Forbes magazine asks “Did British Airways make one cut too many?”

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The website of Forbes magazine published an interesting article yesterday on the current state of British Airways. It is surprisingly accurate – by the standards of mainstream publications when reporting on airline and frequent flyer issues – and worth a read.

Here are a couple of quotes:

British Airways since its turnaround in the late ’80s has been generally considered a top league airline, innovating seats that turn into beds in both first and business class, and laying on services such as arrivals lounges serving hot breakfast, providing weary travelers showers while having their suits pressed. It offers sit down dining in its lounges before flights, enabling passengers to have more time to sleep.

BA boarding pass

and

Implementing [buy on board] has not been smooth. A week after launching its version of “buy-on-board” service for its domestic and European flights that require its top-tier frequent fliers to pay for food and drinks and charges for even tea, coffee, soft drinks and bottled water, the airline is having challenges. BA’s Twitter account and internet forums …….. have passengers and crew telling of flight attendants not able to serve the entire cabin, only getting to a few rows, payment machines not working, and only a couple sandwiches loaded for the entire plane. In yet more cases, no food or drinks were loaded at all. Flight attendants from business class sometimes have to help sell food in the back, impacting service to its premium passengers. Teething pains maybe? Reportedly, cabin crew can’t give out food or drinks during delays for service recovery.

Amusingly, whilst Head for Points is not mentioned, a quote I posted on FlyerTalk is used:

One poster on internet forum FlyerTalk wrote of the cumulative impact of the cuts. “I know that no-one will flounce off purely on the back of BOB (buy-on-board), but everyone has a breaking point somewhere and the loss of free G’n’T may be it for many,” the member who goes by the name Raffles posted.

(A quick search shows that I have never used the word ‘flounce’ in almost 5000 HfP articles, which shows how I change my writing style when the end product is not for this site!)

There are some great extracts from the BA Twitter feed that are well worth a read.

You can read the full Forbes article here.

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Category

British Airways and Avios

This article is closed to new posts. Discussion continues in the HfP Forums.

AG says:

19 Jan19 January 17:06

I was intensely loyal to BA for the last five or six years. No more. I’m done with them after just one too many cut. What’s the point paying more to fly the flag when there is little difference to easyJet, Ryanair, Fly(may)Be et al now? Two years ago I would book BA above all else, sometimes paying a £100 or more for a short haul flight. Not any more.

This week I’ve been looking at booking a series of flights to Edinburgh from London for work. I’m actually flying Ryanair for the first time in years.

The loss of the drink was the final blow. I also hate M&S sarnies…
Christopher Lyndon says:

19 Jan19 January 17:07

I had always hoped IAG would get Iberia to step up to BA’s level and not come down down their level. What really surprises me is the lack of any complimentary options such as coffee, tea and water or as the US carriers do domestically offering soft drinks, tea and coffee and a small snack. You can then purchase more substantial options and alcohol should you wish to. This would be far more acceptable in my view and a good compromise. Staffing levels most likely need to be raised in order to be able to provide the service on shorter flights due to time constraints. As many have pointed out BA has removed their advantage and now many will find if their are alternatives available price will be the decider for many. I certainly hope this straw that broke the camels back will be short lived.
- Christopher Lyndon says:
  
  19 Jan19 January 17:11
  
  I might add that I would be more than willing to enhance my experience by purchasing something decent to eat on a short haul flight such as a hot option had this ever been available. A lost opportunity perhaps?
  - TimS says:
    
    20 Jan20 January 02:36
    
    The problem is that hot options are more hassle for the CC and potentially expensive for the airline too.
    
    Cold/prepackaged food can potentially be re-issued on a later flight. “Hot” food often can’t. Stocking hot (or mixed) carts usually costs more than a cold-only cart too.
    
    Therefore you have the additional time/staffing requirements in prepping hot food (even if it is just sticking it in the oven for a few seconds each time), the additional stocking cost and the additional wastage costs to consider, at a time when they are looking to pinch every last penny of cost savings that they can.
    
    I’m half expecting IFE on short-haul to go next.
the real harry1 says:

19 Jan19 January 17:56

No hand luggage, last to board: the inescapable rise of the ‘basic economy’ airfare
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/no-hand-luggage-rise-of-the-basic-economy-airfare/
- Rob says:
  
  19 Jan19 January 19:17
  
  Last to board is irrelevant as you won’t be allowed cabin baggage – could even be preferable for some.
- Duncan says:
  
  19 Jan19 January 20:13
  
  Yeah I’d rather not sit in economy any longer than is strictly necessary. If my bag can fit under the seat in front, I’m holding back while the lines form at the gate.
  - Simmo says:
    
    20 Jan20 January 14:37
    
    Me too always try to be last to board
keith says:

19 Jan19 January 19:01

Gold for Life passenger…..avoid BA as much as possible apart on 2-4-1. Just back from a Qatar special via Amsterdam.

Slightly off subject but was in the first row behind CE and the little curtain that they pull had broken…… and heard a Club passenger ask if there was a hot offering. The CSD laughed at him and said and I quote

“Sir it takes 17 minutes to heat up food and this is a very short flight”.

Been on Bangkok Airways in economy on similar flight timings and had a 3 course offering including one of the best fish curries ever.

Irrespective of class of travel it seems to me that BA are winning or maybe have even won the race to the bottom.

