Airline passenger news and views

For me British Airways have always been on a pedestal, in terms of the very name being synonymous with quality, reliability and service.

How painful then, to see that column being gradually kicked away over the past six months or so, by industrial disputes, a silent board and the man himself Willie Walsh.

After all this is over, how on earth will BA rebuild their reputation to past heights, or has it already been eroded to the point of no return?

I recently stumbled upon an article written by Mark Ritson for Marketing Week, which contained several interesting points on this topic.

He stated: “The old adage that it takes decades to build brand equity but only a few months to destroy it could not be truer than in the case of British Airways.”

With the past six months of negative branding, loss of so many passengers to rival airlines and a plunge in staff morale, it will prove a colossal challenge to win back their customers and rebuild a once-lofty reputation.

Mr Ritson goes on to say that the price related offers they are now promoting may have a more dangerous impact than strike action in the long run, as people realise they fly for price rather than quality as before. As such, the days of BA being able to charge premium fares are numbered, and after everything calms down, will find themselves in a no-man’s land between budget carriers and premium airlines such as Qantas.

Willie Walsh recently turned down an annual bonus for the second year running that would have seen him pocketing an extra £334,000 on top of his £674,000 basic salary.

The first question that springs to mind is: why was he offered a bonus in the first place considering the fiasco he has helped orchestrate?

He may soften up slightly in the coming months, however.

Next year he could take home a 100% bonus provided he hits certain targets, which include…you guessed it – “improving industrial relations”.

Can British Airways' reputation weather the storm, or is it already too late?

 

 

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