411A,- The European Court decision on BAs incentive payments is extraordinary. Incentives have been paid to travel agents by most airlines both in their home countries and abroad since the 1980s . It is difficult to see how they can be considered as " dirty tricks". BA is less dominant in its highly competitive market ( UK) than Air France, Lufthansa and KLM in theirs and to ask or expect BA to fight with its arms tied behind its back while UK and overseas operators alike are unrestricted in the incentives they can offer in the UK puts it at a severe disadvantage.
There has never been any proven evidence of a " dirty tricks " campaign in BA and I have never met any of its staff at any level who were aware of it or any instructions to do anything unethical. BA was always a strong competitor on product, range of destinations, frequency and , where necessary, pricing ,but thats business. As a privatised company it has had to contend with government subsidised or otherwise supported carriers around the world. One would hope that it has been aggresively competitive,- it has to be,- but thats not abuse of position.