Next trip to HK in First……….thanks to 241 Avios……..be interesting to see how it compares to the excellent Qatar Business.
- CV3V says:
  
  19 Jan19 January 21:47
  
  Just back from a 2-4-1 in F to KUL and the entire service was underwhelming, in part due to only 1 crew member attending to the (full) cabin, on both flights. But then the food ranged from bad (green tea sponge cake) to ok (lobster, with sweet potato crisps!?). The ice cream dessert option consisted of a scoop of frozen solid ice cream in a bowl, the crew member seemed embarrassed and said that if no on else ordered the ice cream she would bring me more. Contrast that with CX First Class where i was served Haagen Daz and the crew member apologised for it still being frozen solid and presented a basket of snacks while i waited it defrosting! CX First was memorable, BA First forgettable.
  - Daniel levy says:
    
    20 Jan20 January 21:10
    
    I used to fly ba to far east all the time – now avoid it where possible – cx biz is a far superior product to ba first !! Old rhetoric but race to bottom while competitors battle for the top
    Think I will switch from ba gch to Marco Polo when my years up – ba is now a budget airline and losing clients like me that are willing to pay a little more for quality
    Sad day
- Polly says:
  
  20 Jan20 January 00:36
  
  Keith, and CV3V, we are cancelling our BA F to KUL for Nov, now we got ex EU from Hel to Hkt. Def prefer the QR J cabin with the same config, mostly! Depends if they switch plane or not, love their 1-2-1 spaciousness. Feels way more roomy than F. Of course we have the break in DOH, but most people cope with that.
Tony says:

19 Jan19 January 19:54

I cannot understand how a Fred packet of crisps and a drink makes any difference. I still think BA is the better airline followed by Easyjet.
Flying by Ryanair is a nightmare as you never get any peace since they are trying to sell you something throughout the flight.
- the real harry1 says:
  
  19 Jan19 January 20:34
  
  A couple of things here: we’re talking Europe short haul, so the tickets are not that much and you can ascribe a value to the F&B. By eliminating free F&B, BA have (for me, using their BOB prices) made me lose £20 of value – and I guess a tenner for kids.
  
  As I said earlier, I don’t mind that if the ticket prices come down too – which they have…
  
  BUT I do seriously object to being sold a ticket with free F&B included then find the T&Cs have changed and my free F&B has been taken away.
  
  I had 40 tickets like that, currently I got 4x 1000 Avios back; a garbled email message asking for a repeat of the details on 1 ticket; 8x 1000 Avios claims running late with no reply; 27x 1000 Avios still to claim.
  - Kian says:
    
    19 Jan19 January 23:06
    
    This is exactly how I felt. However interestingly there is one piece of information I wasn’t aware like many other customers I believe, is that apparently the complimentary F&B service is actually not included in the ticket price although the tickets were purchased before the annoucement of the buy on board, and complimentary F&B was even written right in the booking page. When I complaint about it, I got a long reply with the following informtion:
    
    “I know you feel we’ve sold you your ticket under false marketing. We’ve communicated the change to our customers as early as possible, nearly four months ahead of them coming in to effect. As you’ve said, our current catering and bar service are complementary on short-haul flights. Just so you know, the costs to provide these on board aren’t actually included in your fare. However, I’m unable to go into further detail as this is commercially sensitive information.
    The logistics of getting food and drink on to aircraft remains complex.”
    
    I found what they said was truly insulting and humiliating.
  - Sussex bantam says:
    
    19 Jan19 January 23:13
    
    This is exactly my view too. Changes to the service are fine – businesses change their offering all the time BUT changing something I have already paid for, insulting my intelligence by trying to pedal some legal nuance about food being ‘complementary’ (sic) and then implementing a ‘compensation’ scheme which is ludricuously illogical and appallingly executed – that I find unacceptable.
    
    I would like the people who I trust my life to in the shiny metal thing in the sky to have a degree of competence about them and this example of dreadful execution makes me wonder what else they have failed to do properly…
    - John says:
      
      20 Jan20 January 08:22
      
      Ok BA as an organisation doesn’t inspire confidence, but I have always felt that BA’s pilots do make you feel you are in safe hands.
stillmissing bmi says:

19 Jan19 January 20:42

over past five years have gone to great lengths to manipulate company travel policy to fly BA and now BAs own short sighted cost cutting has achieved what employers accounts department failed to do – get me to use EasyJet!
barnaby100 says:

19 Jan19 January 23:14

Do I care on a 40 minute hop from LBA to LHR? No

Do I care on a LHR to Instanbul? (assuming this falls under the criteria) Yes
Matt says:

20 Jan20 January 00:15

Just been subjected to a 4 and a half hour economy flight from LGW to the canaries, just in time for BOB – we were given nothing obviously. Anything under 5 hours flight time is BOB.
I bought my ticket before the changes were advertised, but bad luck to me, BA told me over the phone. I told BA they are damaging the brand they spent decades building.

I have 2 more flights in business coming up, and another long-heal flight to SA, then that is it for me on BA, no more flight bookings, I will use Easyjet for the short haul for the same service offer but cheaper.

Great pity the only option I have in the UK is Low Cost Carriers now – I used to pay over the odds for BA but why bother any more?
- the real harry1 says:
  
  20 Jan20 January 06:43
  
  I think you should formally complain about no BOB using the form here https://headforpoints.com/2016/09/30/british-airways-buy-on-board-refund-compensation/
  
  you stand a better chance of getting 1000 Avios than phoning up
- Callum says:
  
  20 Jan20 January 09:29
  
  The more important question is why did you bother before? Either you weren’t paying over the odds, or you were exhibiting truly bizarre behaviour.
  
  Regardless, every single change brings out dozens of people on here banging on about how their precious custom won’t be going to BA anymore. It seems that’s either false, a gross exaggeration or these changes are having the desired effect – i.e. attracting more people to BA. Though I would like them to hurry up and reach the bottom (every change of course being a “new low”) so we can correctly classify short-haul flying as akin to taking a bus, which most of us do already (hence the LCC explosion).