Article states that BA has lost 50% of share value in under a month and that
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BA just seems to generate a lot of negative news
I'd say most of it brought on by it's own acts and omissions. This is probably breaking point at British Airways, IMHO.
Those posters who are amazed that BA can lose 1500 managers should be aware that when Willie Walsh arrived he immediately implemented a blanket 1/3 cut of management positions across the airline. The culmination of that process was March 2008.
Willie is at it again, these are desperate times at British Airways.
This is probably breaking point at British Airways, IMHO
Of course YHO is worth Jack as the only thing you do on this forum is post sensationalist anti-BA stories which inevitably fall over at the merest whiff of scrutiny. You'll be telling us next the ramp in the oil price and the global credit crunch are all BAs fault too. That is, of course, what has caused the share price of most airlines to collapse.
The article confirms my earlier statement about Willie's first dictate to remove 1/3 of managers. It states;
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One of the first big cost-cutting moves taken by Mr Walsh after becoming BA chief executive in autumn 2005 was to axe more than a third of the airline's managers, with the loss of 597 positions. The number of senior managers was halved
Now maths not being my strong point, how can I reduce my numbers o managers by 1/3 (597) meaning a total of about 1800 managers, then 3 yrs later reduce this same population of mangers by 1500. (the whole original manager population)
I smell a very stinking 'spin' from British Airways........usual BA guff for the city to save their hide. But guess what we don't buy it anymore, shares sliding as I type, down 10% to £1.12
Facts don't appear to be your strong point either. The two reduction programs have been targeted at different tiers of management. Subtleties like that are beyond your analytical capability. Also the information has been in the public domain for at least 24 hours so you're late to the party again.
Over the last couple of days I'd put Blueray and 411a on my ignore list but their far too entertaining to ignore. They stir the **** up or generate it I'm not sure which.
This is a no win and posts are just reflecting that. If BA had not shed some staff they'd have been accused of not reacting to the current market situation and would be in trouble. If they do then they're considered to be on the back foot and the fat lady must be singing.
They're just a company trying it's best to keep it's head above water during these interesting times. Along with every other company. Just can't see £500billion coming from anyware to shore up this industry.
Oh please , sevenforeseven , your hatred of all things BA should at least be qualified with a reason . If its the arcane recruiting system that has hurt you , I might understand , but there are an awful lot of very nice people in BA .
Most of them do not have a clue about other airlines / life on the 'outside' etc , but that is not necessarily a crime . I disliked BA for many years , and was not happy when they took over my airline and dispensed with my services because of where I was based . However , a court case helped me get my job back , which meant starting at the bottom etc , but I met many fine kind people along the way , got a command very quickly and enjoyed a few great years flying with some very fine people ( always a few bad apples like any airline ) before having to leave at 55 just as I was getting into it. There are a few 'Nigels' but most are not . My friends love to try and wind me up with that moniker , but it does not .
I always thought BA had far too many managers , but I could never wish redundancy / unemployment on anyone . How you can bring yourself to wish unhappiness on all people BA is vexing - care to explain ?
Low-cost airline easyJet followed arch-rival Ryanair by reporting a 20 percent rise in September passenger volumes, but shares fell across the sector amid growing concerns about the economy.
The company also said in a statement on Monday its load factor -- a measure of how well it fills planes -- improved versus a year earlier to 86.9 percent, while year-to-date passenger growth was up 17.3 percent.
The performance echoed an equally positive result from Ryanair, which said on Friday its September passenger numbers grew 20 percent.
However, both airlines have warned of slowing consumer demand over the winter months.
Shares in British Airways were hit hardest after its traffic numbers showed on Friday that more expensive flying is suffering most, with premium class travel down 8.6 percent in September and passenger numbers down 4.8 percent overall.
"The outlook is uncertain -- consumer weakness is going to be a factor for some time," said Douglas McNeill, transport analyst at Blue Oar.
EasyJet shares were down 3.3 percent at 315 pence by 9:30 a.m. British time, valuing it at 1.3 billion pounds. The shares are down by around 46 percent for the year so far as airlines battle the twin threat of rising fuel costs and impending recession.
British Airways was off 8.5 percent at 150 pence, valuing the flagship carrier at 1.7 billion pounds, while Ryanair was down about 6 percent.
Collins Stewart analyst Andrew Fitchie said in a note that BA and the budget airlines were operating opposite models -- with the former pushing up prices at the expense of volume and the latter keeping fares low -- helping to explain the sharp contrast in September performance.
