BA's problem at LGW is largely one of revenue not cost. And competing against easyJet isn't simply an issue of price. easyJet pax I talk to, on the whole, like the easyJet service and experience. And easyJet's marketing and branding has really sharpened up over the past year. The "Where are you going?" campaign was much more inviting and aspirational than easyJet's historical marketing.
Can I just say how nice it is to hear someone on forums such as this to acknowledge that Easyjet pax aren't necassarilly trading down or "slumming up" by flying Easyjet.
Now, I've worn both the BA and EZY uniform and things at Easyjet aren't always spot on but many of the latters passengers really do champion the easyjet brand. I must admit that one of the main reasons seems to be the crew. As a cabin manager the amount of comments I am always astounded by the amount of postive comments I receive specifically about my colleagues. Easyjet might not be the least stressful carrier to fly with and it's still low cost however much it moves towards being hybrid, but there appears to be something about the crew and general product that people seem to like.
The new marketing campaign does look very smart in my opinion and along with very good on time performance and some other improvements hopefully Easyjet can build on the momentum. Incidentally, the allocated seating trial appears to be going very well and it is looking increasingly likely that it will be rolled out across the network............not that there was any doubt in my mind anyway.