All old companies are like this - in ANY sphere of commerce (or govt for that matter). There is nothing that can be done about it. There is no sorting things out. There is new Board/Pres/CEO that can fix it, because the corporate response is now so deep and so wide, that it has overtaken company instructions. The need to save money and maintain 'face' is exactly the approach that kills the company/govt in the end.
It's just human nature and it's been like this, I rather think, since man formed the first village committee ... So I have stopped complaining (unless I think I can get a small freebie but then
only for the freebie) and I just buy elsewhere. I do this in ALL my purchasing decisions. In this forum, I have been saying for a couple of years that I though BA would not be in it's presently constituted form within 10 years. Once the cabin crew made their decision, and the various responses of the mgmt, I have shortened that to five years.
hunterboy
If BA goes under, who/what do you think will replace them?
Firstly, the UK govt will jump around a lot and splurble at the TV cameras as they always do, "We want to secure as many jobs as we can" blah-blah but the deciding factor will be how much consolidation the UK govt (via Monopolies & Mergers Commission, or whatever it is called these days) will allow.
- If VS want a big chunk will they allow it?
- If no single buyer can be found, will they allow it to be broken up amongst several, with the Short/Medium/Long going in different directions?
- Will they insist it be sold 'as one entity' thus almost guaranteeing it's downfall?
- What about a consortium led by it's One World partners?
- What if BD (oops, I mean LH) wants to take the major piece?
The politicos will want someone to buy the husk lock, stock and reinvent Britland Airways/Brits can really fix this Airways/whatever, but my guess is that commercial realities of a market that has more carriers and capacity than needed, will go for consolidation, not more of the same. Thus, I suggest, an independent UK carrier is likely to close.
I take no delight in this and feel very sad for those that will lose their jobs, particularly the 95% brilliant staff (at all levels) BUT this is what happens to old companies and BA started in 1919 and those preceding 90 years that gave them their worldwide reputation - are now dragging on the wings. They lived on their reputation for some time but that too is now fading. I stopped using BA as my first choice after the Dirty Tricks episode, my lack of spend is infinitesimally small and the times that I have travelled on them since then, have been good. My argument is with the mangers.
There are many examples of old companies that have gone under/been bought out, Woolworth's and Cadbury's for two different and recent examples.