BA Service
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: London
I read about F3G's experience with interest.
Few months back I was due to fly out of London City on a Friday. On arrival at the airport I discovered that due to a security scare the airport was closed. When it became clear a lengthy delay was likely I called the dedicated BA Silver exec club line, waited on hold for a long time, only be told "sorry sir, don't know what's happening to your LCY flight; there may be availability to EDI from LGW and LHR but we are locked out from checking".
Looked into an easyJet alternative from Luton but just I was about to book it, LCY reopened. Took my boarding pass to LCY Departures only to be told my flight was cancelled. Went downstairs but the few BA staff were overwhelmed dealing with grumpy people. Tried to book the alternative with easyJet but all flights now booked.
Plan C - DLR and tube to Kings Cross. Last train to Edinburgh gone. Walk to Euston. Last train to Glasgow gone. Call BA again. "There's a seat on the 1855 from Gatwick but you'll never make it. Best option is to go back to City and see if someone hasn't showed up a for a later flight". Back to LCY - no seats available. Having originally left for LCY at 1400 it's now 2030. Resigned to having to spend another night in London but with a long queue at the BA desk, I call their helpline again and explain the situation. They book me on the first flight out of LCY on Saturday. No mention of HOTAC, although to be fair I did not pursue with them as I had a friend's home to go to.
Now the root cause of my problems that day wasn't BA's fault, but my point is that when there's a crisis, your "status" with the airline is pretty irrelevant - it's basically every man for himself. Now I don't think that's a very smart way to deal with premium pax, but I guess BA think they can get away with it.
I've become resigned to this from BA over the years, but I can understand why others get angry about it. So F3G you have my sympathy.
13Alpha
Few months back I was due to fly out of London City on a Friday. On arrival at the airport I discovered that due to a security scare the airport was closed. When it became clear a lengthy delay was likely I called the dedicated BA Silver exec club line, waited on hold for a long time, only be told "sorry sir, don't know what's happening to your LCY flight; there may be availability to EDI from LGW and LHR but we are locked out from checking".
Looked into an easyJet alternative from Luton but just I was about to book it, LCY reopened. Took my boarding pass to LCY Departures only to be told my flight was cancelled. Went downstairs but the few BA staff were overwhelmed dealing with grumpy people. Tried to book the alternative with easyJet but all flights now booked.
Plan C - DLR and tube to Kings Cross. Last train to Edinburgh gone. Walk to Euston. Last train to Glasgow gone. Call BA again. "There's a seat on the 1855 from Gatwick but you'll never make it. Best option is to go back to City and see if someone hasn't showed up a for a later flight". Back to LCY - no seats available. Having originally left for LCY at 1400 it's now 2030. Resigned to having to spend another night in London but with a long queue at the BA desk, I call their helpline again and explain the situation. They book me on the first flight out of LCY on Saturday. No mention of HOTAC, although to be fair I did not pursue with them as I had a friend's home to go to.
Now the root cause of my problems that day wasn't BA's fault, but my point is that when there's a crisis, your "status" with the airline is pretty irrelevant - it's basically every man for himself. Now I don't think that's a very smart way to deal with premium pax, but I guess BA think they can get away with it.
I've become resigned to this from BA over the years, but I can understand why others get angry about it. So F3G you have my sympathy.
13Alpha
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
From: UK
What on earth have Go been brought up for? They were never a regional airline, and they don't even exist anymore. Any input they might have had in dominating the regional loco market (current tense) is surely for EZ, a competitor of BA. For an airline to survive they need to look to the future, not live on the less than remarkable achievements of the past.
The transatlantic is now pretty much level playing ground. Lets see if history repeats itself, I have every expectation that it will.
The transatlantic is now pretty much level playing ground. Lets see if history repeats itself, I have every expectation that it will.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Nice work indeed, except BA could never get that as Easy wouldn't pay £374M to BA and BA wouldn't sell directly to Easy, so suggesting that BA could have achieved that sale price is pure wishful thinking.
I made a statement of fact in reply to your question "what about GO."
You accused me of spin, so I restated the facts and added a comment about 3i's 249% profit after 11 months "nice work if you can get it."
I made no suggestion that BA could have gained the higher price and IIRC the company wished to add some liquid assets to the balance sheet at the time, so were not necessarily concerned about maximising the sale price.
Time to stop being so paranoid.
