Article from BTNews 3 APRIL 2017
British Airways and The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times' John Collingridge has produced a scathing report on British Airways, calling the airline's perceived front man Willie Walsh “pugnacious”. Mr Walsh is in fact CEO of BA owner International Airline Group (IAG). There is an old quote from Walsh in the piece. Did BA fail to respond to enquiries?
The Sunday Times' John Collingridge is slightly misleading with his words. BA’s lucrative North Atlantic business is under challenge, but always has been. Virgin Atlantic is the favourite airline for some and the US carriers have been steadily improving their product.
“The battle for lucrative transatlantic passengers is heating up. Advertisements for Polaris plaster London’s Tube. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines, another American giant, has just revamped its Business Class – in Delta One, each seat has its own sliding door and an 18in TV,” he says.
Not quite true.
Polaris is yet to come on the London routes and the new Delta One has not made it to Europe yet.
He says a £400m upgrade of BA’s Club World Business Class is in the works and notes that IAG relies heavily on BA for profits, alongside a growing contribution from Aer Lingus. No mention of Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling. He notes that US carriers are putting refreshments back into domestic operations and compares this with BA’s Marks & Spencer sales items.
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David Bentley, Manchester/UK
Pugnacious. Spot on. He always reminds me of those pesky little Irish boxers who slug away gamely through 10 rounds but are always easily appointed by the classy Venezuelan. But more to the point he's the person responsible for turning British Airways into London Airways. And for that he deserves a Moyes smack.