Special Privileges

The Times reports the following:

"The heads of several big companies that called for a third runway at Heathrow are members of a confidential British Airways club of elite businessmen who receive special favours.

They are served by a team of BA staff who cater for their every need. Other passengers are sometimes bumped off flights to make way for them, according to a BA source. Staff meet members at the aircraft door to fast-track them through immigration and flights are sometimes held to ensure they make their connections.

The only way to become a member is by personal invitation from either Willie Walsh, chief executive of BA, or Martin Broughton, the chairman. No one can earn the right to join by frequent flying.

Members get a black Premier card and distinctive black luggage tags, which BA staff are trained to look out for."

I am sure that being given the Premier card didn't influence them in the slightest.

BA's U Turn

BA has done a U turn, that has put it at odds with other airlines, and is now calling for BAA not to be broken up.

For why?

Seemingly BA's desire for expanded runway capacity at Heathrow outweighs its desire to improve customer service at Heathrow, by having BAA taken out of the equation.

Pensions Blackmail

The battle over Heathrow's new runway is becoming ugly.

Tory MP John Randall has accused British Airways of trying to blackmail retired staff into backing Heathrow expansion, by suggesting that their pensions may be at risk.

The Daily express reports that BA has sent a leaflet to former workers, urging them to write to Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly to back plans for a third runway.

The pamphlet warns that the security of pensions for retired staff depends directly on the success of BA and Heathrow.

Willie Walsh (CEO) says that former employees have an important role to play in Heathrow's future; he notes that the Liaison Council, which represents retired staff, has backed the plans.

Shadow transport secretary, Theresa Villiers, weighed in as well and is quoted in the Express:

"Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of Heathrow expansion, former employees of British Airways should not be subject to this sort of pressure and manipulation ... people should be able to make up their own minds.

I am very concerned that BA has chosen to exert this pressure on its former staff, which I believe is inappropriate and unhelpful to the debate."

BA rejects the allegations:

"Any suggestion British Airways would bully any of its staff, retired or current, to support expansion is entirely without foundation. The Liaison Council operates independently of British Air-ways. It communicates with retired staff in the way it wishes."

This is not the first attempt by BA to encourage others to support its plans for a third runway. In November 2007 it wrote to all of its executive club members trying to drum up support.

In that letter Willie Walsh claimed that expansion would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 330,000 tonnes a year, because aircraft would no longer have to waste fuel queuing for take-off or circling while waiting to land.

It then transpired that, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the claim was not quite correct. ASA wrote to BA ordering it to withdraw the claim.

Customer Manipulation

Back in November 2007 I, along with thousands of other BA Executive Club members, received an email from Willie Walsh (CEO of BA) asking me to support the creation of a third runway at Heathrow.

Walsh claimed that expansion would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 330,000 tonnes a year, because aircraft would no longer have to waste fuel queueing for take-off or circling while waiting to land.

It now transpires that, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the claim is not quite correct. ASA has written to BA ordering it to withdraw the claim.

Walsh's e-mail implied that the claim about CO2 reduction had been endorsed by the Government. However, he did not make it clear that the new runway would raise overall CO2 emissions by 2.6 million tonnes a year by allowing an extra 220,000 flights.

ASA has asked BA to confirm by January 9 that it will not repeat the claim.

BA should not have tried to manipulate their customers in this manner in the first place.