Guest
Posts: n/a
Tablelover
What did BA do wrong?
They did not inform, me by SMS or email of the cancellation, thus cutting down on the time available for me to re-plan - I only found out when entering the airport. unacceptable.
They did not try seriously any other choice than the LH option and the agent said he couldn't guarantee that, so it was not a proper option in my opinion
No-one really gave a sh!t, apart from the T1 duty manager, who was a decent bloke and would have helped if he could have; The staff could have at least looked as if they gave a sh!t, especially as I was impeccably polite to all of them - customers notice a lack of interest.
T5 was in chaos - low viz disruption in winter is a regular event, doesn't the company have proper disruption plans - to fill empty customer service desks, some agents untrained in re-ticketing were brought in and could only offer limited assistance, still I suppose it looks betterthan hqving empty desks if the press are around
Finally, I was dropped on my own, 1,300 miles from home, with no assistance to get a hotel room, never mind to pay for it
And this on a ticket costing a serious amount of money.
Now consider the following extract from the carriers regulations of easyJet, a loco
Do you think I will willingly use BA in the future, when it cannot provide a premium fare pax with the same level of service as a loco?
What did BA do wrong?
They did not inform, me by SMS or email of the cancellation, thus cutting down on the time available for me to re-plan - I only found out when entering the airport. unacceptable.
They did not try seriously any other choice than the LH option and the agent said he couldn't guarantee that, so it was not a proper option in my opinion
No-one really gave a sh!t, apart from the T1 duty manager, who was a decent bloke and would have helped if he could have; The staff could have at least looked as if they gave a sh!t, especially as I was impeccably polite to all of them - customers notice a lack of interest.
T5 was in chaos - low viz disruption in winter is a regular event, doesn't the company have proper disruption plans - to fill empty customer service desks, some agents untrained in re-ticketing were brought in and could only offer limited assistance, still I suppose it looks betterthan hqving empty desks if the press are around
Finally, I was dropped on my own, 1,300 miles from home, with no assistance to get a hotel room, never mind to pay for it
And this on a ticket costing a serious amount of money.
Now consider the following extract from the carriers regulations of easyJet, a loco
If your flight is cancelled as a result of extraordinary circumstances
If your flight is cancelled as a result of extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even though we took all reasonable steps , including but not limited to:
* Air Traffic Control
* Weather
* Civil unrest
* Terrorist alerts and Security alerts
* Strike Action
* Unexpected flight safety shortcomings
easyJet will not compensate you further other than providing you with one of the following options (“Re-routing and Reimbursement Options”):
You will be offered:
1. Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity; or
2. Re-routing to your final destination at later date at your convenience and subject to availability; or
3. A refund of the fare paid for the journey not made. Additionally, where relevant, we will offer a return flight to the first point of departure at the earliest available time.
In addition, you will be offered free of charge two telephone calls, or telex or fax messages or emails.
Where you choose to be re-routed at the earliest opportunity:
1. You will be provided with meals and refreshments (or vouchers) in a reasonable relation to your waiting time; and
2. If an overnight stay is required because the reasonably expected time of departure is at least the day after the time of departure previously announced, easyJet shall offer you hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel (within reason).
If your flight is cancelled as a result of extraordinary circumstances which could not have been avoided even though we took all reasonable steps , including but not limited to:
* Air Traffic Control
* Weather
* Civil unrest
* Terrorist alerts and Security alerts
* Strike Action
* Unexpected flight safety shortcomings
easyJet will not compensate you further other than providing you with one of the following options (“Re-routing and Reimbursement Options”):
You will be offered:
1. Re-routing to your final destination at the earliest opportunity; or
2. Re-routing to your final destination at later date at your convenience and subject to availability; or
3. A refund of the fare paid for the journey not made. Additionally, where relevant, we will offer a return flight to the first point of departure at the earliest available time.
In addition, you will be offered free of charge two telephone calls, or telex or fax messages or emails.
Where you choose to be re-routed at the earliest opportunity:
1. You will be provided with meals and refreshments (or vouchers) in a reasonable relation to your waiting time; and
2. If an overnight stay is required because the reasonably expected time of departure is at least the day after the time of departure previously announced, easyJet shall offer you hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel (within reason).
