British Airways Virgin Atlantic Dirty Tricks (1993)

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

I admire Branson, he went up against the establishment in many different industries. This program makes me think of Virgin records going up against EMI.

[@msr7373]

British Airways should bring back their old livery , it was so good .

[@nutsackmania]

they should bring back being an actually good airline too

[@waleedarif6740]

Yeah but it should then bring back their old interiors as well along with their old petrol smell cause I don't really see any point of them just bringing back retro's that are only refurbished exteriorly but have the same interior with the modern smell of modern airways.

[@Abraham-uk4xy]

Yes indeed. It was posh.

[@Locutus]

Problem is that it's a very corporate 80s livery. And it was an appropriate livery for BA at the time, going after the corporate traveller. However, today, their target market is the leisure traveller.

[@j.chiari4222]

757 always looks so right! So beautiful! Always a great flight aboard the pencil!

[@JC-vo5dt]

Especially former President Trump's personal 757.

[@MrMiD.Life.Crisis]

Worlds favourite airline? 2:50 - the way in which he answered tells much more than his words ever could. Also, that's no way to talk to a lady. He should feel ashamed. Actually they all should feel ashamed. Thanks for uploading. Hope everyone is all well and good.

[@patthewoodboy]

was thinking the same.

[@flyc3]

If ever there was an admission of guilt…..!

[@Locutus]

Would it have been ok if it was an old man, then? 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@VladimirMaric]

I read about this in Richard's autobiography long time ago. But hearing about it today it just seems so unreal that BA was getting away with it so easily. Amazing how Virgin remained calm and played fair regardless.

[@enriquemerino4646]

Vladimir Maric same

[@CosmicPanda855]

And you seriously believe said autobiography is entirely balanced? 🤔

[@cherylno583]

i highly doubt virgin played fair

[@peteconrad2077]

Virgin didn’t.

[@CameTo]

So much to learn here from these early psychological operations... It clearly shows who's in favour, and who isn't.

[@robinlecomte1242]

I find this really informative. That BA, the British Govt Flag Carrier Airline, suddenly facing competition, left out in the cold by a Govt in power, having to resort to "dirty tricks" to save its income, is in alinement with 2 other Govt, both Commonwealth Countries, who had Flag Carrier Airlines, both heavily subsidized by Tax Payer $$, who suddenly had competition surface, impacting on income, that they too had to resort to "a dirty tricks campaign", quietly support by the elected Govt (of both Countries, of the day) to not only undermine, but destroy the "opposition".

[@akifiskandar4186]

I might guess you're referring to Australia when Qantas and Ansett drove both incarnations of Compass Airlines into bankcruptcy

[@robinlecomte1242]

@@akifiskandar4186 Your assumption is right, BUT, Qantas went further, Air NZ got involved/took over Ansett (to fly within Aussie), The Kangaroo got upset and suddenly Ansett went "tits up". All over "who flew in what direction and when" (plus the money involved). That is why (in Aussie) Regional Airlines still have issues.

[@BassicVIC]

Well… BA was privatised in 1987. So this is public companies both of them, Virgin and BA. However, yes, the Tory lineage within the company was/is still at play.

[@trevortrevatrevortreva1520]

Branson was and is a legend. You can only think of the dirty corporate tricks pulled since this documentary was made...... Along with the cover ups to crush competition!

[@patriciabarnes7034]

BA dirty tricks is a disgrace. I stopped flying with BA, for several years now, and wouldn't switch back come what may. I'm for Virgin all the way.

[@Notguilty907]

Is this comment another "Dirty Trick" from Virgin Airlines?

[@scottgamedev8542]

@@Notguilty907 Most likely

[@scottgamedev8542]

BA is best, but i don't dislike Virgin

[@peteconrad2077]

They really miss your £300 per year from which they make £1.59 profit. 😭😭

[@northseawolf]

4:32 'The worst recession in aviation history' child's play compared to post 9/11, and even more so after covid 19. Seeing airport pax figures for 2020 matching figures from the early 80s is quite something to behold.

