I worked for BA, as flight crew, for many years.
I am now in business and fly considerably as a premium passenger on both long and short haul flights. I am now in a position to take a long look at the quality of service in the cabins of various carriers.
Believe me, I try to see BA in a better light, but I am finding it increasingly difficult.
Flying on Virgin in Upper Class is a pleasure...apart from the dreadful seats! The cabin crew make me feel welcome and seem to enjoy their job. They work hard at the product, from check-in to the limo. They are consistently good.
Flying on BA can be BAD. It appears that many CC in BA think they are sheer perfection ... the bad news is that they are not. There are a lot of arrogant, lemon-suckers in the cabin. I am the nuisance that is stopping them getting to their crew bunks. They seem to lose sight of the fact that I am paying a lot for my Club/First seat.
But, there are also some EXCELLENT BA cabin crew out there. I flew to JNB last week and the southbound crew were superb, in every way. Coming back was appalling....totally disinterested, not a smile anywhere, a request for a de-caf coffee greeted with a grunt, a shambles of a meal service, nothing cleared away etc etc etc. I bet they were on a massive long-sector payment as well. The CSD didn't show his face once on the upper deck.
So, back to Virgin for the next trip.
BA cabin-crew must realise that there is another world out there...an inferior one, to the one they know. Carry on like this and that is where they will be.
Maybe I am just an old fart share-holder who expects too much!