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: heathrow
As I said I dont disagree with your issues regarding HOTAC. However you continually say BA should have sent you an SMS or email, allowing you more time to replan your booking. I take it then you know exactly what time the flight was cancelled by BA, because without this information your argument falls flat I am afraid. Prove this point and you have won the discussion. Lack of SMS or email notice is irrelevant if they had only recently made the decision.
Bear in mind those 'uninterested staff' may have been shouted and screamed at by many people, before you approached, who dont understand that it isnt the company's fault if the weather is crap. And without generalizing too much who is to say they do give much of a sh!t, anymore than colleagues in T1, T4, at LGW, LTN or wherever. Watch Airline on satellite to see similar examples.
What other options did BA have available? This was their last flight of the day they cancelled, Luftie couldnt fit you on, LCY wouldnt really have been an option as being a CAT 1 airfield it wouldve been in bigger turmoil than LHR with flights all morning cancelled. Knowing this why even send you over there. Probably the same for LGW,LTN and STN being single runway and all suffering from the same met conditions. Eurostar was affected by the weather, and BA has no deals or arrangements in place to use them. Only until you can provide valid options that actually (not what you think) existed can you prove BA didnt try everything. This is not to say they couldnt have communicated this better. But again having to do this to every passenger would create bigger delays, and sometimes one assumes others outside of aviation would understand the complexities of such occasions. Especially seasoned travellers.They should have put you in a hotel as they rebooked you for the first available flight the following day. I dont know why they didnt or why you didnt push them on the subject as it is your right. But this is the only place they fall down.
There are as many bad stories about BA as there are EASY, Ryanair, Luftie, AF, KLM etc etc. People rarely come on here or any forum to pass comment on something well done. So yes I do think you will use BA again in the future, albeit not for awhile. Its network is so convienient to use and BA will get away with it as every other company does. Which is a somewhat depressing point to end with but a fact.
Bear in mind those 'uninterested staff' may have been shouted and screamed at by many people, before you approached, who dont understand that it isnt the company's fault if the weather is crap. And without generalizing too much who is to say they do give much of a sh!t, anymore than colleagues in T1, T4, at LGW, LTN or wherever. Watch Airline on satellite to see similar examples.
What other options did BA have available? This was their last flight of the day they cancelled, Luftie couldnt fit you on, LCY wouldnt really have been an option as being a CAT 1 airfield it wouldve been in bigger turmoil than LHR with flights all morning cancelled. Knowing this why even send you over there. Probably the same for LGW,LTN and STN being single runway and all suffering from the same met conditions. Eurostar was affected by the weather, and BA has no deals or arrangements in place to use them. Only until you can provide valid options that actually (not what you think) existed can you prove BA didnt try everything. This is not to say they couldnt have communicated this better. But again having to do this to every passenger would create bigger delays, and sometimes one assumes others outside of aviation would understand the complexities of such occasions. Especially seasoned travellers.They should have put you in a hotel as they rebooked you for the first available flight the following day. I dont know why they didnt or why you didnt push them on the subject as it is your right. But this is the only place they fall down.
There are as many bad stories about BA as there are EASY, Ryanair, Luftie, AF, KLM etc etc. People rarely come on here or any forum to pass comment on something well done. So yes I do think you will use BA again in the future, albeit not for awhile. Its network is so convienient to use and BA will get away with it as every other company does. Which is a somewhat depressing point to end with but a fact.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
From: Magic Kingdom
One of my worst BA Experiences was with a trip from BAH to NCE booked through a travel agent in Saudi Arabia some years ago. Now, some of the fault was mine for not checking every minute detail, and some of the fault goes to the travel agent for booking the tickets.
What happened was that the travel agent booked BAH-LHR on BA and LHR-NCE on a code share ticket operated on BA metal (it was a BA flight). I paid BA for the tickets and BA issued the ticket, so I thought all was fine.
Flight to LHR was okay, but when we went to check in for NCE, no booking. How can that be, I had the ticket coupons in hand:
BA: well Mr. DD the system checked that you were booked on a code share and you did not originate on a code share so it deleted your booking.
DD: But you issued me the ticket and already flew us through half of the journey on a BA plane
BA: Sorry Mr. DD, but your travel agent should have really known better.
DD: But my travel agent booked and paid and obtained the tickets from your local agents.
BA: I am sorry but the system deleted your booking because it was a code share. Besides they were discounted tickets, so if you wanted better service you should have not gotten the discount tickets (This last statement just blew me away.) Good day Mr.DD. Next please.
