Snooky:
you are plain WRONG. The GB Airbuses were never intended for BA. If you knew any of the facts you would know: Firstly they are a different spec. Secondly they were not refinanced by RBOS from BA. The aircraft wre purchased by GB Airways and then refinanaced by GB Airways to the RBOS. Put any idea that these aircraft were ever intended for BA out of your head. These aircraft were purchased by GB Airways to replace the ageing B737 fleet. Not for new routes 'given' away by BA.The choice at the time was NG737s or Airbus. GB chose the Airbus because BA were going to base their Airbuses at LGW. Thus it made sense in terms of product support to have the same type.
Since Sept. 11th BA has cut its orders 'cos of its own ineptitude in running an airline.
Next in line:
GB Airways sucess is not 'on the back of the BA name' in recent years this 'name' has been a positive hinderence. BA has a reputation for overpricing and poor service (not to mention Channel 4 documenataries) that GB has had to overcome. In particular our cabin crew are constantly praised, even by BA. When GB became a franchise BA insisted we downgrade our business service to the same level as BA Club. Do not forget that up until the franchise, BA had a 49% share in GB Airways. I suppose your argument is that owners of MacDonalds restaurants/franchises are only making money on the back of the good name of MacDonalds. Isn't this how a franchise works. What business model of franchise are you working on. GB pays a considerable sum of money to BA each year, it is not free.
With regard BA reject management and SOPs, no GB pilot manager presently at GB has ever worked for BA. I was refering mainly to the large number of non flight operations managers who have passed through our doors over the years. There are managers and departments other than operations even in BA. Our most succesful MD was not BA. He was successful because he screwed costs right down. Broaden your outlook there is more to an airline than just pilots it is a team game.
Secret Squirrel:
Valencia and Malta had both been operated by BEA/BA in the past.
When GB started the routes BA had not flown them for many years. Dropped as uneconomical. These routes were available to anyone including BA. They now feed passengers into the rest of the BA network.
If BA wishes to compete in the 21st Centuary I humbly suggest they leave the civil service practices of BEA/BOAC behind.
If they think competing means forcing everyone elses costs up to the same level as their own, they have a very perverse view of the world. Even if they do this with GB how are they going to achieve this within Ryanair, Easyjet, KLMuk, Buzz, GO and any other upstarts who dare infringe on the birthright of BA.
BA have constantly bought out 'low cost competitors'; Northeast, Cambrian, BCal, Brymon, CityFlyer, Bral etc etc.. The only people ever to profit appear to be the vendors. Have BA never learnt the lesson?
BA has screwed up, they (including their employees) are paying the price.
BA (including its employees) need to remember 'you cannot beat the market'.