Gibon2
BA, like other major western airlines, has been severely affected by increasing fuel costs, labour challenges and fixed costs that it has become much more vulnerable to low-cost competition. The key to this scenario has been for BA to provide a slimmed down service and has tried to be good at it whilst maintaining it presence around the world in a more realistic and sustainable way.
Ask me if the middle East Airlines and the Far East Airlines have had these fuel costs, labour challenges et la scenarios.....Arrh
You just have to waddle through this forum to find Pilots of a certain Middle East Airline vent their frustration about their QOL.
I'm neither trying to leap to BA's defence here nor justify it's short comings but with hindsight BA exhibits modern age enterprenual skills by men and women selected and developed in Britain and hence that "A very British Airline" slogan. BA in it's arrogance has the belief that even the very average candidates like "Jodie", given a chance and exposed to their training regime and with a right attitude and passion, can be exceptional. This is the real challenge which competition doesn't ever want to know about. All BA staff are ordinary employee who live ordinary lives next door.
All airlines are in this business to sell time and time is of essence. You will ask me then that why do people still fly BA if competition (with excellent in-flight experience) can offer all these incentives on missed connections, delays et la and yet they all sell time?
BA's objective is to make money for it's shareholders by serving customers well. It does not promise exceeding customer expectations but to meet them normal conditions permitting. And how has it done this? by the basics of the basics in business, the elementary issue of doing well in the future - How should we act today in order to be better off tomorrow - the principal of foresight. Now there are not many airlines which are going to claim to do this but I will state here that this is BA's most secret weapon and that's why BA would rather fly it's customers without IFE but when they've followed schedule. It's not that IFE is not vital but in operation the opportunity cost of delaying a flight basing on a non safety failure highly affects customer satisfaction since your in the business to sell time.
Ask me if it's sustainable to be providing vouchers et la to all customers worldwide every time nature strikes and I will still be sitting here in the loft carrying my head and thinking of what to type.
I would encourage constructive criticism of BA whilst acknowledging the environment this flagship Airline finds itself in. Your voices are important for this company but how about wonderful programs of relief efforts to Phillipines et la and community projects that BA gets involved in -A mark of real British values.
