British Airways, “The World’s Favourite Airline”, 1983.
This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
“The Key To Europe”
“BOAC Takes Good Care Of You”
“Europe’s Number One”
“Fly The Flag”
“We’ll Take More Care Of You”
“We Never Forget You Have A Choice”
“Upgrade to BA”
Of all the advertising slogans used by BA and its predecessor airlines, none has been more memorable than “The World’s Favourite Airline”.
British Airways “The World’s Favourite Airline”, 1983
Based on the simple fact that BA carried more international passengers than any other airline, it was adopted by the airline 1983.
You can certainly describe it as an audacious move. By BA’s own admission at the time, it was more of a statement of intent than anything else.
It clearly rankled BA’s competitors. “The world’s favourite airline. They must be on a different planet.” sniffed Virgin Atlantic in a 1989 advertisement.
Many repeatedly complained unsuccessfully to advertising and broadcasting regulators about its use. Four complaints were rejected by the Advertising Standards Authority in the 1990s. The Independent Television Commission also rejected a complaint by Virgin Atlantic in 1999.
It was also frequently mocked by rivals. In its early years, easyJet initially branded itself as “The web’s favourite airline”.
BA officially withdrew its use of the slogan in 2001 after Lufthansa gained the title of “The world’s favourite”.
It has latterly become something of a millstone with almost every negative article on operational troubles at BA beginning with “It was once the world’s favourite airline.”
Whether based on the objective measure of passenger numbers, or the subjective views of passengers, the era of “The world’s favourite” is not coming back.
You can continue reading our 100 part series on the history of British Airways and its predecessor airlines Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA in numerical order,by theme or by decade.
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This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
On 6 February 1958, a chartered British European Airways Airspeed AS-57 Ambassadoraircraft operating under flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem airport.
On board the aircraft was the Manchester United football team (known as “Busby Babes”) along with a number of supporters and journalists.
The aircraft had stopped in Munich for refuelling en route from Belgrade (where the team had been playing) to London.
23 of the 44 passengers on board the aircraft died. The fatalities included 2 crew members, 8 Manchester United players, 3 Manchester United staff, 8 newspaper journalists and 2 other passengers.
The crash remains one of the darkest moments in British sporting history. It of course had a very considerable impact on the city of Manchester which continues to hold memorials to remember those who died.
You can continue reading our 100 part series on the history of British Airways and its predecessor airlines Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA in numerical order,by theme or by decade.
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This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
The former editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre (feared and admired in equal measure in corridors of power) once told Willie Walsh that stories about BA were guaranteed to make its front page, whereas for its UK rivals, they would not.
BA has been privatised for over 30 years and is indeed now part of a Spanish registered company. It has had Australian, Irish and Spanish CEOs. Much to the irritation of Willie Walsh, everyone will have an opinion on and a sense of ownership of BA, and he really wishes you didn’t.
However, an airline’s national location has always played a role in its identity. Over time, BA has oscillated between an overtly British identity and an ambition to be seen as a global airline.
“British And Proud Of It”
The first BA Negus & Negus livery introduced for BA was amended in 1980 to be simply “British”. However, this was considered too nationalistic in tone.
“British Airways, British and proud of it”, August 1980
The subsequent Landor livery, whilst maintaining a strong British identity, was considered controversial by some at the time because BA chose a Californian design firm to create it.
“Johnny Foreigner”
In the 1990s, BA saw itself as a global airline. The most significant illustration of this was of course the World Images tail fins which received a well publicised backlash for its removal of the union flag.
In 1999, BA recruited the American writer PJ O’Rourke to poke fun at British eccentricities and give British viewers a gentle ticking off for not being more proud of their de-facto national carrier.
“The British Simply Know How To Travel”
How countries are perceived by their own residents and visitors does of course vary widely and this is often reflected in airline advertising.
Here in 2000, BA used the strap line “The British simply know how to travel” in its advertising in the United States to highlight the clear difference between BA and US carriers at the time, as illustrated in this advert featuring cricket and strawberries.
