British Airways
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: New England, USA
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Slippery slope if you think an airline's name is meant to reflect a sense of its country. Because surely the very first airline whose name must change would be the USA carrier, United Airlines.

Controversial, moi?
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: UK
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As wiggy asks, what are they?
In case you hadn't noticed the cultural identity of the UK has changed enormously over the past 50 years with the influx of people whose cultural background is different from the original indigenous population of say 70 years ago.
Not a judgement simply a fact.
In case you hadn't noticed the cultural identity of the UK has changed enormously over the past 50 years with the influx of people whose cultural background is different from the original indigenous population of say 70 years ago.
Not a judgement simply a fact.

Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Uk
Age: 41
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FFS really? All for a bit of BA bashing but what a pointless thread.
Worst crisis ever. Could they have handled it better? Yes, could staff groups have behaved better? Yes. Everyone has some responsibility. Rather than trying to tear the company apart knuckle down and drag the company through. Wait for the pendulum to swing in our favour then campaign for our rewards.
Worst crisis ever. Could they have handled it better? Yes, could staff groups have behaved better? Yes. Everyone has some responsibility. Rather than trying to tear the company apart knuckle down and drag the company through. Wait for the pendulum to swing in our favour then campaign for our rewards.

Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: england
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To quote the great Robbie Burns “O wad some Power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as ithers see us!"
As mentioned above , I would hate to think what some people would define as Britishness. Drunkiness, loutishness, warmongers, chavs?
Reading the daily newspapers one would certainly be forgiven for thinking they are the main character traits of the average Brit, though I would like to think there is a silent majority with better traits tucked away at home
As mentioned above , I would hate to think what some people would define as Britishness. Drunkiness, loutishness, warmongers, chavs?
Reading the daily newspapers one would certainly be forgiven for thinking they are the main character traits of the average Brit, though I would like to think there is a silent majority with better traits tucked away at home

Good point bex88..a couple of points if I may.
Firstly knocking lumps out of BA management is one thing, criticising certain individuals, indeed the whole management committee, is IMHO fair enough...they have thick skins..OTOH knocking lumps out of BA, the entity, and worse still perhaps encouraging people not to fly with them does very little, if anything, to help those still working at the company..in fact it could end up being positively damaging for many people's job prospects..
Secondly please remember some of the public perception of "BA" has been generated by a clever PR campaign run by on particular organisation who very definitely have an axe to grind.
Firstly knocking lumps out of BA management is one thing, criticising certain individuals, indeed the whole management committee, is IMHO fair enough...they have thick skins..OTOH knocking lumps out of BA, the entity, and worse still perhaps encouraging people not to fly with them does very little, if anything, to help those still working at the company..in fact it could end up being positively damaging for many people's job prospects..
Secondly please remember some of the public perception of "BA" has been generated by a clever PR campaign run by on particular organisation who very definitely have an axe to grind.

Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: uk
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As far as cabin crew redundancies go,the demise of the legacy crew will hit the airline so hard.
Many crew have over 25 years experience,a substantial number,much more.
Nothing like being greeted and taken care of,flying home from the other side of the world,by experienced,highly trained crew.
Imagine the future,a crew of inexperienced youngsters,complemented by the odd,bitter and disillusioned old timer,on vastly inferior pay and conditions.
Not the ideal senario for a customer experience perspective.
Combined with disgruntled flight crew,demoralised ground staff and embittered engineers,doesn't bode well does it.
Not the BA experience we are used to,not a future i look forward to either.
Many crew have over 25 years experience,a substantial number,much more.
Nothing like being greeted and taken care of,flying home from the other side of the world,by experienced,highly trained crew.
Imagine the future,a crew of inexperienced youngsters,complemented by the odd,bitter and disillusioned old timer,on vastly inferior pay and conditions.
Not the ideal senario for a customer experience perspective.
Combined with disgruntled flight crew,demoralised ground staff and embittered engineers,doesn't bode well does it.
Not the BA experience we are used to,not a future i look forward to either.

Do the passengers in economy really care enough to pay extra ? People said the world would end when BA made economy short haul pax pay for a sandwich and gin & tonic.... but the world carried on

Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Northern Ireland
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Oh how we live in unprecedented times and its altogether very unsettling for all of us in the industry.
As it stood before the current crisis BA particularly its short haul was at an enormously large cost disadvantage when compared to the low cost airlines, who have immeasurably lower costs and operate in the same market pairs.
The industry wage, especially in cabin crew, (and various ground handling jobs) has been dropping, with many roles being outsourced by many airlines in order to attempt to somewhat level the playing field of cost. The low cost airlines are the ones who have torn the Ts & Cs up and brought in substantially lower starting salaries. I understand people are angry but also worth considering the macro environment. If BA is to survive it will need to slim down its cost base. It looks like it will be firmly reliant on its short haul flying for some time, without its profitable US operation that would appear to subsidise its less profitable short haul flying. Management are left with limited options and nothing they attempt to do will be attractive to those impacted.
As it stood before the current crisis BA particularly its short haul was at an enormously large cost disadvantage when compared to the low cost airlines, who have immeasurably lower costs and operate in the same market pairs.
The industry wage, especially in cabin crew, (and various ground handling jobs) has been dropping, with many roles being outsourced by many airlines in order to attempt to somewhat level the playing field of cost. The low cost airlines are the ones who have torn the Ts & Cs up and brought in substantially lower starting salaries. I understand people are angry but also worth considering the macro environment. If BA is to survive it will need to slim down its cost base. It looks like it will be firmly reliant on its short haul flying for some time, without its profitable US operation that would appear to subsidise its less profitable short haul flying. Management are left with limited options and nothing they attempt to do will be attractive to those impacted.

Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: S Coast
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The world carried on but most of their short haul passengers now fly with EZY and the other LCCs.

Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Uk
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Join Date: Jun 2020
Location: London
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bex88......I would suggest that is exactly what BA are doing, moving the point to point leisure traffic from LGW to the much more attractive LHR. Certainly more attractive for those of us living north of the river.

Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Lichfield UK
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Absolutely delighted our flights to Funchal have decanted to LHR. I think some weeks last year there were 9 weekly to FNC from Gatwick with double daily at weekends. There might be an argument for at least one or two of those to remain at Heathrow.

Join Date: Jan 2006
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I have bad news for you FNC and the other LGW Holiday routes are returning to LGW on the 9/9
it was pragmatic to move all to LHR when LGW had limiting operating hours last and this month
it was pragmatic to move all to LHR when LGW had limiting operating hours last and this month

Join Date: Mar 2008
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