[@Locutus]

It's as if you have seen the future and he hasn't seen the future.

[@steve-marsh]

Fascinating! Thanks for posting

[@davidbaker8957]

I think the way he shouted and got very angry so quickly and pointed his finger and his face screwed up tells you everything when that lady asked the question about dirty tricks.

[@12345fowler]

My take is that BA didn't have the politic backup to support their effort to discredit their competitor. If they would have had it they would certainly have succeded. Instead they fed up the government who wanted to see some competition in the most lucrative markets (aka atlantic routes). Remember this is a mantra in liberal UK politics (free market, entrepreneuship etc.) so it was difficult to protect BA from Virgin in a too open manner. Once caught BA had no other way out than to pitifully excuse themselves and pay the fine.

[@johniii8147]

BA ultimately won. Virgin never amounted to much of threat. VA has always struggled to be profitable and a fraction of the size all these years later. None of the Virgin branded airlines have been that successful. The Virgin brand is just a marketing ploy by Branson to get the branding revenue.

[@cmtransportvids]

I love Virgin! Today it seems so unlike BA, but overall I prefer Virgin.

[@jodalinkus5538]

Fortunately free market competition did a splendid job on a market mechanism. With both air carriers competing through an equilibrium for a market share and profits.

[@glennadamusphotographer8266]

BA was NEVER the world’s favourite airline!

[@psrpippy]

It used the marketing slogan claiming to be the worlds favourite airline because it carried more international passengers than any other global airline. In the late 90’s it stopped using the slogan because it no longer carried the more than anyone else. It was a clever way of twisting facts and figures.

[@Aviation18]

TBF they're the only non-asian airline to be voted the best airline in the world and that was in 2006, I'm not claiming they are but those are the stats

[@anthonyglee1710]

Yep, more like the “The World’s Sleaziest Airline”. A shame, because BA’s crews and ground staff were really good. Just the idiotic management performing a school boy coup and thought they were untouchable. Look at interviews with King. Makes O’Leary look like a care bear.

[@Biggles2498]

@@psrpippy I liked Singapore Airlines the best and back in the 80's it was great as the Air Hostesses were so easy to chat up and I slept with one at The Astoria Hotel (paid for my Company) in Dubai....those were the days !

[@MODECHARLIE]

It was mine

[@sanbetski]

This needs more views!

[@matthewcorcoran2891]

I remember this when it was originally broadcast, I recorded it.

[@anthonyglee1710]

British Airways were so up themselves & thought they were untouchable under King, Marshall and Burnside. It’s seedy actions have made me avoid BA. Anyway, my regular route LON-NYC, Virgin are so good. The odd time I’ve flown BA transatlantic, it’s been miserable.

[@peteconrad2077]

Neither airline is that bothered by economy passengers who only just cover their costs at best.

[@pullformore]

Kate Middleton did the research! Oh my!

[@valicourt]

Good spot!

[@pauljordan4452]

Not her. She was 11 years old when this documentary was made.

[@valicourt]

@@pauljordan4452 She must have been really smart

[@theboardshorts]

Coincidentally, the real Kate Middleton's mother was a BA Stewardess 😊

[@FannyLerouxTime]

This was ideal for Branson because he LOVES to play the victim.

[@peterbradshaw8018]

Jesus Christ three million pounds in costs. Suddenly the chapter on Defamation and related matters in Winfield and Jolowicz seems a lot more interesting.

[@franciscoestrocio5683]

Virgin Atlantic

[@celebrityrog]

Virgin always has been and always will be better than BA and AA

[@peteconrad2077]

Unless you fly in them.

[@dumdumbrown4225]

That ol’buzzard was threatening the press - says enough about the work culture in BA - former employees who were my dad’s buddies have told me how it was always about who slept with whom at BA. Shame on BA - from what a few mates who work there tell me now, not much has changed…

[@largol33t1]

They are so dirty that when it was time to dump the Concorde, BA told its pilots to find out what parts were rare and to destroy them so it would impossible to put them into service. Me thinks they were skeered of someone being able to use them. I wonder if they had a secret agreement with Air France over this...

