BA slammed over direct business deal

BRITISH Airways has been accused of attempting to poach a business travel agent’s clients following its recent flight cancellations debacle.

Wellers Corporate Choice business travel manager Evarne Journet is furious with BA after it offered one of her leading clients 10,000 free Air Miles in compensation for disruption caused by last month’s cancellations.

Journet had contacted the airline on the client’s behalf to claim compensation, but was “astonished” to find BA had approached the client direct.

“I’m absolutely furious with BA,” she said. “It seems like the airline wants to poach the client away from us by going behind our backs and offering a product they can only book direct.”

“It’s appalling behaviour. I called BA to complain but have not heard anything back. That’s what they think of agents.”

A BA spokeswoman said it wanted to act quickly to contact affected customers and got in touch with all Executive Club members caught up in the problems.

However, Advantage business travel director Norman Gage claimed corporate agents are furious with the airline’s recent behaviour but can’t make their grievances public because of gagging clauses in their sales and marketing agreements.

“BA has cut its staff to the bone and left agents to sort out the mess.”

Gage has been further angered by the carrier’s most recent bout of cancellations because they will affect flights to Advantage’s October business conference in Copenhagen.

BA has cut hundreds of short and long-haul flights between September and December, representing around 2% of its flying programme, to ease the pressure on its operation.

“People will have to rebook flights or fly with alternative carriers. It’s just a hassle,” he said.

BA said the move was a “prudent” measure to relieve pressure on its network.