I am old enough to remember paxing on the last of the BA BAC One-Elevens in their final weeks of service, operating out of Birmingham. I think this was in 1991 and the aircraft had been built in 1968.
The interiors were totally clean, undamaged and up to date right to the end. In fact they were spotless. BA did sell them on, so it was not as if it was all wasted. But we commented at the time on how well they maintained their standards to the end on their fleet.
The fact remains that BA is using far too many old planes. The mechanical and elec. bits will be fine, but the passenger experience can be awful. BA just have not invested/re-invested in its fleet
It really is stretching things to believe that the same airframe engineers and fitters, at the same maintenance base, and with parts availability out of the same stores, will be so painstaking over the mech/elec components, and just let the cabin items go hang. In any event we hear again and again of failed lights, which are surely electrics ? Age of the airframe is nothing to do with it. How you keep it up and presentable is.
I guess it's all part of the Willie Walsh "let's wear the BA brand down so everyone will go with my old mate Mikey at Ryanair, because it's no worse, and then one day Mikey will see me all right" campaign.