10secondsurvey - I agree with a lot of your statement, but disagree that "BA has lost the plot!" Indeed, considering the high fuel prices which, despite all their bravado and bluster, is placing EasyJet and Ryanair in deep financial doo doo, you are going to be looking at a very impressive set of profit figures for BA tomorrow - and I will be getting a bonus! I don't think Rod Eddington and Willie Walsh would have achieved this if we had "lost the plot!"
The loads on our flights are high, especially in the premium market, and this reflects the fact that the majority of our customers are happy to pay the quoted fares. I think our aim is to be competitive, but not necessarily the cheapest.
However, I do agree that marketing have lost sight of which type of customers we want to target - we're still bumbling along the "we want them all" road but, it has to be admitted, we are succeeding despite the high fuel prices and frequent criticism from the Daily Mail / Evening Standard!