(Any international passengers who have flown BA with any degree of frequency, but have never lived here, would think that all Britons do is eat Afternoon Tea – a meal that nobody who actually lives in the UK ever eats.)
Willie Walsh, Chief Executive International Airlines Group (Image Credit: International Airlines Group)
This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
Eyebrows were raised when Willie Walsh, a former pilot, trade union representative, and CEO of Aer Lingus, joined BA in 2005 to replace the emollient Rod Eddington as Chief Executive.
At the time, BA and Aer Lingus as airlines were worlds apart in both size and focus on long-haul premium traffic. However, it was evident there was a shopping list of legacy issues at BA to be resolved. Rod Eddington had overseen significant reform of BA, particularly post 11 September 2001, but was viewed by industry commentators as having avoided confrontation and dodged the most difficult tasks.
Ground staff working practices at London Heathrow had to be reformed ahead of the airline’s move to Terminal 5 in 2008. Inexplicably, ground staff at Terminals 1 and 4 each had different industrial agreements.
Immediately before Willie Walsh’s arrival, there had been wildcat industrial action by BA ground staff at Heathrow, the third consecutive summer of industrial relations tension at the airport. The Economist even speculated that BA’s move to Terminal 5 could be the aviation equivalent of the Wapping dispute of the 1980s when Rupert Murdoch took on the print unions.
The current dispute between BA and BALPA is not the first time there have been tensions between the two. Ahead of talks to resolve BA’s escalating pension deficit, BALPA told its members to save £25,000 for a strike. Having been left unresolved, the pension deficit had resulted in an empty aircraft order book to replace the fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
In both cases, Willie Walsh can claim credit for having resolved the issues behind closed doors without official industrial action.
However, there were still many volatile times. Willie Walsh stood at Heathrow in the early hours of the morning of the opening of Terminal 5 to greet the first passengers arriving from Hong Kong, seemingly unaware of the chaos that was about to ensue. There were immediate questions as to whether Willie should pay the price. Afterwards, Willie was candid in accepting that BA should not have allowed delays in the terminal’s construction to truncate testing before opening.
The restructuring of BA’s Heathrow cabin crew fleets the next year led to at protracted and, at times, unedifying, conflict.
Aside from Michael O’Leary, Willie is one of the most outspoken figures in the aviation industry. He has publicly criticised Heathrow airport many times (and has little time for airport operators generally), only very recently accusing them of conning the public as to the cost of a third runway.
I take comfort from the fact that John Holland-Kaye [CEO, Heathrow] is upset with the comments that I’ve made. I’ll quote Oscar Wilde that whenever people agree with me, I always think I’m wrong, but the fact that they’re disagreeing with me means I’m right.
BA did not co-operate with the series and it largely relied on third parties for archive footage and commentary. However, BA has co-operated with a new series “British Airways 24/7: Access All Areas” from the same production company.
The first episode premieres on Channel 5 (UK) at 21:00 BST on Thursday 5 September 2019.
It is known that the series will cover the launch of new routes to Charleston and Osaka and the delivery of new aircraft from Boeing in Seattle and Airbus in Toulouse.
There have of course been moments since the series started filming that BA has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Whilst the programme description promises “unprecedented access” how much so will only been known after broadcast.
The programme will also be available to watch on demand at My5 for viewers in the UK after broadcast.
British Airways New Club World Advertisement circa 2006 (Image Credit: British Airways)
This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
If there’s one route more important to BA than any other, its London – New York, linking two major global financial centres.
BOAC operated its first commercial flights from the newly opened London Airport to New York, with stops in Shannon and Gander, in July 1946.
At the time it was competing with Pan American World Airways and American Overseas Airlines who had already launched services to New York from Hurn (now Bournemouth International) airport following the end of the Second World War.
Good news for British commercial flying, with the opening at Heathrow of BOAC’s constellation air service between London and New York. These super airliners are even equipped for showing films during the Atlantic crossing. Passengers go on board for the first flight of the new service, a service only made possible by the British pioneers of the past, who’ve turned a high adventure into an everyday affair.
