Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Viral_Jim on 19 June 2017, 07:18:31

Title: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Viral_Jim on 19 June 2017, 07:18:31
Flying LHR-WAW today on British Airways and truely shocked how much they've gone downhill since I last flew with them around a decade ago.

They seem intent on providing the full budget airline experience. All the way from the scrum to get on the plane first, to charging £2.50 for a cup of sh!tty instant coffee. Were I using my own money I'd feel done I'd coughed up the £175 difference over a Ryanair or Wizz air fare.

In the future I'll be sticking with Lufthansa and Emirates I think, both cheaper and better, trashing my luggage notwithstanding  :-X
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: BazaJT on 19 June 2017, 07:55:47
When we flew out of Heathrow to Vienna in 2006 I was told that BA were classed as a budget airline on that route.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 19 June 2017, 08:48:31
Struggling to think of any airline in Europe I would class as anything other than budget for a short hop.

BA - No
Luftwaffe - No
Air Chance - No
KLM - No
TAP - Definitely No!
Flybe - No
Ryanscare - No
SleezyJet - No
Wizz - No

And the're just the ones I have used in the last 18 months.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 19 June 2017, 09:07:14
The only time I've flown with BA in recent years is when someone else is paying the fare.   :y
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 19 June 2017, 09:57:29
Stopping economy meals is a recent thing...

Lufthansa via Frankfurt was cheaper than Spudulike from Stn last time I looked... I would probably UPS my luggage though ::)
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Viral_Jim on 19 June 2017, 10:20:56
Not being able to pick my seat at the time of booking (without coughing up £15) also p!ssed me off.

I accept that short haul has become a bit like bus travel in Europe now (has been that way in the US all the time I've been going there) but it's the fact that BA seem to want so much money for it that annoys me.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 19 June 2017, 10:22:03
Last minute booking?
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Viral_Jim on 19 June 2017, 10:33:10
Yes and no, 2.5 weeks ago, although it was through the office admin team and then our travel agent service. So potentially some deep discount cr@ppy ticket

Of course if it was, the price is even more of a shocker  ;D.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 19 June 2017, 11:10:00
Could be worse...

£457 to get on the 13.15 :D
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: TheBoy on 19 June 2017, 17:01:48
Last 2 times we've used BA, its very much in budget class.  However, on both occasions they were chosen purely on cost.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 19 June 2017, 17:48:11
Yep, BA has gone down the toilet recently. It used to be the case that they were a cut above the rest, now it's not worth paying the premium.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: STEMO on 19 June 2017, 17:50:51
Yep, BA has gone down the toilet recently. It used to be the case that they were a cut above the rest, now it's not worth paying the premium.
It might be acceptable if they didn't come across as premium on their ads.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: TD on 19 June 2017, 17:51:35
Yes and no, 2.5 weeks ago, although it was through the office admin team and then our travel agent service. So potentially some deep discount cr@ppy ticket

Of course if it was, the price is even more of a shocker  ;D.

I used to love our office admin, when I used to fly abroad.....it was always the same.
I used to email them about a week in advance when I needed to travel and which city I needed a hotel in...
Then always had to phone them the day before asking where my ticket was and what hotel they had booked....
Reply always was 'we'll find out' and then 'ticket is at the desk at the airport', Hotel is .......

Turn up at airport to often find ticket was business class and hotel was a usually a 4*  8)

So.....basically it appeared to me they never bothered to book anything until I called them the day before I needed to travel  ;D ::)
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 20 June 2017, 08:23:18
Yep, BA has gone down the toilet recently. It used to be the case that they were a cut above the rest, now it's not worth paying the premium.

Had a few boozy evenings with BA cabin crew when working in Singapore recently.

It was always the case that the crew were the best paid and most regarded in the business with pretty consistent routes given to them, you had to work hard to get in and get on. Trouble is, it resulted in them being very over paid and with large benefits which became a burden to BA and impacted on their competitiveness.

As a result they changed the setup and have largely moved to a cheaper model where the crew get random routes, no major benefits, pretty low allowances for living (the hotel paid for on a stop over and about £25 a day to live on) and lower wages.

The result of course is poorer service.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Viral_Jim on 22 June 2017, 16:26:11
I can now add failure to get the big silver tube off the ground on time to my list of grievances.  >:(

Currently delayed, but for how long remains a closely guarded secret.
Title: Re: When did our national flag carrier become a budget airline?
Post by: Shackeng on 22 June 2017, 18:22:49
Yep, BA has gone down the toilet recently. It used to be the case that they were a cut above the rest, now it's not worth paying the premium.

Had a few boozy evenings with BA cabin crew when working in Singapore recently.

It was always the case that the crew were the best paid and most regarded in the business with pretty consistent routes given to them, you had to work hard to get in and get on. Trouble is, it resulted in them being very over paid and with large benefits which became a burden to BA and impacted on their competitiveness.

As a result they changed the setup and have largely moved to a cheaper model where the crew get random routes, no major benefits, pretty low allowances for living (the hotel paid for on a stop over and about £25 a day to live on) and lower wages.

The result of course is poorer service.

But not with flight crew, we didn't drink, and if we did, were very fussy with whom. ::) ::) ::)