[Anonymous]

[VintageKrug]

Dear VintageKrug,

Let me introduce myself.

I am the Design Manager for an exciting new British Airways project. I’ve been asked by our team to share with you some of the thinking behind the soon to be launched Club World London City service, flying between London City airport and New York JFK.

As the first long-haul, business class only service to fly from London City airport, our brief was to design the most productive cabin environment ever. Back in March 2008, my team began the creation of your perfect office in the sky.

To meet our brief, we’ve made sure the cabin is spacious and airy. We’ve achieved this by configuring just 32 seats so that you will always be by the window or aisle. Of course, as well as feeling like a real office, it has to function like one.

This means room to spread out, access to the internet and the ability to send and receive emails and texts. With so few people on board, you’ll find the cabin incredibly peaceful – essential for work, and rest. Even the lighting adjusts to suit your mood. And to make sure you get some sleep on the way back, the seats recline into a fully flat six foot bed.

Having travelled to New York on business a fair bit myself, I am confident this service will not only enable you to be more productive, but save time too. Arrive at London City airport with hand luggage only and you can check-in just 15 minutes before departure. You’ll also clear US immigration and customs at Shannon airport.

To give you a preview of what’s to come, I’ve attached some early cabin designs. I think we stayed faithful to the brief. I hope you agree, when you try the service for yourself.

All the best,

Design Management, British Airways

Cabin Layout (all ready to be posted at http://www.seatplans.com):

http://img.ed4.net/britishairways/2009_Q2/BA_09Q2_CM_GLO_DIR_FisherProject/html/fisher_C1_Cabin_Layout.jpg

Seat Design:

http://img.ed4.net/britishairways/2009_Q2/BA_09Q2_CM_GLO_DIR_FisherProject/html/fisher_C1_Seat_Design.jpg

[VintageKrug]

The same pic, though in colour, was released in the BA Investor Day presentation some months ago:

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flight-international/A318.JPG

[ANDREWYOUNG1]

The link in the email to submit your ideas on how to use your time on board with the offer of 10K Exec Club miles doesn’t seem to allow you to enter you email address or Exec Club number or anything else that identifies yourself, how will you know if you’ve won?

[VintageKrug]

For continuity, the link is:

http://img.ed4.net/britishairways/Fisher/index_Exec.html

Though this is legit, as it ties in with the URLs for the picture links I posted above, BA should be cautious about letting third party websites solicit the email and BAEC numbers of members.

It is only a matter of time before Frequent Flyer accounts become the target of phishing.

As you highlighted, ANDREWYOUNG1, I have raised the matter of the lack of traceability of participants in this competition with BA’s IT department.

[MarcusUK]

Dear Ba Worshipers (Rare vintage breed these days).

We Non- BA flyers, assume that with the cancellation of the re-vamp of the NY Lounge projects, that it isn’t all going to sinc?
No lounge at LCY, little offering in NY.

No doubt the crew will be working for the BA Voluntary Services Overseas Charitable Fund, Otherwise known as No-Pay, & morale will be lower then the recline on the seating outlined.
Most probably, with the current economic climate, The H1N1 occupying 8% of NYC residents at the moment, the impending WHO Pandemic to reach its peak in Sept/Oct, the “Project” will be as dodgy as getting the A319 off the ground at LCY.
Certainly it will have a short run, appear BA in general for the time ahead.

With such unhappiness & morale so low in BA, & felt by its customers, perhaps a special meal may include Prozac ehanced items!

[BlackTower]

I think there are several things the users will be thinking of on this wobegone service

1) Why do I work for one of these legacy overregulated nasty investment banks in the middle of nowhere when I could work for a boutique in the city proper or godforbid, get a life, and leave investment banking altogether.
2) Great can i be as rude to the imigration staff at Shannon as they are generally to John foreigner in the US in general?

[CMoir12]

Regarding BA lounges at JFK. I was there 18 months ago and there was nothing wrong with the lounges then – both in the First and Terraces lounge. While the Galleries are much better, I think BA has made the right decision, in the current climate, to delay the upgrade.

[VintageKrug]

I don’t imagine the lack of a dedicated lounge at London City (LCY) would be an issue – with the advantage of being able to board until 15 minutes prior to departure, there won’t be much hanging round the airport. Boarding queues will be minimal with such a small number of passengers. There will be ample opportunity to be boarded early, relax and read the paper over a drink while on the ground awaiting departure for those that do have time to spare before take off.

On the return, the lack of Arrivals and especially shower facilities at LCY is a concern, however most people will be within 30 minutes of their office and/or homes and most City offices have such facilities these days for those who do need to freshen up.

On the inbound flights, Club World London City fliers will have the use of the superb Terraces complex in JFK, which includes and Elemis Spa, and ample pre-flight dining facilities, as well as the First lounge for Gold Card holders and Concorde lounge for those with Concorde Room cards. No other airline comes close to offering such facilities out of JFK, and until recently Star Alliance carriers didn’t even ply the route.

The pandemic will affect all airlines, not just BA. And BA is taking tough steps to address the current unprecedented economic situation, as many well managed firms have done recently. Postponing the planned kerbside check in and Galleries-style revamp is only sensible.

It is indeed unlikely an A319 would even get on the ground at LCY, let alone off again, as A319s are not certified for the steep approach at London City Airport. British Airways has ordered the smaller A318 for this London-New York service, and these will arrive at the end of the summer.

[MarcusUK]

Dear BA (Vintage Krug, same thing…)
Typographical error, A318.

Indeed, the Pandemic is pending & approaching.
Business travel with some major german Companies has been frozen.
Work related or work time injuries of any sort, will leave a Co liable, hence the travel has, & will be pulled back further.
NYC has a population who last week, 8% had the H1N1.

I believe the slump is running at 12% reduction in most worldwide flights on last yr, & 17% down through LHR.
Volatile times ahead…

[VintageKrug]

However BA has taken the right steps, removing 15 aircraft from the fleet (mostly 747s), thus reducing capacity.

The proportionately increased use of 777s will make fleet more fuel efficient.

The LCY-JFK service will be available for booking from Tuesday.

[CMoir12]

Regarding the lack of lounges at LCY, LH give premium passengers a voucher (which I think is about a fiver) to spend in the departure lounge. Given that a glass of wine is £7.50 it is not much use but as they say a gimmick sometimes helps!

[VintageKrug]

Now bookable; BA have launched the “Experience” pages, though think it should read “We Mean Business” Class rather than the rather confusing “We Mean Business Class”.

http://www.britishairways.com/travel/cwlcexp/public/en_gb

Nice they are using BA001/2/3/4 flight numbers once again.

[MarcusUK]

No, actually i think BA have worded it exactly as it’s delivered!

[dutchyankee]

Mark, I realise you use this forum as a counter balance to Vintage Krug, and so be it, however your typos seems to be increasing. First the A319/A318 issue which you have mis-typed in previous outbursts when you slam BA, and now the 8% of NYC have H1N1 virus. Are you seriously saying that a city whose population was 8.7 million in 2007 census now has by your account over 600,000 people infected with H1N1? Where do you get your information from? They would quarantine the entire city! With such mistakes, can anyone take anything you say seriously? While I too wonder who Vintage Krug is, and how he has such ‘insight’ at least what he writes is correct every time!

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