To Fly, to Scrooge

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Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 41 total)

  • FDOS_UK
    Participant

    Not my words, but the title of an article just published by the Economist

    http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2016/08/fly-scrooge

    Ouch, that must sting.


    rferguson
    Participant

    It’s almost as if the airline is being sabotaged from within. All that matters is the profit and the shareholders.

    Meanwhile….

    I read a post on another forum from someone that had read spanish ‘Cinco Dias’ about remuneration for the top IBEX 35 companies of which IAG is part of.
    – Willie Walsh salary increased from 6.53 to 9.79 million euros.
    – total board remuneration from 11.38 to 21.42 million euros.
    – top management remuneration from 14.6 to 21.94 million euros.
    – remuneration in the ‘increase’ chart of the article was at #7. Up 51.9%.

    But sorry, we can’t afford to give you a sandwich.

    *** My personal opinions only ***

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    PeterCoultas
    Participant

    Board members seem to be paid increasing amounts for making bigger and bigger messes of the company….but then the shareholders are waiting with baited breath for a takeover bid….


    FDOS_UK
    Participant

    [quote quote=735588]Board members seem to be paid increasing amounts for making bigger and bigger messes of the company….but then the shareholders are waiting with baited breath for a takeover bid….

    [/quote]

    It’s time executive pay was addressed – too much money without taking personal risk, in many cases.

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b3cee000-15d1-11e6-9d98-00386a18e39d.html


    canucklad
    Participant

    I was going to comment on the BOB thread; however FDOS your Telegraph article is a more compelling reference point to my opinion on BA’s continual transition into a LCC.

    Having just completed another EDI –HK trip it’s fair to say that BA is becoming more and more irrelevant to my future plans. Especially with their pay more, get less proposition thus decreasing the value received.
    And as a resident of Britain, BA should and would be my 1st choice “Y” carrier to HKG excepting for …….

    QR, TK, EK, KL, CX and AF are all consistently cheaper than our flag carrier
    All have a better on- board product. Some have a superior on- board product
    Most lack ancillary charges…i.e. reserving your seat at booking..etc.
    Doha airport is a joy, even if the Persian detour isn’t.

    Alas, I’ll not have the pleasure of being served by rferguson and Handbag et al , unless of course, BA’s management team move from transactional thinking to experiential thinking !

    2 users thanked author for this post.

    BugAdvisor
    Participant

    I flew BA LHR-PRG last Friday evening in Economy. The crew were dispensing drinks to Row 5 while another crew member walked down the aisle handing out a choice of crisps or nuts. I actually thought it was a promotion on behalf of a the crisp/nut company and naively expected the roll and cake box to arrive – of course there was nothing. Luckily I’d eaten in the lounge.

    This isn’t so easy on the PRG-LHR route as the Prague lounge doesn’t have much in the way of food.

    Luckily for BA, I don’t have a choice on this route; Gatwick and Stansted too far, Luton a complete disaster.


    SimonS1
    Participant

    Being reported on other forums that the LCY arrivals lounge facility at the Radisson is being pulled as the next cost cut enhancement.

    I wonder if this is the first step towards the LCY service to JFK coming to an end. It was flagged in the last accounts that premium demand was softening and post Brexit maybe the numbers don’t stack up as well.


    icenspice
    Participant

    Risk-averse BA. I completely agree with regard to route network expansion. NOT when it comes to treating its pax. I would say pushing us to the limit is very risky indeed. Not that BA management listens.

    Meanwhile, it will continue to see high loads. But, for how long?


    Charles-P
    Participant

    I realise I am in the minority here but in general I continue to be pleased with BA, at least on long haul. I have just booked with them for a trip to South Africa from London in a couple of months and that will mean the A380 which I think is a superb aircraft, it will be direct (no ME change over) and the four of us are flying Club World, a cabin which in my view is still one of the most comfortable and well appointed.

    The short haul European service is certainly closer to LCC than full service but then so is nearly everyone else.


    UAEScot1
    Participant

    Lets all be really honest here, Walsh and his cronies are desperately trying to dive this once prestigious airline to the bottom as quickly as possible. Cruz is no more than a puppet!!!
    I have just completed my mandatory 4 sectors to maintain gold again, AUH – LHR – EDI return and it was to be fair torture.
    I was in WTP and the AUH – LHR return was to be fair inconsistent but at worst embarrassing.
    Recently we had a change of crew on the route from Mixed fleet to WWF and that’s certainly not improved the service although granted the crew can only play with the hand they have been dealt by Cruz.

