BA and Virgin caught for illegal price fixing
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BA and Virgin caught for illegal price fixing
BA was just slapped with a $500 000 000 fine for fixing ticket prices in collusion with their good buddies Virgin. But unlucky for them, the guys at Virgin saw the sh!t about to hit the fan, so they "blew the whistle" on their comrades, thus receiving immunity. Honour among thieves?
Very refreshing to see that crooked airline managers are not always isolated to regions south of the limpopo!
Last edited by JetNut; 3rd Aug 2007 at 15:57.
Not totally accurate as a report Jetnut 
It wasn't ticket price fixing, it was to do with the amount to be charged as a fuel surcharge on top of the ticket price, which is something altogether different.
It is also true that Willie Walsh has said he doesn't blame Virgin Atlantic for blowing the whistle and suggests he would have done the same if BA Senior management had found out before the VS Senior management did.
It seems that both airlines had middle/junior management who stupidly saw nothing wrong with what they were talking about, but it was VS who realised the problem first and acted quite properly. I would hazard a guess that careers have suffered in both airlines as a result.
Only one airline was caught doing something wrong, the other airline confessed its wrong doing at the first opportunity.
It wasn't ticket price fixing, it was to do with the amount to be charged as a fuel surcharge on top of the ticket price, which is something altogether different.
It is also true that Willie Walsh has said he doesn't blame Virgin Atlantic for blowing the whistle and suggests he would have done the same if BA Senior management had found out before the VS Senior management did.
It seems that both airlines had middle/junior management who stupidly saw nothing wrong with what they were talking about, but it was VS who realised the problem first and acted quite properly. I would hazard a guess that careers have suffered in both airlines as a result.
Only one airline was caught doing something wrong, the other airline confessed its wrong doing at the first opportunity.
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The full story can be read at the link below. The Daily Telegraph is a reputable newspaper and according to their investigators a number of other major carriers such as Air France, could face much higher fines if found guilty.
BA to Virgin: a fine mess you got us into
BA to Virgin: a fine mess you got us into