In 1950, BOAC introduced a dedicated “Monarch” service to New York, initially with the Stratocruiser aircraft. This was extended to other aircraft such as the Comet 4.
BOAC Monarch Service, London Heathrow – New York, 1960
In March 1990, BA added a second New York airport to its route network with a new route to Newark. This was initially operated with a Lockheed L-1011 aircraft. By the mid 1990s, BA operated seven services a day to New York.
Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, London (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
At 157-197 Buckingham Palace Road, between London Victoria railway station and Victoria coach station, lies an Art Deco masterpiece.
The Imperial Airways Empire Terminal opened to the public on 5 June 1939. Designed by the architect Albert Lakeman it was described on its opening as the finest air terminal in the world.
The original building was only 80 feet deep, but 500 feet wide. The 5 storey building has a symmetrical facade with a 10 storey central clock tower and wings curving forward to form a crescent shape.
As well as being used by Imperial Airways for ticketing and checking in passengers, it was also used by the airline as a Head Office. The very top of the tower afforded the Directors of Imperial Airways impressive views all over London.
Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, London (Image Credit: London Air Travel)
Above the entrance is a sculpture “Wings Over The World” designed by Eric Broadbent. This is the only remaining external clue as to the building’s original use.
“Wings Above The World”, Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, London (Image Credit: London Air Travel)“Wings Above The World”, Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, London (Image Credit: London Air Travel)Continue reading “BA100: 20. The Imperial Airways Empire Terminal”
London Heathrow Terminal 5 (Image Credit: Heathrow)
British Airways pilots represented by the British Airline Pilots Union (BALPA) at London Gatwick and Heathrow are have called for strike action in a pay dispute with the airline.
Update 22:00 BST Friday 20 September 2019
BALPA has unilaterally chosen to call off the planned 24 hour strike on Friday 27 September 2019.
BA has now reinstated many flights that were previously cancelled.
If you were due to fly between Thursday 26 and Saturday 28 September 2019 and have rebooked on to alternative flights, you should be able to revert back to your original plans, subject to availability. However, if your flights were cancelled and you have requested a refund you will need to buy a new ticket.
As the strike has been called off and BA has reinstated much of its schedule, BA is no longer offering rebooking options on airlines.
BALPA issued the following statement on Wednesday 18 September:
The British Airline Pilots Association has today called off the next strike scheduled for 27th September in the dispute between British Airways and its pilots.
BALPA said the strikes on 9th and 10th September had demonstrated the anger and resolve of pilots. It was now time for a period of reflection before the dispute escalates further and irreparable damage is done to the brand.
BALPA hopes BA will now change its approach and negotiate seriously with a view to ending this dispute.
BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:
“Someone has to take the initiative to sort out this dispute and with no sign of that from BA the pilots have decided to take the responsible course. In a genuine attempt at establishing a time out for common sense to prevail, we have lifted the threat of the strike on the 27th September.
“BA passengers rightly expect BA and its pilots to resolve their issues without disruption and now is the time for cool heads and pragmatism to be brought to bear. I hope BA and its owner IAG show as much responsibility as the pilots.”
Should BA refuse meaningful new negotiations, BALPA retains the right to announce further strike dates.
The latest strike news and guidance from BA is on ba.com Please note this is subject to constant review and may be amended and supplemented at any time.
BALPA is required to give 14 days’ notice of any additional strike action.
Dispute Background
The strike follows a vote for industrial action announced on Monday 22 July 2019, where 90% of BA pilots represented by BALPA voted 93% in favour of industrial action.
BA did attempt to seek an injunction to stop the strike at the High Court and Court of Appeal but this was unsuccessful. Talks have been taking place at the conciliation service ACAS but these have broken down without agreement.
BALPA released the following statement on Friday 23 August 2019:
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has today given notice to British Airways that it will call on its members to strike on 9th, 10th and 27th September 2019.
