Mate, what exactly do you want? I see in one post you slag BA for doing what any other airline would do and in another you slag Ryanair. Would you rather we got rid of the entire industry and all got around by bus?
What exactly was wrong with BA absorbing the bankrupt BCal and Danair? Both went bust, BA bought them, keeping their aircraft and some staff, saving jobs! Why is there a problem there? Air Canada has recently absorbed Canadian having forced them under, AA has just absorbed TWA, Qantas has absorbed everything in sight down under, Swissair had its finger in everywhere, SAS has bought numerous nordic airlines, Emirates is helping out a couple, Delta half owns Air Jamaica, Air France has seen to the other french carriers. Why can't BA?
As for the tails, yes some were awful, but others were representative of a wider Britain and other nations that BA serves. Most airlines at some stage do promotional paintwork - look at SAA and QF, Delta did some 777 is a special colour, Cathay have as well. So yes they HAD planned for them to be permenant but they did a u-turn. Why? Because the British public did not like not having their NATIONAL flag on their NATIONAL carrier.
So what exactly, would the British public do if our NATIONAL carrier went under? I can't see BMI filling the shoes, Virgin wouldn't know how, Ryanair isn't even British, and I can't see people being impressed if a low-cost carrier were to become our main carrier.
Besides, how exactly would we travel long-haul? As far as I am aware the furthest you can get with Ryanair is the south of Italy, Buzz takes you to Jerez, Easyjet can get you to Athens, Go can get you to Iceland. Noth quite New York or Sydney but close enough!
Everyone seems to be expecting miracles. BA announce a plan of action on the 13th Feb, everyone is expecting record profits by the 14th Feb. Give them a chance. We all know they have been mismanaged for a while, but give them a chance. They are trying, let's wait until we critise.
Do you want to become the next Belgium or Switzerland? No national carrier, trying to form one out of your only profit making subsidury? At least their governments are kind of helping, ours would only be upset because Mr Blair would be without a Concorde to hire.
Have some faith. Be proud to be BRITISH, and stop critising our NATIONAL carrier.
(Ryanair are hardly likely to splash out £6m to repaint their tails to please the British public.)