It took me over an hour to get someone in authority who had the intelligence to realize that they had to honor my tickets as they were issued by BA.
I have flown BA about half a dozen times in the past 10 years, only because they have a really good deal going, and have always had a similar experience with them each time.
They let you know that you are only tolerated if you travel economy with them.
Therefore, when I go on business, I make sure to use anyone other than BA.
BA Bashing my a
, I'm just another satisfied BA customer.
What happened was that the travel agent booked BAH-LHR on BA and LHR-NCE on a code share ticket operated on BA metal (it was a BA flight). I paid BA for the tickets and BA issued the ticket, so I thought all was fine.
Flight to LHR was okay, but when we went to check in for NCE, no booking. How can that be, I had the ticket coupons in hand:
BA: well Mr. DD the system checked that you were booked on a code share and you did not originate on a code share so it deleted your booking.
DD: But you issued me the ticket and already flew us through half of the journey on a BA plane
BA: Sorry Mr. DD, but your travel agent should have really known better.
DD: But my travel agent booked and paid and obtained the tickets from your local agents.
BA: I am sorry but the system deleted your booking because it was a code share. Besides they were discounted tickets, so if you wanted better service you should have not gotten the discount tickets (This last statement just blew me away.) Good day Mr.DD. Next please.
It took me over an hour to get someone in authority who had the intelligence to realize that they had to honor my tickets as they were issued by BA.
I have flown BA about half a dozen times in the past 10 years, only because they have a really good deal going, and have always had a similar experience with them each time.
They let you know that you are only tolerated if you travel economy with them.
Therefore, when I go on business, I make sure to use anyone other than BA.
BA Bashing my a
, I'm just another satisfied BA customer.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
From: UK
However you continually say BA should have sent you an SMS or email, allowing you more time to replan your booking. I take it then you know exactly what time the flight was cancelled by BA, because without this information your argument falls flat I am afraid. Prove this point and you have won the discussion. Lack of SMS or email notice is irrelevant if they had only recently made the decision.
Did you ever receive an SMS/Email from BA telling you the flight had been cancelled?
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,842
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
Seat 62K
Now you are trying to talk sense! You would not get the whole domestic division being transferred over to a new LCC division. The redundancy costs would be enormous and you would not get the remaining salaries down to the levels you need. Lastly, the management would not be facing in the right direction.GO and EZ succeeded as their mgmt were expanding UP from zero, not DOWN from 100%.
Neither can you shut down the short haul division and simply sell it off to an LCC due to entrenched positions of staff, unions and management. This problem has been looked at by every major legacy carrier in the world and no one has found the golden solution. I won't bore you with the options tried, they are all in PPRuNe somewhere!
Seat 62K
No and more importantly, I suggest that it cannot. It is too old a company. BA is (almost certainly) in the last phase of it's life. Look at Woolworths. It died aged 99 but it's last ten years have been pure decline. There are other large and notable companies all around the world who are now in their last phase, and I won't name the ones that I think are going sooner rather than later. Many of them emerged from the post Depression and War but will not survive much longer.
(Pardon the short lesson in Economics 1.01)
That is just the natural span of a company and BA has been through start up; Imperial growth; the war; BOAC; enforced merger with BEA; nationalisation; BA; bought up countless other airlines and routes to gain supremecy (before, during and after nationalisation); route expansion and leading service.
Now it is in contracting mode. In order to maintain profits, it has to cut service levels, which reduce sales and the spiral begins. It tries to take over other companies and is constantly rebuffed/fails. It sells off the domestic network (GO and later to FlyBe) to desperately cut costs and maintain good figures (Figures but not Service!) then it has to do it's best to abandon pension commitments and all the other trappings of an old company. All the while they diligently continue to tell the world how brilliant they are - even though everyone knows that they are in trouble.
The real sadness is that the people on the front line are, for the most, STILL fabulous. I would place myself on a BA a/c any minute of the day in preference to countless others. There is the old line, "I can handle the competition, but it's my management ..." To conclude, the modern manager has a real problem that they have an old company that is just not going to be able to respond the way that GO could. EVERY company must come to the natural end of it's life and, one day, VS and even the mighty Luftie will be facing this too.
It's not nice watching an old friend die but BA is in it's last phase of life. How long that phase will be, I would not like to say.
[expecting incoming from a number of folks]
... for it to focus its European operation on business travel and for it to have kept Go as its "no frills" arm.