Over several days of ACAS talks BALPA put forward a number of packages that we believe would have resolved this dispute without a strike, and which we could have recommended to our members for acceptance prior to strike action. BA did not accept any of these packages, and it is clear following discussions with members over the last few days that BA’s most recent offer will not gain the support of anywhere near a majority of its pilots.
In these circumstances, with a 93% vote in favour of taking industrial action, and with no prospect of any further meaningful talks, we have no choice but to call this action.
A day of strike action will cost BA around £40m. Three days will cost in the region of £120m. The gap between BA’s position and BALPA’s position is about £5m. Our proposal remains on the table should BA wish to reach agreement prior to strike action.
British Airways is an extremely profitable and successful company, and pilots have been proud to play their part in that. In 2018 the company announced profits of £2bn. Over recent years BA pilots have made sacrifice after sacrifice to assist the company such as taking a pay cut, productivity increases, closing the final salary pension scheme, giving up annual leave days, a new rostering system, and reducing flying pay.
In what is British Airways’ centenary year, this will be the very first time its pilots will go on strike. They do so as a last resort and with enormous frustration at the way the business is now being run.
Our ballot is valid until January, and more dates may be announced until such time as this matter is resolved.
In response British Airways released the following statement on Friday 23 August 2019:
It is completely unacceptable that BALPA is destroying the travel plans of tens of thousands of our customers with this unjustifiable strike action.
BALPA has given us notice that they will strike on September 9th, 10th and 27th.
We are extremely sorry that after many months of negotiations, based on a very fair offer, BALPA has decided on this reckless course of action.
We are now making changes to our schedule. We will do everything we can to get as many people away on their journeys as possible.
However, it is likely that many of our customers will not be able to travel and we will be offering refunds and re-bookings for passengers booked on cancelled flights.
Flights on BA CityFlyer, SUN-AIR and Comair are not affected
We are exploring options to supplement our fleet by using aircraft and crew from other airlines (wet-leasing)
We are working with our partner airlines to schedule larger aircraft to take the maximum number of customers
Our proposed deal of 11.5 per cent over three years is very fair and well above the UK’s current rate of inflation, and by contrast to BALPA, has been accepted by the members of the Unite and GMB trade unions, which represent nearly 90 per cent of all British Airways colleagues including engineers, cabin crew and ground staff.
In addition to basic pay, pilots also receive annual pay increments and regular flying allowances.
We continue to pursue every avenue to find a solution to avoid industrial action and protect our customers’ travel plans
BALPA represent the vast majority of BA pilots at Gatwick and Heathrow. If the strike goes ahead it would result in very significant disruption. There would also be residual disruption beyond the strike, particularly to inbound flights, due to aircraft and crews being out of position.
Flights operated by BA CityFlyer from London City and London Stansted will not be affected by industrial action.
Codeshare flights operated by partner airlines and flights operated by franchise partners SUN-AIR of Scandinavia A/S and Comair in southern Africa will also not be affected.
British Airways Contingency & Rebooking Plans
BA is providing passenger guidance on a dedicated page of its website.
BA has little option but to announce significant cancellations.
BA has introduced a flexible rebooking policy allowing passengers to change their flights to dates outside of the strike and periods at risk of residual disruption.
If you are due to fly to / from Gatwick or Heathrow on BA between Sunday 8 September and Friday 13 September 2019 or Thursday 26 September and Saturday 28 September 2019, you can rebook on to an alternative BA service up to 355 days’ ahead.
BA should also rebook passengers whose flights have been cancelled onto partner & rival airlines. However, it may take time to put these arrangements in place.
There is of course every possibility that the strike could be called off which can happen at any time between now and immediately before the strike is due to start. Based on previous incidences of strike action, BA will reinstate any cancelled flights if the strike is called off.
In the interim, the best advice for passengers is to check that you have up to date e-mail and telephone contact details for each booking you hold in the Manage By Booking tool and have the BA app installed on your smartphone.
