Well put MGC
However staff costs are not the only problem, and I remember the Pan Am staff taking cut after cut and they still went down.
Competing against the LCC's is very difficult on cost.
I wonder what the difference in cost is for Ryan Air's landing and handling fees against BA.
Also they picked up their equipment for a lot less and are always hunting around for cheap GSE etc. etc.
Are BA using their muscle to get the fees down and what do they pay BAA every year. Are BAA listening and do they believe that the golden goose can die?
You say they BA have to be different and offer a different product, what happened to Concorde then?
If you are carrying the mass market in the back of a tube, and its the same tube that the LCC's are using, how can you make it much different?