Neither can you shut down the short haul division and simply sell it off to an LCC due to entrenched positions of staff, unions and management. This problem has been looked at by every major legacy carrier in the world and no one has found the golden solution. I won't bore you with the options tried, they are all in PPRuNe somewhere!
Seat 62K
Doesn't BA ever learn?
(Pardon the short lesson in Economics 1.01)
That is just the natural span of a company and BA has been through start up; Imperial growth; the war; BOAC; enforced merger with BEA; nationalisation; BA; bought up countless other airlines and routes to gain supremecy (before, during and after nationalisation); route expansion and leading service.
Now it is in contracting mode. In order to maintain profits, it has to cut service levels, which reduce sales and the spiral begins. It tries to take over other companies and is constantly rebuffed/fails. It sells off the domestic network (GO and later to FlyBe) to desperately cut costs and maintain good figures (Figures but not Service!) then it has to do it's best to abandon pension commitments and all the other trappings of an old company. All the while they diligently continue to tell the world how brilliant they are - even though everyone knows that they are in trouble.
The real sadness is that the people on the front line are, for the most, STILL fabulous. I would place myself on a BA a/c any minute of the day in preference to countless others. There is the old line, "I can handle the competition, but it's my management ..." To conclude, the modern manager has a real problem that they have an old company that is just not going to be able to respond the way that GO could. EVERY company must come to the natural end of it's life and, one day, VS and even the mighty Luftie will be facing this too.
It's not nice watching an old friend die but BA is in it's last phase of life. How long that phase will be, I would not like to say.
[expecting incoming from a number of folks]
Guest
Posts: n/a
Scumbag
No.
I have my own domain and mail server and got the company who manage that to check the server logs. The company did send me a preflight services email at -7 days
I am awaiting a reply from my mobile telephone company, having asked them for this before the situation changed.
Did you ever receive an SMS/Email from BA telling you the flight had been cancelled?
I have my own domain and mail server and got the company who manage that to check the server logs. The company did send me a preflight services email at -7 days
I am awaiting a reply from my mobile telephone company, having asked them for this before the situation changed.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: London
However you continually say BA should have sent you an SMS or email, allowing you more time to replan your booking. I take it then you know exactly what time the flight was cancelled by BA, because without this information your argument falls flat I am afraid. Prove this point and you have won the discussion. Lack of SMS or email notice is irrelevant if they had only recently made the decision.
If BA are unable or unwilling to operate the technology - they should stop advertising it.
So if I were a betting man I would say BA knew about the cancellation in sufficient time to inform F3G and the other passengers, and had the infrastructure available to inform them but, whether through lack of personnel, training or organisation failed to do so. Saying that Heathrow was in chaos due to the fog is NO excuse. It's foggy every winter and BA seems unable to cope EVERY time.
BA seems to prefer to spend their customer service dollars compensating after failures, rather than investing upfront to avoid them. Perhaps this is just another symptom of a company in long-term decline, as PAXboy says.
13Alpha
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: heathrow
F3G, Give up? Only asking you some simple questions matey.
Do you know what time BA cancelled the flight? And what evidence do you have to support this?
What other options were available that BA ignored?
These will be the questions you will have to provide answers to in a Small Claims court to prove your case not BA. And having raised this issue here, is surely fair game to be asked by those like myself is it not?
Do you know what time BA cancelled the flight? And what evidence do you have to support this?
What other options were available that BA ignored?
These will be the questions you will have to provide answers to in a Small Claims court to prove your case not BA. And having raised this issue here, is surely fair game to be asked by those like myself is it not?
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
From: heathrow
13Alpha, cant and wouldnt dream of defending BA's at times woeful customer service when provided with facts such as yours. However F3G has mentionned how bad he was treated in this situation and that he will be taking BA to the small claims court. I am merely asking what his specific facts are and what BA should have done. Thinking BA knew in sufficient time to help replan itineries is not going to be effective in any case brought in the legal arena.
The weather on the day led to multiple delays and cancellations and was due to weather. All airlines and airports in the south east of the UK were badly hit. As you say Heathrow is badly hit by fog every winter, but what can BA do? It cannot clear the fog and is not responsible for the air traffic restrictions imposed. It is in fact the only company afaik equipped and allowed to operate MLS approaches into LHR thus improving flowrate. Bear in mind shorthaul flights must be cancelled when such restrictions are inplace as Longhaul aircraft are already on their way back and would incur huge costs if diverted. Shorthaul is (should) be easier to rearrange.