BA Boeing 787 at British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (Image Credit: British Airways)
This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
Amongst all the coverage of blockbuster advertising campaigns and premium cabins, it would be remiss not to mention those staff who are responsible for ensuring aircraft stay in the air, the engineers.
BA has significant engineering teams at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, as well as at dedicated facilities in Cardiff and Glasgow. The demands on engineers have of course changed over time. Flights used to operate with in-flight engineers. Concorde also used to demand a relatively huge number of engineers per aircraft.
In 1993, with the aid of generous grants from the Welsh Development Agency, BA opened a maintenance centre in Cardiff which carries out maintenance work for much of BA’s long-haul fleet. This is where significant long-haul aircraft projects such as the refurbishment of the Boeing 747 fleet have been carried out. Some work such as the refurbishment of Gatwick Boeing 777s and maintenance of Airbus A380 aircraft is carried out overseas. Short-haul “heavy” maintenance is carried out in Glasgow.
BA engineering, together with Iberia, also offers “Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul” services to other airlines.
Like all parts of BA, engineering has not been immune from competitive pressures and under the watchful eye of its parent company IAG it must be competitive against third parties. However, this is one part of BA where management has rightfully resisted the temptation to fully outsource. As well as a carrying out an important safety critical function, it also serves as an important entry point into the industry for future engineers on work experience and apprenticeships around the UK.
You can continue reading our 100 part series on the history of British Airways and its predecessor airlines Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA in numerical order,by theme or by decade.
If you would like to receive all future articles published by London Air Travel directly by e-mail, then enter your e-mail address below:
British Airways First Class Cabin (Image Credit: British Airways)
This article was published in 2019 in a series on the history of British Airways and its predecessors Imperial Airways, BOAC and BEA. You can browse all 100 stories in number order, by themeor by decade.
Many have been updated since first published.
The Origins Of First Class
First Class, in name at least, dates back to 1924 and the establishment of Imperial Airways.
It was at first the only class of travel, with Imperial Airways introducing second class in 1927. Of course, even with the Silver Wing service from London to Paris, also launched in 1927, First Class was far removed from what passengers expect today.
In 1966, British European Airways launched a “Sovereign” First Class on selected short haul routes.
First Class was removed from short-haul aircraft in the early 1980s and it was only from the late 1970s did it start to evolve into the cabins we have today on long-haul aircraft.
BOAC First Class
Here is an undated picture of First Class on a BOAC aircraft flying between Japan and London.
In the absence of in flight entertainment the emphasis was very much on food, with an impressive at seat catering service.
The First Class cabin of a British Overseas Airways Corporation between Japan and London, including a BOAC Steward and a Stewardess wearing a Japanese Kimono. Exact date unknown. (Image Credit: British Airways)
Crown First Class
In the early 1980s, BA introduced Sleeper Seats to what was then known as Crown First Class with a 62″ pitch that reclined to a near horizontal position.
British Airways Crown First Class Sleeper SeatBritish Airways First Class Sleeper Seat (Image Credit: British Airways)
1989 First Class Revamp
In 1989, BA invested $40 million in First Class, with an emphasis on improved service and catering.
Individual video players and dining on demand were introduced for the first time. Passengers were also promised redesigned cabin interiors, improved sleeper seats and an enhanced wine selection.
British Airways Boeing 747 First Class Cabin, Date unknown – likely late 1980s (Image Credit: British Airways)
First Class Becomes FIRST
The most significant change came in 1995 when BA introduced a new and radically different seat.
British Airways First Class Cabin 1995 (Image Credit: British Airways)
Designed by yacht interior specialists, this seat was a herringbone design. It was the first fully horizontal flat bed on any commercial airline.
The most significant aspect of this cabin was that BA went from merely offering a seat to a flexible space that could easily be adapted to meet passenger needs such as working, sleeping or dining with a partner. This seat also offered much greater privacy as 10 of the 14 seats faced towards the window. First Class was also rebranded as simply FIRST. This was a time when BA could genuinely claim to be a market leader in First Class.
