Category: British Airways

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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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

If you ask any frequent flyer from North America or Asia what they like least about flying in Europe, it’s likely they will baulk at what passes for short-haul business class in Europe.

On North American and Asian airlines you have dedicated First and business class cabins on short-haul routes, albeit with the quality of catering varying widely between American and Asian carriers.

In Europe, you have a seat that is barely any different from economy. All you are guaranteed is a window or aisle seat and some form of complimentary catering.

European airlines like this because they can set the size of the cabin to exactly match it to demand. US airlines of course largely fill their First Class cabins with complimentary upgrades for frequent flyers.

BA did in fact provide First Class on short-haul routes, but this was withdrawn in the early 1980s, in favour of what was then Club.

BA’s current short-haul business class brand, Club Europe, was first introduced in 1988. This was part of a strategy that each cabin should have a separate brand identity, with Club World being launched at the same time.

The cabin underwent a significant relaunch in 1994 as BA introduced wider convertible seats.

Whilst there has never much to shout about the cabin itself, the big emphasis at the time was on improved ground facilities to save time for business passengers flying out and back in a day, such as Fast Track security channels at London Heathrow Terminal 1 (BA also some years later introduced a very popular “Zone R” premium check-in area.).

As this was the era before online check-in, BA also introduced telephone check-in (as in literally telephoning BA to check-in…) up to 30 minutes before departure. At some airports, you could also check-in in the lounge or at the departure gate as well as at parking and car hire facilities. BA also added more lounges in mainland Europe.

Continue reading “BA100: 88. Club Europe”

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

To 1985 where BA is well into the era of a financial and customer service turnaround as “The World’s Favourite Airline.”.

After Saatchi & Saatchi had repositioned BA as a worldwide carrier, this campaign from late 1985 was the start of BA promoting with overt self-confidence not only its global reach, but also its on board service.

It was primarily aimed at attracting Concorde, First and business class passengers. The campaign also sought to encourage economy passengers by emphasising that benefits available to premium passengers are also available to all passengers.

“The British Concorde attitude. You’ll find it at every altitude.” “On our 747s or other aircraft.  In the air or on the ground.”

We fly to 148 cities in 17 countries on six continents. And while preferences in tea may change from destination to destination, the preference in airlines seems to be universal. It’s certain that travellers prefer British Airways, because we fly more people to more places than any other airline.

Continue reading “BA100: 89. “The Sun Never Sets On British Airways””

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

A relatively rare TV advert for British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) from 1969:

A BOAC Chief Steward in a white tuxedo jacket patrols the aisle of a Vickers VC10 aircraft, piloted by Captain Norman Bristow, to a rendition of “Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant Major”.

“Anything I can get you Captain?”

“Oh, a spot of coffee might go down very well.”

“I’ll crack the whip in the galley sir.”

“Jolly good.”

Well there we are.

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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London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

It’s sad fact of life that the aircraft most loved by passengers are not so loved by airlines for their efficiency.

A good example is the Boeing 777-200. In terms of presence on the tarmac, it doesn’t turn heads like Concorde still does. It doesn’t have the sheer scale and imposing presence on the taxiway of the Airbus A380.

On the inside there are no favoured sections like the Upper Deck or nose of the Boeing 747. And the sound in the cabin is positively deafening compared to its Airbus equivalents.

But airlines love it.

BA ordered its first Boeing 777-200 aircraft in 1991, ordering 15 aircraft. 5 of these were known as “A” market aircraft with a shorter range (subsequently known as the odd-balls) and the remaining 10 were known as “IGW” (Increased Gross Weight Aircraft) with a longer range.

The first aircraft, powered by General Electric engines, arrived in November 1995, first operating to the Middle East.

After the Boeing 777-200 received 120 minutes ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards) approval it began operating transatlantic routes from late 1996. The aircraft also began operating at Gatwick in 1998.

That year, BA ordered a further 16 Boeing 777-200 aircraft, with options for a further 16 aircraft. BA also cancelled 5 firm orders and 7 options for Boeing 747-400 aircraft as it planned to downsize capacity at London Heathrow to reduce its exposure to transfer traffic.

This was a decision that proved to be correct. Had BA continued to order the Boeing 747 its recovery from the events of 11 September 2001 and 2008 financial crash would have been much more difficult.

As it was now clear that, save for an eventual order for the Airbus A380, the future of BA long-haul aircraft was twin-engined, Virgin Atlantic put the decal “4 Engines 4 Long-Haul” on its aircraft.

Continue reading “BA100: 91. 2 Engines 4 Long-Haul, The Boeing 777-200”

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

It may seem strange to think now, but when the Internet first entered the public consciousness in the 1990s, airlines didn’t really know what to do with it.

BA launched its first website, with the not exactly snappy address http://www.british-airways.com, just before midnight on Christmas Eve 1995.

