BA needs to understand that it cannot reduce service levels in the premium classes and then expect customer loyalty in hard times.
I could give the company 20-30 return trips, every year, between Malta and London in Club Europe, but why should I when they send tired 737's (tired as cabin fittings, e.g. seat headrest fell off recently) and change the seating so that it feels tighter than Ryanair? If one buys 2 seats on Ryanair and priority boarding, then the space is similar to CE and several times less expensive, Priority Pass gives lounge access at both ends. A meal at the airport replaces the in flight offering and the savings more than pay for a bottle of wine or two enroute.
On short haul these days, I actively use easyJet before BA, their wx canx policy is miles better and the service is usually excellent. I had a weather related problem with BA this year (as a Club pax) and it was only resolved when a kind member of BA staff PM'd me with an email address in response to a thread on the SLF forum. Otherwise I would have had to pay GBP350 for hotac. When I experienced an airborne return with U2, due to intense TS activity over France, they provided hotac, meals and a replacement flight (i.e. added an extra, ad hoc, flight to their schedule.)
When I took the time to give feedback about the new Club Europe seating, I got this reply
"Dear Mr F3G
It’s important to us that you have an opportunity to let us know what you like or think needs to be improved and we have opened this feedback channel so that you can do just that.
Unfortunately we cannot respond personally to every piece of feedback we receive but we will collect this information with a view to making improvements that are important to you.
Thank you for sending us your feedback.
Regards
XXXXXXXXX
British Airways Executive Club
That simply is not a good enough reply, maybe losing 900 million might focus their thinking a little.
And then I fly regularly to the middle east, but the 'service' at T5 is sometimes horrible (in particular fast track security, pretty important to the FQTV, is a total joke), so I tend to use * Alliance instead. If BA cannot sort out service levels with BAA, then they don't deserve my business.
BA took cost out of the business last year, at the customer service end and are now paying the price for that decision.