Interesting times but,despite the potential value in their brand, I still think that BA are on the way out.
I do hope you're wrong, but privately as an inside Customer Service employee I am worried! BA has always had a certain arrogance as a company, but a few years ago it could afford to be arrogant because it was the best airline in its class!
The hard-nosed attitude with non-refuindable, non-changeable tickets is doing us no favours except getting short-term cash in the till. Continental, on the other hand, sells non-refundable, non-changeable tickets, but will issue the ticket value as a "Travel Credit" against a future booking if the customer has "hard-luck" circumstances.
As staff, we now have zero discretion allowed to us. We have to apply whatever rules there are without regard to the circumstances, except in a very few limited cases (such as bereavement where even that must be "evidenced" by producing a Death Certificate.)
Sorry to hear of the difficulties you're experiencing. As the catering gets pulled from our short hauls (under 1 hour), other catering gets "re-aligned" and our baggage allowances reduce, I and my colleagues fully expect to see many more of our loyal customers walking away! (As well as loyal staff leaving when the Terms and Conditions are tampered with and the job market picks up outside!)
Sad, isn't it, to see such a proud Empire brought down by those who know the cost of everything but the value of nothing! I honestly believed an Irishman would do better!
If you are correct about cost wins all
No way is the "cost wins all" argument correct. If it was, then no one would buy from John Lewis or Harrods. No one would buy a Mercedes Benz. It is value for money that people desire.
As British Airways service was superior to EasyJet or Ryanair, people were prepared to pay a bit extra, but as the gap closes between the service standards (Easy and Ryanair's lack of check in desks notwithstanding) customers are finding it difficult to justify the extra costs.
I wish I could see a way out of the downward spiral.