British Airways has become a national embarrassment
British Airways is our country’s flag carrier and should be a source of national pride, instead it’s beset by delays, cancellations, bad service – and won’t even give you a free G&T, says Jamie Bullen
British Airways’ descent from a beacon of national excellence and pride into something of a national disgrace seems to have reached rock bottom.
Just this past month, chess Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi publicly detailed the “worst experience” with British Airways – an involuntary downgrade and a critical baggage delay en route to a major tournament. He declared they’d lost a customer. From what I could find, the airline apparently hasn’t even bothered to reply.
Flying British Airways once symbolised reliability and quality – a proud expression of Britain abroad. No longer.
A reputation for premium service has been steadily eroded by relentless delays, baggage blunders and a passenger experience that simply doesn’t justify the price. “Cool Britannia” has devolved into frustration and disappointment.
An airline has one real purpose: getting people to their destinations in relative comfort without excessive delays. British Airways is good at none of this.
Consumer champion Which? consistently ranks BA at or near the bottom. Their 2025 survey scores – 62 per cent for long-haul and 57 per cent for short-haul – are depressingly consistent with past years, pointing to a systemic problem.
For long-haul, it tied for last place with Air Canada, scoring just two stars for value, seat comfort and cabin environment. These aren’t minor issues; they’re fundamental failings for a supposed premium carrier offering an uncomfortable and overpriced journey.
Gulf giants lead the pack
In stark contrast, flag carriers from other nations consistently lead the pack. Gulf giants like Etihad and Emirates, alongside Singapore Airlines, are top Which? performers. Whether you think it is causation or correlation, these airlines are powerful symbols of high-growth, forward-looking countries that strategically leverage their national carriers for soft power and economic expansion. What does that make the UK? Answers on a postcard.
For short-haul, BA’s performance is equally concerning, earning just two stars for boarding, seat comfort and food/drink.
But many passengers do not even make it aboard to be disappointed. BA is notorious for last-minute cancellations, with about two per cent of flights axed within 24 hours of departure. The overall UK average flight cancellation rate across all airports in 2024 was 1.46 per cent.
Despite BA’s claims of an “18 per cent improvement” in operational performance from a £7bn investment, Which? noted it “is yet to match the performance of most of its rivals”. Ouch. This blunt assessment underscores a chasm between corporate dreamland and passenger reality. For any consumer facing business, ignoring this is not sensible to say the least.
The conclusion of Joanne Anderson, a 76-year-old from Belfast who battled for two months to get a refund over a cancelled flight shows why. “To think British Airways is supposed to be the flag carrier – now they are absolutely dreadful. I will never fly with them again if I can possibly avoid it,” she told Which?.
Ultimately, passengers pay premium prices for what was once a world-leading airline yet receive a service falling far short of expectations. At some point they will go away.
However, the “national disgrace” label isn’t just about individual inconveniences; it reflects a sentiment that BA, as a flag carrier, should embody national pride and excellence. Joanne Anderson understands this. The airline seemingly doesn’t.
Strategic choices
This all goes back to strategic choices within British Airways. Previous leadership introduced a model that, in aiming for greater efficiency, appeared to divest from service elements previously considered integral to its premium offering. This included the decision to charge for complimentary services on short-haul flights starting in 2017.
But British Airways is not meant to be a budget carrier and taramasalata is very much an essential. As is a free G&T.
Fundamentally, you could argue this moment, alongside perceived long-running reductions in service levels across all cabins, turned many against the carrier in ways the 1997 tail fin painting never did (who really cared and it didn’t impact the most important thing – your journey).
British Airways is not meant to be a budget carrier and a free G&T is very much an essential
Personally speaking, I now never book British Airways unless forced to. Last year I used it to fly to Dubai – ironically for an aviation conference. The sister flight to Abu Dhabi was cancelled with about an hour to go, making for a nervy wait for the gate at around 10pm. Then the boarding was delayed. Thanks to a technical issue, a different plane was used for my flight meaning a seat lottery was introduced. Having had to settle for middle row in economy after being unable to log in to check-in ahead of time and select (read, pay for) a seat suitable for a seven hour plus flight (something I’ve only since experienced on a Central Asian airline). I did eventually get upgraded, but some other poor passenger had clearly found themselves booted into my original seat. I wondered if they got any compensation as I eyed my complimentary pretzels and micro can of coke.
Upon landing, many experts I met at the conference questioned why I had used British Airways. Surely, I should have taken Emirates? I agreed.
Maybe this would all be fine if it was just another airline. After all, it gave me an icebreaker to use multiple times. But it isn’t. It is the flag carrier. And it should represent the best of British. Shamefully, it is not.
Jamie Bullen is an aviation consultant