Why does British Airways feel looked down upon compared to the likes of easyJet and Virgin Atlantic?

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No_Lie6106@reddit

I had a awful time with easy jet today and BA have saved me, I type this as I am on a bus to arrivals at Manchester

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littleboo2theboo@reddit

They are a let down, that's why. And sometimes their share the flight with the likes of vueling

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Fine-State8014@reddit

Same company. But it'll say flight operated by vueling. Vueling are better than easyJet too.

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littleboo2theboo@reddit

I can't stand Vueling's disembarcation policy.

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Fine-State8014@reddit

I was sat right at the front so I'm not sure I know what it is.

Bid 6 Euros and won the front seats.

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littleboo2theboo@reddit

They make you exit row by row until they get to about halfway and then it's a free for all.

It probably makes some kind of sense but every vueling flight I have been on takes much much longer to disembark from.

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Krakshotz@reddit

BA used to be one of the premier airlines. Concorde and the 747 used to be cutting edge in luxury. Then they seemed to just coast on this success for decades instead of evolving.

The Middle East airlines (and even Virgin Atlantic) eventually surpassed them and by the time the execs realised they were too deep in the hole to quickly chase up. Financial issues (exacerbated by Covid) forced them to kill off most of their non-London UK routes and instead focus on ferrying people to London to connect onwards (hence their nickname “London Airways”)

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SomeHSomeE@reddit

BA have really cut back their short haul and mid haul experience. Their offer is largely that of a budget airline but still with premium marketing and premium prices.

EasyJet on the other hand knows its place in the market. With paid for add ons it often results in a nicer experience than basic BA such as checked bags, queue skips, exit seats, sometimes food vouchers and all while still being cheaper than the basic BA ticket that offers none of those. EasyJet also tends to have a newer fleet of planes.

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annedroiid@reddit

I've never heard someone rate easyjet higher than BA

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SomeHSomeE@reddit

I fly regularly and for flights to Europe EasyJet is often better than BA.

Last flight I took my choice at more or less the same price was:

EasyJet w/ flex upgrade which included checked bag, fast track check in, fast track security, priority boarding, an exit or front row seat, and a £10 in flight meal voucher (enough for a hot panini, packet of crisps or chocolate bar, and a drink).

Or

BA basic which was carry on only, no fast track, could only choose basic seats towards the back and only 24hr before check in, and no food on the flight except water and the tiny packet of sour cream pretzels.

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NoTry8886@reddit

easyjet viewed higher that BA? I must be missing something here?

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OkPea5819@reddit

Experience is pretty similar IMO. Not sure what you’re paying for anymore, especially now they’ve gutted their loyalty scheme.

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Bus8082@reddit

I flew to Barcelona with BA in October. Included in the price was a hand bag AND a small suitcase which massively reduced the stress of easy jet/ryanair bag checks. The flight was on time and they even threw in a drink and a biscuit. Add to that I could fly from Heathrow which is one bus journey away so easy and cheap.

This was a similar price to the flights friends took from other London airports that did not include baggage and I’d have had larger travel costs for. I always check if I can BA now.

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mrb2409@reddit

Until you want to fly to and from the better connected airports for major European cities.

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xxx654@reddit

So I’m in Glasgow. It’s often as easy for me to get to Schipol as LHR. It’s as well connected as HR.

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xxx654@reddit

I travel all over the world with work. I actively avoid BA. The planes are tatty, the service is dreadful. And that’s flying business class long haul. Compared to other European operators like AF/KLM, it’s much worse. Is not even at the races vs Middle Eastern operators.

Ryanair/easyjet are fine in Europe, they’re generally reliable, stick to schedule, you know what you’re getting. BA planes are often dirty, delayed, poor service.

I’ve been travelling for work a long time. The drop off in BA has been remarkable. If there’s another option, I’ll usually take it.

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front-wipers-unite@reddit

My experience with BA has been delayed.

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That-Confusion-9646@reddit

Right?! I was shocked by that

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ByteSizedGenius@reddit

They dropped their standards and didn't react to changes in the industry largely driven by the ME flagship carriers like Emirates or Qatar. No one rationally is picking BA first or business over either of those if the price and times are comparable.

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DreamyTomato@reddit

You’re right. However, the ME carriers have had quite a lot of investment, and BA, er, hasn’t.

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Hertfordgal@reddit

Within Europe, they’re not my first option as they are usually the most expensive. In Europe, EasyJet and Ryanair, even with baggage costs always work out cheaper and more convenient.