Yes the sms/email technology should be used but what effect (actual not supposed) would it have had in this instance?
Aint gonna get into the arguments of BA being in decline and suggestions it isnt likely to survive. Suffice to say evidence suggests otherwise but that is for another thread.....
The weather on the day led to multiple delays and cancellations and was due to weather. All airlines and airports in the south east of the UK were badly hit. As you say Heathrow is badly hit by fog every winter, but what can BA do? It cannot clear the fog and is not responsible for the air traffic restrictions imposed. It is in fact the only company afaik equipped and allowed to operate MLS approaches into LHR thus improving flowrate. Bear in mind shorthaul flights must be cancelled when such restrictions are inplace as Longhaul aircraft are already on their way back and would incur huge costs if diverted. Shorthaul is (should) be easier to rearrange.
Yes the sms/email technology should be used but what effect (actual not supposed) would it have had in this instance?
Aint gonna get into the arguments of BA being in decline and suggestions it isnt likely to survive. Suffice to say evidence suggests otherwise but that is for another thread.....
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
From: Magic Kingdom
These will be the questions you will have to provide answers to in a Small Claims court to prove your case not BA. And having raised this issue here, is surely fair game to be asked by those like myself is it not?
You had a customer who you inconvenienced by canceling his flight and preventing him from being able to perform his business at an appointed time. At minimum you should be appologetic to him. Let him go to small claims court if he wishes, you have plenty of soliciters to look after BA's interest, but instead you choose to taunt him. You are being adverserial against your customer, a customer that for one reason or another you failed to serve.
Do you think that this is the tone that F3G took with his customers when he tried to salvage the assignment after you failed to deliver him on the agreed upon time?
Fligth delays/cancelations, weather related or not, are common and accepted as part of the mystique of modern day travel. That is not what drives customers away. Adversarial attitudes like yours from the staff is what leaves a bad taste in the mouths of customers and drives them away.
Aint gonna get into the arguments of BA being in decline and suggestions it isnt likely to survive. Suffice to say evidence suggests otherwise but that is for another thread.....
Guest
Posts: n/a
PAXboy
I agree with your analysis about BA being in the declining phase of life.
However, I disagree about the 'age' of the business.
BA, in it's current incarnation, really started when privatised in 1987 and so is now 22 years old.
True, it took on existing employees and some 'Spanish' practices and other legacy issues, but the clock started to tick for real when King/Thatcher launched it.
You mention Lufthansa and I reflect that the airline was heavily involved in setting up the highly successful Star Alliance, as well as acquiring Swiss to build share and focus.
Air France (not private sector, but still potentially profit generating) acquired KLM.
What has BA achieved in the same period of time? The airline does not seem able to find a consolidation partner, despite several attempts and there must be a risk of marginalisation.
I see a carrier, with a long haul fleet that is growing old, under attack on it's profitable North American routes at the same time the world is entering a sharp economic downturn.
It operates mainly from an airport that does not seem to be able to cope well with disruption and according to L337 on this thread (who I think may work for BA) has no influence over several aspects of service delivery provided by it's landlord, even though it is the sole user of Terminal 5.
At the moment, it ain't looking good from where I am sitting.
I agree with your analysis about BA being in the declining phase of life.
However, I disagree about the 'age' of the business.
BA, in it's current incarnation, really started when privatised in 1987 and so is now 22 years old.
True, it took on existing employees and some 'Spanish' practices and other legacy issues, but the clock started to tick for real when King/Thatcher launched it.
You mention Lufthansa and I reflect that the airline was heavily involved in setting up the highly successful Star Alliance, as well as acquiring Swiss to build share and focus.
Air France (not private sector, but still potentially profit generating) acquired KLM.
What has BA achieved in the same period of time? The airline does not seem able to find a consolidation partner, despite several attempts and there must be a risk of marginalisation.
I see a carrier, with a long haul fleet that is growing old, under attack on it's profitable North American routes at the same time the world is entering a sharp economic downturn.
It operates mainly from an airport that does not seem to be able to cope well with disruption and according to L337 on this thread (who I think may work for BA) has no influence over several aspects of service delivery provided by it's landlord, even though it is the sole user of Terminal 5.
At the moment, it ain't looking good from where I am sitting.