[@peteconrad2077]

Not true. Airbus was the only thing stopping them getting back to service initially because it withdrew the design approval. A few months later the engines were seized as expected. This isn’t true because no one needed to do that. No one else could fly them anyway.

[@harrier331]

@@peteconrad2077 While the design approval is true (but at a much later date than that of the withdrawal from service) this is not true "A few months later the engines were seized" many Concordes retain their engines. All BA Concordes as far as I am aware are still owned by BA.

[@peteconrad2077]

@@harrier331 Airbus had serviced notice of the certificate withdrawal which prompted the retirement. The Olympus engines require frequent running in order to remain airworthy and this had been done during the hiatus post the Paris accident. This has not been done post retirement and the engine bearings are considered it have seized within months of the retirement. The engines are there but they could not be started and run now.

[@harrier331]

@@peteconrad2077 "The Olympus engines require frequent running in order to remain airworthy and this had been done during the hiatus post the Paris accident. This has not been done post retirement and the engine bearings are considered it have seized within months of the retirement. The engines are there but they could not be started and run now" Nonsense, it is simply a maintenance directive. With the correct maintenance procedure/inspections the engines could easily be re-certified. Bearings fo not simply seize if the engine is not run, multiple factors can lead to bearing failure but simply sitting is not one of them. I have seen an olympus run last year... It had been sitting out in the open for more than 10 years on an airfield and the bearings had not seized. In fact, no internal maintenance was performed at all, I am not saying that is legally airworthy (it's not) but your notion that the bearings seize due to not being run is plainly false. You also cannot be naive enough to believe that the Concorde was retired by Airbus removing the certificate against the will of both operators of the aircraft... Here is a section from a book written by a man who was deeply involved in the operations of Concorde, he explains the true reason for Concordes early retirement... The take away message is that It ammounts to one selfish country saving themselves from embarrassment... facebook.com/notes/save-concorde-group-the-official-facebook-site/the-betrayal-of-concorde/10157314640385617/

[@peteconrad2077]

@@harrier331 the information I provided is from the former lead engineer for Concorde at BA. obviously he’ll be fascinated to know that you know better.

[@Sierraomega1991]

And now Branson is one of the most hated men in the uk

[@johniii8147]

He doesn't care. It was always about his marketing and making his buck. He created the brand, but rarely has it turned out to be that profitable other than for him.

[@Matityahu755]

How come?

[@FranciscoCamino]

Why?

[@fshoaps]

According to whom?

[@N00N01]

The way he slightly ticked at the woman is somewhat a hint weither there was a campaign or not, as if there deffenetively wasnt one everyone wouldve been able to be answering calmly and orderly, like all of the other board members Edit: must be feeling like a hard kick in the bollocks when the handed over route to the competetour is flown using essentially the preatty much same fleet...

[@apl175]

AA/BA No Way!

[@eightfivetwohk13]

Excelent

[@WhatALoadOfTosca]

Not their last dirty tricks? Anyone remember the personal attack campaign against John Gorman by the airline?

[@peteconrad2077]

No.

[@StuBobsGhost]

Was that the one involving a call from the police station at Heathrow or something like that?

[@tiadaid]

The dirty tricks campaign is incredibly catty!

[@waleedarif6740]

Are any of these Boeings fortunately preserved?

[@Locutus]

Just look up the tail numbers and they will tell you if any are still in service.

[@eheis5]

Controvacy!

[@Swissspookie]

NOTHING MADAME!

[@donnafartface3905]

Lord King. What a card.

[@mattnpatxi]

But, why not? That’s enough! Hahahaha at least it’s like now but with no swindling

[@urbansnipe]

why is it always the ponce overpayed people in charge of airlines that know nothing about running an airline are put in the position of running the airline

[@trevk9619]

And there people we see the swamp monsters

[@Dalamain]

"The worlds favourite airline" pfffft hahahahaha 🤣🤣🤣

[@peteconrad2077]

It was at the time.