One of the most hyped websites of the late 1990s dot.com boom was lastminute.com which sells discounted flights, hotel rooms, and event tickets with late availability.

And that’s how BA, which of course had well established distribution channels through travel agents, viewed the Internet – a place for distressed inventory.

As you can see from the website in its early years, it largely operated as brochure for the airline. Though the ability to book flights online was available from 1996.

Continue reading “BA100: 92. ba.com Have You Clicked Yet?”

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

Earlier this year, BA had a rather public falling out with the Financial Times, ironically the one daily UK newspaper most closely associated with its target market.

Allegedly in response to a series of negative articles on BA and its parent company International Airlines Group, BA pulled the Financial Times from all of its aircraft and lounges.

Years ago, if a company was unhappy about its press coverage, rather than indulge in passive aggressive behaviour, its Chairman would simply call the editor or journalist in question and scream at them down the telephone.

As case in point is Lord King, former Chairman of BA who was notorious for having little patience with journalists.

Once under questioning at a news conference, Lord King was reported to have shouted across the room to a press officer “Hey! I pay you to talk to idiots like these.”

In the early 1990s, the Financial Times ran a series known as “My Office” in which Chairman and CEOs would give FT columnist Lucy Kellaway a tour of their private offices.

It was certainly a brave BA press officer that allowed Lucy Kellaway to visit Lord King’s office in St James’s – far away from BA’s offices near Heathrow, but of course close to Westminster, the private members clubs of Pall Mall, and many Central London embassies.

Copyright restrictions prevent a full reprint of the article, but here is a quick flavour:

Lord King of Wartnaby has just arrived back at his St James’s office from a long lunch across town. The 74-year old chairman of British Airways is late, and does not look in a particularly good mood. “Close the door, there’s a good man” he growls, a fat cigar stub between his lips, at his PR man. The message does not get through. “Jane” he bellows at one of the two secretaries who sit outside, guarding his office. “Close the door.”

Lord King then guided Lucy Kellaway through his private picture collection in his office:

“That’s me with the Pope. That’s me in the Oval Office with Bush, and me with Billy Graham. That’s me on holiday with Reagan.” 

Continue reading “BA100: 93. In The Court Of Lord King”

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

Part of the genius of Saatchi & Saatchi’s work for British Airways was the recognition that the bold confidence of claiming to be “The World’s Favourite Airline” would not be enough to win the hearts and minds of passengers.

The airline had to show a human side as well.

As anyone who has ever done any significant amount of business travel knows very well, it is nowhere near as glamorous as people think it is. Very often, by far the best part of any business trip is returning home.

These three print adverts from the early 1990s featuring small moments of business passengers returning home to be with their families recognise that airlines getting people back home is just as important as the trip itself.

Continue reading “BA100: 94. “Arrive Home””

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

On 29 December 2000, at a time the cockpit doors on UK aircraft were not locked in-flight, a passenger entered the flight deck of a Boeing 747-400 aircraft en-route from London Gatwick to Nairobi.

The passenger attempted to seize the control of the aircraft from First Officer Phil Watson who was flying it at the time.

The other two members of the flight crew, Captain William Hagan who was on a rest break, and First Officer Richard Webb, struggled with the passenger during which the aircraft descended by thousands of feet and went into stall. The incident took place six hours into the flight over Sudan.

With the assistance of other passengers the pilots managed to remove the passenger from the controls and stabilise the aircraft.

In addition to the 3 flight crew, there were 379 passengers and 16 cabin crew on board the aircraft and some were injured during the incident. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Nairobi.

Captain William Hagan recounted the incident to BBC Radio 4 in 2008:

I couldn’t understand why the aircraft was banking from one side to the other side and stalling. I thought perhaps one or two engines had fallen off. I thought perhaps we’ve been struck by debris, space debris. The movements of the aircraft were so extreme that this was the sort of explanation I was looking for. I then heard the pilot, Phil Watson, calling for help. And I have to say, that call filled me with fear.

Continue reading “BA100: 95. Flight BA2069 Gatwick – Nairobi, December 2000”

London Air Travel » British Airways » Page 30

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 theme or by decade.

Many have been updated since first published.

One of the indicators of the development of BA in the 1980s was the launch of branded cabins such as Club World and Club Europe.

Although “Club” is used uniquely by BA, it is now synonymous with business class.

It traces its origins to BA offering a separate cabin between First Class and Economy/Tourist Class for passengers buying full fare economy tickets on Boeing 747 aircraft operating to the USA from 29 October 1978.

In March 1981, BA introduced its first dedicated branded long-haul business class cabin “Super Club” on flights to the USA.

These were expanding seats in a 2-2-2 configuration with a folding table in the middle of each seat pair for drinks and personal items. BA promised it was the widest airline seat available with 24 inches between arm rests.

Continue reading “BA100: 96. Super Club”