The British Airways bashing is getting out of hand

British Airways has long bore the brunt of the nation's ire
British Airways has long bore the brunt of the nation’s ire

I never thought I would write these words. Is our national sport of British Airways (BA) bashing getting out of hand? I’ve been one of the flag carrier’s harshest critics in recent years. To this day, Alex Cruz, the former chief executive of BA, refuses to speak to me after a story I wrote a few years ago headlined Broken Airways. In it I pointed out that computer meltdowns, strikes and – gasp! – the end of free G&Ts, meant that many Brits were now choosing to fly “ABBA” – Anyone but British Airways.

Reading recent headlines you might think that BA was still living up to its nickname, Bloody Awful. The latest outcry concerns the decision to swap lunch for brunch on some of its flights and not to offer a full three-course dinner in business class on some flights that leave the UK after 9pm. BA has also been lambasted for cancelling hundreds of long-haul flights this winter, including axing all services from Gatwick to New York between Dec 12 and the end of March next year. “Crackpot downgrades that reduce what was once the world’s favourite airlines to little better than a budget carrier,” the critics cry.

A return to form?

I fly tens of thousands of miles a year on BA and most of its rival carriers for work and have clocked up one million miles on BA over recent decades. I’ve seen it at its best – Concorde – and at its worst – during strikes, IT meltdowns and Covid. Based on where I am sitting, in all cabins, not just the pointy end, I think BA is beginning to climb again – albeit slowly. Don’t just take my world for it. BA finished 19th overall, above Swiss, Iberia, Austrian, Lufthansa, TAP and SAS, among others, in The Telegraph’s recent comprehensive airline rankings, scoring highly for its on-time performance (93 per cent in 2023), connectivity (it flies to 80 countries, the fifth most of any carrier) and generous baggage allowance.

Let’s start with the controversy of the week – food. OK, being given the world’s smallest bag of corn bites and a microscopic bottle of water in short-haul economy isn’t the highlight of anyone’s journey but at least it’s more than you get on a budget carrier. And you can always ask for more complimentary water or buy a cuppa or something stronger for a few quid, plus good food from the High Life Cafe. Nobody misses the free meals in economy. They were vile.

BA recently announced it would swap lunch for brunch on some flights
BA recently announced it would swap lunch for brunch on some flights - alamy

The portions in Club Europe and Club World, BA’s short-haul and long-haul business class, could be larger but the quality is way better than a decade ago when “Costcutter Cruz” was axing perks wherever he could. The Balik salmon and steak pie are particularly good. The only downer in every cabin? Breakfast is inedible and the “coffee” undrinkable. Perhaps BA should give up on breakfast – and brunch – altogether and simply offer Scottish smoked salmon sandwiches and English breakfast tea in the morning.

What about the cabins? World Traveller (economy class) remains as bad as, or worse than, most other major carriers in both short and long-haul. But the revamped World Traveller Plus, BA’s premium economy, is on par with, or better than, most airlines. What’s more, it may soon be installed at the front of the lower deck on BA’s refurbished Airbus A380 superjumbos, enabling passengers to get on and off through the front door and to access three dedicated, large lavatories.

Falling behind

Club Europe needs an overhaul – because it is just a regular seat in a row of three with the middle seat kept empty – but Club World has been transformed for the better. Almost all the uncomfortable back to front seat pairs, which were arranged in rows of eight across the cabin, have been replaced by the new large new Club Suite in a one-two-one configuration. You can work easily during the day and then shut the door to the suite to sleep at night. The only thing Sean Doyle, the BA chief executive, needs to do is replace the dull grey upholstery with a warm navy blue fabric.

BA first class is still a treat – as it should be – with a vast suite in a cabin with as few as eight seats, but it has fallen behind its rivals, notably Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Etihad. These airlines’ first-class cabins offer private rooms with beds and a separate chair and, in Emirates’ and Etihad’s case, showers. Doyle promises a new first suite on the refurbished A380. It can’t come soon enough and needs to move from the lower deck to the upper deck (poshos like to look down on other people).

BA no longer serves a three-course meal in business class after 9pm
BA no longer serves a three-course meal in business class after 9pm - British Airways

BA has made some wise decisions on aircraft type. Its short-haul fleet is all Airbus, so passengers know that there is no chance of boarding a Boeing 737 MAX jet. Some travellers avoid the model because it has suffered two crashes, in which 346 passengers and crew died. BA has plenty of Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which are the quietest and most comfortable single-decker long-haul jets. But it does need to fix its ageing A380s because they have a habit of breaking down, stranding 500 passengers every time.

Other welcome new initiatives include free WhatsApp and text messaging in all cabins at 39,000ft and – at last – a website and mobile phone app that do not crash every five minutes. Phone call wait times are shortening, thanks to the opening of a new call centre in Delhi. There are more films and TV shows to watch on long-haul jets, including hits from Paramount+ and Disney Plus. Short-haul fares can be remarkably low. I recently flew back from Dublin to London for a lower fare than Ryanair. When I told Michael O’Leary, the Ryanair CEO, he called me a liar.

Training required

On the ground, BA’s home hub, Heathrow Terminal 5, is working well – for point-to-point travellers, if not connecting ones. Check in and security are speedy, thanks to new tech. Arrivals are fast due to the e-Gates. But luggage could get on to the carousel more quickly and BA’s business and first-class lounges need a total overhaul.

Under Cruz, BA’s cabin crew and ground staff used to hate the airline so much that many did not bother to offer great service. Most approve of Doyle’s new reforms and have stopped grumbling to passengers about how awful BA is. What they now need is better training to be as attentive and distinctly British as the crew on Virgin Atlantic.

BA staff
Most BA staff approve of recent reforms to the company - david goldman

What about BA’s airline alliance, Oneworld? It’s the best because it includes Qatar Airways, the world’s best airline. Many BA customers heading to the Gulf, Asia, Australia and Africa book Qatar because it is better than BA and they can still earn BA tier points and Avios (BA’s version of air miles). BA’s credit card and loyalty programme offer the most generous perks of any carrier, offering vouchers for heavily discounted flights and free cabin upgrades.

BA’s punctuality could still be better and, of course, it’s irritating that it has cancelled flights in the run up to Christmas. I had to postpone a trip to Doha. BA certainly needs to reduce cancellations, especially those made at short notice, but not all are its fault. Blame for many of the recent ones lies with Rolls-Royce, the engine maker, which cannot supply spare parts to keep the Trent engines on BA’s Dreamliners running properly.

And as for those complaints that BA no longer serves a three-course meal in business class after 9pm, that’s a good thing, not cost cutting. Most Club World passengers eat in the lounge before take off because the food is better. It’s wasteful and silly to load dozens of meals that no-one will eat and get thrown away. My recommendation? Have a glass of red wine, get your head down, and dream of ABBA – A Better BA.