    The Galleries North was just a disgrace at 7 -8am more like a cattle market rather than an executive lounge, little or no food available so in the end I went and had breakfast with my son (who had checked in earlier at LHR) in the pub below with his free 30GBP voucher BA give him every time he travels as they refuse him entry to the lounge as a silver because is is under 18 !! so we both had a full English, fruit salad and Tea for less than the voucher !!!(that perk will go soon I am sure)
    LHR – EDI – crew were great and a hot breakfast was offered and to be fair again the pack with two slices of bread is ideal to make a bacon Sandwich….but no sauce anymore
    EDI lounge is modern, not too busy but struggled with the volume and appeared to always have no cups for the coffee machine.
    EDI – LHR was again a good flight crew very chatty and for once (except no sauce again) in a long time a decent BA service.
    My others flights this year have been multiple J sectors with CX which have been flawless to HKG and HND
    AUH – TXL – WAW twice with AB which again were great flights, comfortable in Y, crew did come and speak to me and I was moved into XL seats on both flights
    AUH to VIE with Niki in J which was OK although not a flat bed the service from the crew was great as was the breakfast served into Vienna.
    All in all these other One World carriers are IMHO currently delivering a better service than BA is.

    BA needs to wake up or before they know it we will have all selected other airlines either within One World or the ME3 and its gang.


    FaroFlyer
    Participant

    I agree with Charles-P, BA does a reasonable job. There is no chance to ever expand at LHR so they must maximise revenue from the base while developing West and South bound traffic through the other base DUB, where there is capacity as it expands, and, hopefully, developing East and South bound traffic through MAD where there is capacity and the will to increase capacity.

    Being MD of BA / IAG is a bit like being England Football manager: We could all do better as we all know what to do. In the case of football it is simply a case of having the right players in the right formation, and scoring more goals that the opposition (excluding home goals!) In the case of BA we want direct flights from our local airports to our chosen destination at the time that suits us. We also expect legroom, or flat beds, perfect service, low prices and the ability to earn and redeem loyalty points at whim. I don’t know what could be more simple?

    Oh, the difference between the English football team and BA / IAG is that BA / IAG have to make a profit. Perhaps I’ll just manage the football team, though both jobs are so easy I might just do both.

    1 user thanked author for this post.

    canucklad
    Participant

    Hi FaroFlyer
    In answer to what I’d want from BA, and apologies to sticking to the EDI-HKG route in Y , but that’s a favoured route for me….

    Firstly what I want is a completive price……

    Just Sky scanned for the next year’s 7’s……
    I can fly QR for just over £400 and enjoy the service I had the pleasure to experience last week.
    I can fly KL/AF/LH for around about £550 and get a reasonably good in-flight experience.
    Or I can fly BA and pay £700 for an in-flight service that is fast approaching FRightmare standards….

    If, I was going to be patriotic and opt for BA, I’d expect……..

    Seat selection at POS…… BA charges to guarantee seats together.
    Good Food……………………. Enough said, unless you pay for a premium meal
    Good IFE………………………..Ha-de ha.

    So, it’s back to my original point……Pay more, Get less


    MrMichael
    Participant

    Canucklad, you make a good argument (as always), but the issue surely is one of supply and demand. From a point of view of yield management BA would have priced tickets to HK around that tournament to ensure maximum yield. They will have X number of seats to sell and will keep a close eye on booking for those dates to ensure they get a good loading in all cabins. If they see the seats selling quicker than normal (or even more searches) then the price will go up, if they see less sales the prices will ease. All airlines will do the same, the point is the most attractive routes (ie non stop) will attract the biggest fluctuations. Dynamic prices works to the consumer advantage and disadvantage, in your case at the moment it is your disadvantage. If you choose to book or not book BA is a punt, in 3 months BA could be cheaper than the opposition you quote. I often read on here that BA is the most expensive almost all the time, it is not my experience and I doubt in the main if there is any truth in it, perceptions once in the mind are often reinforced by seeing it again even if the reality is different.

    Icenspice, you say BA is risk averse, but on this forum all I seem to see is BA taking one last risk after another. My recollection is BA is ruined by having only one starter in J, no amuse Bouche in F, only half a mars bar in econ, no cheese, crappy seats, lounge rubbish, tier points reduced, coffin like j seats, too many seats in F, disinterested crew, IT not working, paying for seat selection, not saying hello to Golds, fuzzy screens, T5, second hand A320,s, allowing kids in the lounge, not allowing kids in the lounge, getting rid of inbound newspapers, too expensive, no baggage fares….I could go on 🙂

    Regarding corporate pay, I have some sympathy with that view. Willie Walsh is a well respected figure in aviation, has taken the bull by the horns. He has taken on the unions and won, taken over IB and turned it around (almost) and has seen consistent growth even in the face of the LCC,s. The likes of Air France/Lufthansa would probably love to have WW at the helm, and thus IAG has to pay to keep him, supply and demand. So while I do think his pay is ridiculous, I can see why they make it attractive for him to stay at BA. Regarding Cruz being a puppet, yep, reminds me of the Putin/Medelev presidential arrangement in Russia……Willie will be back…..or did he ever go!

    4 users thanked author for this post.

    icenspice
    Participant

    Hello MrMichael.

    I am delighted to hear from you. I thought we had fallen out ?

    ‘only half a mars in econ’

    I tell you Mr, you have made my day…again.

    And, I do not travel with partner btw. Doesn’t even bear thinking about LOL


    MrMichael
    Participant

    Hello Icenspice, fallen out, heck no.

    I believe the Mars is a fun size, so probably less than half a Mars!

    You have mentioned partner on here a couple of times, are you saying you always travel alone? 🙁

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