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Stunning_Highway9356@reddit

I feel there has been a fall from grace, when I was young our flag carrying airline was truly world class and offered one of the best long haul flight experience, since then its got progressively worse. Then newer challengers like Emirates and Qatar Airlines set new standards in service and luxury.

BA now looks & acts like a low cost carrier, you pay extra to check a bag, extra to choose a seat etc and the whole experience is pretty poor.

I think while BA have progressively got worse, EasyJet always marketed themselves from the start as a no frills airline, so people always has lower expectations.

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Jeffuk88@reddit

Travelling to Canada regularly and theyre much better than air canada and air transit. Ive not found other airlines serving UK to canada direct that are as affordable so I cant compare

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Complex-Honeydew-111@reddit

BA has miserable bitches for staff. Everything is too much trouble for them

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Quinn_XXVII@reddit

You can’t compare Easyjet to British Airways

But you can compare Virgin to BA

BA are miles behind the loop, and behind Virgin

Trading in a name that has fuck all to do with its origin

Safe yourself hassle long distance (business as an example)

If you’re going Middle/Far East (from the UK)

Fly with Singapore, Qatar, Emirates, Etihad etc

Japan, Nippon, Fin Air & Cathay are class too

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throwawayinfinitygem@reddit

I doubt ppl prefer Easyjet! I think an obvious factor in complaints about BA is their booking app is apparently a nightmare according to reddit.

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Fine-State8014@reddit

Their mobile website is crap too. But if you use Iberia you can book ba flights on a website that functions.

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throwawayinfinitygem@reddit

I'll try and remember that

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nick9000@reddit

Two words: Willie Walsh

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mrfatchance@reddit

Thank you

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Dark-Empath-@reddit

Language!

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shamone_mofo@reddit

Stop sniffing glue my friend in this universe EasyJet aren't in the same league as B.A

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l0stlabyrinth@reddit

They've been cost cutting aggressively for over a decade now since the merger with Iberia to form IAG. BA were profitable but Iberia were burning through cash and was being subsided by BA so something had to give.

Their priorities are all over the place. They're trying to compete with low cost airlines like easyJet and Ryanair and while BA can be cheaper if you're taking hold luggage, on the whole it's not feasible due to the differences in business models. They're also losing ground to the Middle Eastern airlines on long haul and can't compete in that space, and it doesn't feel like they're trying to.

Their IT is horrendous - their terrible app is just a web wrapper for their just as terrible website. The latest version of the app forgets to stay logged in causing issues with loading boarding passes. Even if you want to add your boarding pass to Google Wallet, which has taken them forever to support by the way, you end up in a login to Google loop because as soon as you leave the app to authenticate your login on your phone, the session refreshes and forgets that you logged in. It's actually easier to open their site in Google Chrome to add your boarding pass than it is to use their app. Also they still only allow you to check in 24hrs before the flight whereas easyJet and Ryanair are much easier in this regard, let you check in a month before and at least has apps that are functional.

Their planes are falling apart. The last three flights I've had with BA - two long haul and one short haul - there have been issues with the planes ranging from footrests/seat reclines breaking and air con not working.

Having said that I do prefer BA long-haul to Virgin. They do seem to be more efficient when it comes to bag drop, food quality is better (as far as airplane food goes) and service seems to be friendlier. Virgin's offering seems a bit dated nowadays. Short haul however, it's basically Heathrow's easyJet with a free bottle of water and a free snack of varying quality.

BA are trading on past glory, heritage and brand recognition. They're falling short and seem almost content with it. Also ironic that they're the UK's flag carrier yet KLM (Dutch) serve more UK airports than BA do. Hence the nickname London Airways

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No_Topic5591@reddit

They're expensive and unreliable. I did airport transfers for ski chalets in The Alps for a few seasons, and it was always BA flights that were late.

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Fine-State8014@reddit

Nobody sees easyJet, with the envelope sized backpack you're allowed to have as cabin luggage, as a ba upgrade.

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Far-Abroad-2040@reddit

So many pilots have been drunk whilst flying

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AWhistlingWoman@reddit

The only airline that really understands is BA

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Zubi_Q@reddit

They are still my go to airline. I always fly via Heathrow, so it's just easier

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Critical_C0conut@reddit

I wouldn’t say easyJet are viewed as a more premium airline if that’s what you mean, but British Airways has definitely lost its reputation over the past years.

A mix of being completely left behind by other airlines that continue to raise the bar such as Singapore, Emirates, Qatar etc. and cost cutting.

With British Airways you seem to pay more, but what ‘more’ do you actually get? They removed complementary catering and replaced it with the paid M&S range. So for short haul, it’s positioned very similar to the other carriers.

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