We've been using the Titan 737 for a couple of days...

I am so glad I made a very difficult decsion some years ago now.

I could see the 'implosion' starting to gather pace back then.

Great admiration for those on the front line keeping the ship afloat as it were.

It is isn't it? Makes a change, usually the frontline staff are the last ones to get recognised for the hard work they put in day to day.

The BA debacle will probably end up as a stock MBA case study in years to come. Hope it will be a story of the company succeeding in spite of management decisions in August 2004.

This appears to be one seriously screwed up airline at the moment. Cancel LHR JFK. Was that a chosen decision?

"BA has cancelled a further six flights on Tuesday, as investigations continue into last week's travel disruption.
Staff shortages and technical problems led BA to cancel over 100 flights last week, angering passengers at Heathrow.

The latest cancellations are return trips from Heathrow to New York, Brussels and Zurich. " 31Aug04

Trouble is it's not the first and won't be the last . It's a question of modern 'management' syndrome . All will be revealed one day when it is realised that someone having studied and with the paperwork , doesn't really understand the line of work he is supposed to be manageing - that and when all the accountants are pushed back into the box .
Roll on retirement - a sad day whan an aviation lover says that!

Have read all comments with great interest. As a BA 'insider' I agree with most comments, but will have to defend certain operational decisions.

1.Covering the programme. A number of long and short haul sectors have been cancelled over the next three months. We also have a Titan B737-300 and shortly and Iberian A320 to cover domestic and Spanish routes respectively. This will assist the operation threefold 1.It will give the operation a far more robust look. 2.It will (hopefully) mean BA will be able to deliver a better service to our flagging and disheartened customers. 3.It will assist the engineering department in addressing the (now stable) high levels of outstanding ADDs.

These steps have had to be taken for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, EWS and staff shortages. Without these steps, the bad press and day to day operational disruption would have catastrophic.

2.EWS/SAP. Awful system. As tends to be the norm, the frontline staff were not involved at the decision making stage to bring this system in. It was not designed to be and never has been an aviation based tool, and we are suffering tremendously because of this. The real concern is that a very small percentage of what the system was bought to do has been launched. I am convinced EWS will be visited on other threads.

3.Hotline reward for staff. While I am one of the lucky ones that qualify for this unecessary gesture, I do not understand the companies logic and do not agree with this incentive. Rewarded for doing our jobs? Thought that was what a salary was for. As is stated in The Times, the routes that tend to be available for staff (especially such a high number that will be looking to book) will tend to be the routes where you not necessarily wish to travel to, or travel to destinations out of season. Think it prudent to keep these things in check, although yet again BAs timing was to perfection and clearly antagonised a large number of customers.

I will not comment on the management within BA. I must stress I am not one of them and certainly, at this time, have no aspirations to become one. Suffice to say that every single one is presently looking over their shoulder!

No inspiration and little leadership may yet lead to a collapse of BA.