Former British Airways CEO Álex Cruz declared that cost-cutting was in the airline’s DNA. He skimped on basic IT services and charged passengers for water (and $6 if you wanted your tea extra strong).
London Heathrow terminal 5 remains a suboptimal place to connect, transit security can be miserable and getting packed into a train to head to and from remote gates suboptimal.
Connecting flights in what passes for British Airways business class in Europe (Club Europe) are sad, offering less legroom than Ryanair.
Current CEO Sean Doyle has tried to claim that British Airways ‘is still premium’ but when you’re explaining you’re losing. Under his leadership the U.K. flag carrier recently started serving breakfast for lunch in business class, with passengers receiving pancakes or reheated egg mix at 2 p.m. because it’s cheaper. Late long haul departures, too, receive cutbacks with “main meal options reduced to paninis, soup, and salads. Appetizers have been eliminated altogether and customers will will no longer have a choice of dessert.”
BA saves money by boarding fewer meals than they used to, too, since more passengers just skip the meal.
With more and more disgruntled customers complaining, we learn that British Airways recurrent flight attendant training now includes two new elements:
- Cabin crew are taught to no longer apologize to customers.
Thousands of British Airways have attended a mandatory training day at the airline’s Global Learning Academy near Heathrow Airport over the past 12 months, where they were instructed to stop apologizing for the carrier’s service failures.
Cabin crew have been encouraged to stop using the word ‘sorry’ so liberally and instead thank disgruntled customers for telling them about their woes and that they will pass on their feedback.
- And they’re run through an exercise to help them understand why economy meals are miserable, while remaining with a budget of £5 (US$6.50) per person.
Cabin crew were given various versions of different meal and service items, ranging from cheap budget options to more premium items that would take a bigger chunk out of the budget.
The idea of the exercise was to prove to cabin crew that while they would like to see passengers enjoy a more premium experience, doing so would break the airline’s limited budget and that compromises are required.
British Airways, then, is the perfect partner across the Pond for American Airlines, whose CEO tells employees never to spend a dollar more than they need to.
No airline has fallen further than BA.
I don’t know how BA expects their crew to stop saying “sorry”. In the British vernacular, “sorry” is commonplace and used in the same way Americans use “you know” and “like” and “uh.” Brits use the word “sorry” to apologize, even when the offending party is at fault!
I remain a fan of BA because British are Literate and Well-Spoken , with well-written and thoughtful magazines and newspapers .
In contrast to the sub-literate Camel-a and Brandon , who would have difficulty with their coloring books .
@Alert Do your doctor and parole officer know you’ve gone off your meds?
I think BA has forgotten that they can compete by offering better onboard service to help counter the emotions brought out by the bad airport experience. They need to make it worthwhile for the customer to press on through the airport, not make it worse.
But these days, it’s all about the investors and the next quarter’s bottom line.
Simpler message : “Embrace Our Myopia And Mismanagement Of This Business Or No Job For You”
Good lord why the hell do you guys fly for pleasure anymore?
I mean seriously just wtaf?
Remember the movie “Romancing the Stone” and the bus ride scene with all the locals and their goats and chickens? IT WAS A PROPHECY OF AIR TRAVEL.
The meal pictured looks like a typical Engish breakfast which is sometimes served later in the day. And, the other poster is correct, the Engish use the word, sorry, often, and for any reason. Is the CEO, not British? BA should take a look at Virgin Atlantic. Best over the pond airline, in my opinion.