time.

The execs decided against this, fr whatever reason and the result is a fleet with variable interiors and quite a variation in seat types.

I have a lot of respect for British Airways, as I believe it to be one of the better airlines in Europe, but customer focus of some years ago does seem to have been slain on the altar of the bean counters and allowing some interiors to become shabby (and there is too much anecdotal evidence to ignore) does impact on the perception of the brand.

[Bucksnet]

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Its-and-It’s

[openfly]

VK…..you often bring these reactions on yourself, sadly. Instead of constantly pontificating your views, how about just listening, discussing and, once in a while having a giggle, with the rest of us.

[AllOverTheGaff]

BA744fan – 11/06/2013 07:34 GMT
Alasdair – BA work their planes longer than many airlines, meaning a lot of them are tired and worn out. For those loyal to BA it is a rare chance to fly on a gleaming new model.

That is a very good point actually.

I can understand why BA enthusiasts (is that the right term?) would be looking forward to their A380, and in fairness, it is the nicest liveried one I have seen.

Regards.
AOTG.

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