[@cosmic687]

branston pickle used to frequent epstein's island

[@matthewcorcoran2891]

He had his own island didn’t he?

[@matvei8829]

"computers"

[@Aalliiiq]

I see this as stupidity why use a centralised system for such sensitive information If just seems Virgin didn’t care too much about cyber security. So that’s probably why he lives on his own personal island

[@chaoszombie9995]

well.. to be honest.. you dont really expect this stuff to happen

[@simonkevnorris]

Someone at Virgin should have known about BABS (British Airways Booing System) as they must have been paying BA to use the system. It does sound like a number of executives at BA got away with it.

[@ezimdanielchukwunwike531]

British airways is horrible, I never knew.

[@issybella2056]

It's not just British Airways, it's every airline. They lie, cheat and bleed people dry.

[@caz846]

It's an Intrusive Irritation

[@boatymcboatface18]

Looks like Virgin won the war looking at them today.

[@jamessez5826]

Well considering who’s the bigger more profitable airline I would say BA won

[@peteconrad2077]

Yes, so successful they had to bailed out by Delta while BA was making £1bn a year profit.

[@timothyseabrook1584]

in 1993 Btitish Airwsys voildn’ t wotk out ehy thry voildn’ t order the CAA around over Engineer licencing when they were djort od Rafio and Radar LicencedEngineers

[@stevedowdeswell139]

Branson always play the Victim.

[@Optimus-Prime-Rib]

So BA was the victim here hey?

[@peteconrad2077]

@@Optimus-Prime-Rib Virgin were also doing similar stuff. BA just got caught.

[@norman7527]

Here we are in 2023 - BA one of the world's, oldest fleet and worst airline. I always avoid where possible

[@Bettinasisrg]

That's business as usual in America and very tame. Business ethics does not exist here, period. B.A. must've found an American businessman to get ideas from.

[@patrickpick3091]

BA crew would rather spit on you than say hello as you enter the aircraft. And the foul Unionized crew members treatment of the so called "the Hat's" lower scale in pay topped the scales and they have to fly together with the unionized "non hatter's'" forcing a disgusting and a cruel environment. Cheer on the attendants wearing a hat! They are the best and determined. Bet this news to you all over a simple uniform hat!

[@dirk6001]

Richard Branson rules

[@LunaticTheCat]

All billionaires are bad

[@BeingSardar]

AA

[@virginsim8024]

Pure arrogance

[@alexm566]

Did any of those BS tricks help them at all?

[@baljj]

Tip old man - shouting a monosyllabic answer at a reporter is the worst possible way to answer a journalist. Probably rattled you even more it was a woman.

[@Stefan_Boerjesson]

Why spend energy on what happened nearly 30 years ago? Sucking for sensations?

[@davidbarber4565]

Environmental disaster

[@ogalienman]

More of a BA flyer myself, but I still respect Virgin Atlantic. I still don't like Branson...

[@AGMTB.]

Sleezebag but you've gotta give him credit...

[@ogalienman]

@@AGMTB. Eh

[@AGMTB.]

@@ogalienman Branson. He is a twat but you've got to respect the entrepreneurship

[@ogalienman]

@@AGMTB. Ye

[@anirbaanchowdhury3055]

Nobody are wearing 😷

[@BeingSardar]

A

[@Notguilty907]

Lets' just say what it is, what it really comes down to, that is, who has the biggest dick and who can piss the farthest while making the most money out of the flying public. Nothing more than this. I'm not a fan of Richard Branson as I find his promotional add campaigns objectify women as objects of beauty and clamour to be used in such fashion. I have flown Virgin several times and found it to be almost Disney like. Nothing British about the ambiance while on board. I do not fly BA either now and have not for many years. I find neither at a standard I would consider professional.