Surely this is just some sort of "statement" aimed at LCY given the current spat over the sale and potential charge increases.
OK may be I am reading too much into this - however this is a real (and very public) concern for BA at the moment and history shows they use every combination of strategies to defend their interests.
What makes me suspicious of a double motive is the timing - why wait until now to announce it when peak holiday booking season is January? is the service an afterthought or is the timing more deliberate?