Everybody is feeling the pain at the moment. Oddly enough with the majority of companies losing half their share value over this turbulent period.
But, of course, big bad BA looks better in the tabloid shock-horror headlines than Easy Jet or Ryanair.
Nowt we can do about except what cost cutting we can. The future is far from certain but I, personally, wish no pilot ill or to be out of a job irrespective of their company. It is a nasty position to be in at the start of a global recession and I have seen it first hand from friends of mine at XL.
This is one time when we all need the management to get their collective heads out of their ar$es and start effective management. Not exactly holding my breath though.
At least 500 managers have every Friday off here @ Waterside. Even at Cranebank there was a complete lack of them. We would not miss 500 + every day because that is probably a daily figure for such activities as away, surgically positioned to a First seat somewhere in the world, annual leave, working from home or merely not coming in as there is nowhere to park the company Honda or at a meeting re cutbacks.
With things the way they are, why on earth should anyone volunteer to leave BA? Its far better being warm inside BA than outside in the dreadful climate. I know things are not easy with BA (based on what I have read here today) but to leave voluntarily? Baffles me but what do I know??
I remember the halcyon days of reading the "Friday Firelighter" and seeing adverts for " Bread Rolls Europe " in the jobs section, on an MG grade of course....
I also wonder if any of the managers responsible for the pension disaster have disappeared as well, 1.8 billion pound deficit, 1.3 billion pound company......
well the comparison between EZY and BA staff numbers is totally pointless, immediately you look at the the cabin crew on an aircraft at any one time, EZY 3 (B737) or 4 (A319) so call it an average of 3.75
BA have almost 50% of the fleet being B763, B772 and B744 so that's about 8 12 and 15 per aircraft, so thats and average of 12.75 per aircraft at any one time, without taking into account the fact that longhaul ops require greater numbers of crew, even BA's remaining fleet is mostly larger aircraft than EZY fleet so again more crew required per unit.....
My "other half" is Longhaul crew for BA and had most of august off due to hitting 900 hours and even now is back to 880 ish....
also as well as BA undertaking less outsourcing than EZY, with a totally different product there will always be greater numbers of staff needed to process the on-board product, and that's just looking at eurofleet Y class product, the concentration must be even greater to ensure club and first products work along with lounges, executive club, full reservations teams with business pax wanting to change bookings all the time etc etc.....
so the overall comparison of staff per airframe is not a valid one.....
Probally live happily ever after on a nice well earned pension.What will you do ?
Stormin norman ... See what they've done to pensioners staff travel, retrospectively, secretly ( at the planning stage ) and with no regard to how it effects people in no position to fight back - tho' we're trying - so imagine what they will try to do to the pension funds if they get half a chance. We 'think' they're secure, but how secure ? Remember Maxwell. Never is a long time in Politics - and pension funds. Fingers crossed.
I must say there are some very ill informed views on this thread, and I speak as an ex-BA Manager who is now a pilot at a rival airline.
BA has for the whole of its history been a pioneer in aviation - first transatlantic jet service, first supersonic service, first flat bed in business class. It also developed in house the very best check-in system anywhere in the world, deployed self service kiosks en masse long before any other European airlines, pioneered lounges etc etc. It is and always has been one of the truly great airlines. This innovation takes manpower and brains in large numbers to stay one step ahead of the competition. It's harder to be the first airline to put flat beds in business class than it is to be the hundredth when seats etc are readily available off the shelf. This rich history, the diversity and quality of its service and its global reach means BA needs more Managers than an airline such as Easy of Ryan. A simple example is the fact that BA has a fully qualified sommelier choosing its wines, and yes I suppose he is a Manager. Quite clearly you don't need one of those if you're Ryanair and are flinging a bottle of Blue Nun at the proletariat!
I'm afraid I now work amongst the Blue Nun brigade at present too (though thankfully not Ryanair), but I hope one day to work again for BA because they are a quality operator, perhaps amongst the very last ones left in a world that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. God knows this profession has been devalued enough without attacking one of the few airlines left that still puts service not price at its core and believes in hiring the best talent and training and paying it well.
BA made £800 million last year, more profit than any other airline I know of in the world - partly because of the quality of its management and its ideas, its product innovation, its superb service. It's a great pity T5 was a shambles on opening day, but on projects of that magnitude problems always occur and by God have they got a world class terminal now.
The pilot professions would indeed be a better place if its future lay with more employers like BA.
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